Issues

Improving accessibility
The fundamental purpose of California's transportation system is to provide opportunities to physically reach or access desired locations. The more opportunities our citizens have to readily or easily reach various social and economic activities, the greater the access. Access is also often provided through telecommunications rather than physical travel.

Reducing travel times
The average travel time between most origins and destinations in the state is increasing due to growing congestion at an annual rate of 10%. As an example, travelers in Los Angeles-Orange-Ventura Counties, ranked #1 in the nation for urban congestion, spending an average 82 hours a year stalled in traffic according to a recent 1999 Urban Mobility Study. Congestion affects the state's economic competitiveness, as well as individual quality of life.

Improving trip reliability
Recent surveys show that transportation customers are in some cases willing to accept congestion during peak periods, but get increasingly frustrated if trip durations are highly variable. Citizens seek reasonable and dependable levels of service by mode. In transportation, variability is primarily a consequence of non-recurrent delays. On the freeways, it may reflect incidents and the time to manage them. In transit, it may reflect unanticipated breakdown of equipment (e.g., buses, rail cars). Reducing variability is therefore a function of reducing the instances of non-recurrent delays (e.g., through more intensive maintenance practices) and reducing the time it takes to resolve such delays (e.g., through faster and more systematic incident management).

Reducing transportation costs
Transportation costs are an element of every California household budget. To reduce the cost of travel, California must maximize the current and future benefits from public and private transportation investments.
Congestion increases the costs for travelers and shippers in terms extended travel time, increased fuel consumption in stop-and-go traffic, and lost productivity of people. Travelers in Los Angeles, for instance, waste 120 gallons of fuel ($1,370) per driver when stalled in traffic according to the Texas Transportation Institute who studied 68 0f America’s most congested cities over a 15-year period. Accidents result in additional losses through injuries and fatalities and damage to personal property. Shippers lose productivity and profits when goods cannot reach the marketplace on time, in addition to the cost to the driver and equipment while idling in slow-moving traffic.

Improving safety and security
Minimizing the risk of death, injury, or property loss is California's greatest transportation challenge.
While fatality and injury rates have declined substantially over the past 10 years, they are no longer declining. Throughout California, one out of every 59 licensed drivers is involved in a fatal or injury accident. California has not had a day without a fatality on the state highways since May 1, 1991. Although only 28 percent of driving miles are at night, more than half of all motor vehicle deaths occur at night. Drivers under age 30 account for only 23% of licensed drivers, yet account for 35% of all drivers involved in fatal and injury accidents.
Other concerns have surfaced as well. Riders using public transportation are concerned with the rising crime rate and their perceived vulnerability in public areas. Travelers in rural areas face more environmental hazards (fog, dust, snow) than metropolitan drivers, and often express concern about the length of time required for notification and response to accidents. Other considerations include law enforcement officials who are concerned with the security of data and emergency activities, and transportation officials who find it necessary to ensure that personal data collected and stored is secure and not used improperly.

Improving user satisfaction
To date, California has invested an estimated $1 trillion in transportation facilities and vehicles (exclusive of right of way). Citizens expect this investment to provide transportation choices that are safe, convenient, affordable, comfortable, and meet their needs.

Improving the environment
Congestion has a direct impact on the environment by creating pollution that impacts the air and water quality. California is home to four of the nation’s worst air quality cities, and a recent Urban Mobility Study ranked four urban areas in California in the top 68 most congested cities in the nation.
California's transportation investments should help to maintain and enhance the quality of the natural and human environment.

Improving transportation equity
The burden and benefits of transportation investments should be distributed fairly among all ethnic, age, and income groups. "Social Equity" in transportation is a concept that means the needs of the disadvantaged be adequately considered in transportation policy and infrastructure development.

Enhancing economic vitality
California has the 7th largest economy in the world and conducts trade with many nations - particularly with Canada, Mexico and the Pacific Rim countries. Its transportation system is the foundation of its economic vitality - moving workers to jobs, tourists to destinations, and goods to market by rail, air, land and sea. The increasing congestion in many metropolitan cities restricts commerce by delaying goods and services - and the workers that produce, ship and market those goods and services.
The vision to enhance California’s economic vitality involves two specific goals that are already beginning to have an effect on our state. One is to make better use of the valuable public infrastructure investment by applying cost-effective technological advances using computers, electronics and communications. The other is to support an evolving California advanced transportation technology industry that is projected to contribute $11 billion to California’s economy over the next 10 years.