New tool prioritizes multimodal infrastructure investments
Caltrans System Investment Strategy promises to play role in combatting climate change
In August, Caltrans unveiled an innovative tool to prioritize transportation projects that further California’s climate, safety and equity goals for state and federal grants.
The Caltrans System Investment Strategy (CSIS) updates the department’s project evaluation and nomination process to better identify and promote multimodal, climate-friendly projects in funding decisions.
The new tool fulfills a key action in the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI), which called for a data- and performance-driven investment strategy to more effectively align the projects Caltrans supports for state and federal grants with the state’s ambitious climate goals.
Deploying this investment strategy is expected to significantly reduce Caltrans’ carbon footprint and provide a tool to substantially improve the safety, equity and accessibility of California’s highway system.
The new analytical tool includes quantitative and qualitative metrics to evaluate projects. Quantitative metrics are safety, vehicle miles traveled, accessibility, the effect on disadvantaged communities, land usage, improvements to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, improvements to zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, and improvements to freight movement.
Qualitative metrics are climate resilience and public engagement. Caltrans will use the recently unveiled Equity Index tool as part of the process.
Under CSIS, projects that reduce dependence on driving and expand access to multimodal options such as transit, walking and biking will score higher during the project evaluation process. Caltrans will use CSIS to inform its decisions around which projects to nominate for applicable state and federal grants while collaborating closely with partner agencies to make their projects as competitive as possible.
In addition to combatting climate change, the new investment strategy will help the department gauge other values in transportation infrastructure projects such as safety, mobility and accessibility, environmental health and justice, and quality of life.
CSIS does not include preventing local partners from proceeding in project development and applying for state and federal discretionary programs, does not affect projects funded by the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP), and does not impact proposals to develop a project initiation document.
It also does not increase funding for climate-related projects, but it can help make such projects more competitive for state and federal funding. The plan will propose more effective ways to elevate the most beneficial projects to compete for state and federal discretionary transportation funds.
Some critics might say CSIS is anti-car or anti-rural. To address those concerns, Caltrans points out that people using every mode of transportation will benefit with better data. The better the planning, the better the outcomes across all of our priorities of safety, climate, equity, economic prosperity and mobility.
Also, the department has worked closely with rural counties and transportation providers throughout the development of CSIS and is committed to identifying the projects that provide the most benefit to rural communities provided their local context and needs.
Caltrans published the draft CSIS for public comment on March 1, and incorporated feedback in the updated plan. Caltrans reviewed comments from regional transportation agencies, local governments, rail authorities, advocacy groups, and interested individuals.
Caltrans will test the new tool in upcoming grant processes, evaluate the results, and update it as needed to make it as effective as possible.
Sources: Division of Transportation Planning, Division of Public Affairs