Streetsblog California

California's Transit Transformation Task Force must address a wide range of issues. Here are three that are crucial, from the perspective of one of the task force members.

Complete Streets are as far away now as they were when SB 127 was vetoed by Governor Newsom.

“No one at Caltrans should be using the word ‘safety’ while [their] engineers continue to condescend to the families of the dead victims of [their] roadway designs.”

California Transportation Commission staff released their recommendations for local projects to protect transportation infrastructure from climate change. The list will be considered by the CTC in December.

Instead of proactively asserting a right for people to walk and roll safely and conveniently outside of a vehicle, the standards used to determine when and where to put safety infrastructure require people to either risk their bodies or experience harm before any paint or concrete are poured.

"People aren't used to thinking of freeways as fossil fuel infrastructure, but they are." And once built, there's no going back, no making up for the extra driving by trying to convince people that a bus or train might be a better choice - we're stuck with it.

Now it's up to Governor Newsom to sign it.

California Highway Patrol supports Pedestrian Safety Month with yet another tone deaf Public Safety Announcement putting the onus for safety on the most vulnerable people using roads.