Part of California's transportation crisis may stem from our inability to repair and maintain our existing road, highway and transit systems, a physical infrastructure that amounts to a combined investment of over $1 trillion statewide. Most of these repair needs exist on local roads and streets and throughout the state's public transit systems. Current estimates place the total backlog of pavement repair costs on local streets and roads at around $10.5 billion, an amount that is increasing by about $400 million a year.

Research suggests that road building is a short term boost for the economy at best, and in the long term may do nothing more than shift centers of economic productivity from one part of a region to another. Read the details. 

Federal design standards and a push for "Context Sensitive Solutions" at Caltrans are making it easier for local communities to turn state-owned roads into more pedestrian-friendly, livable streets.  Read all about the conflicts that arise over state-owned highways that double as main streets in hundreds of communities across California in "Civilizing Downtown Highways."  This book was produced through a collaboration between the Congress for the New Urbanism, the Local Government Commission and STPP.