Easy Voter Guide -

Transportation

California has a large transportation system that is integral to the state’s $1.5 trillion economy:

50,643 miles of highway lanes, serving 23 million drivers
Several major shipping ports in the state handle more than one fifth of all U.S. trade.
Over 250 public airports

Most Californians say that improving transportation is a priority. Urban areas are among the most congested in the U.S. and the state has five cities in the list of top ten with the worst road conditions in the country. Five major cities also have the worst air quality rating.

After paying for housing and food, transportation is the next biggest cost for most California families.
About 5% of people in California use public transportation regularly. Between 10 and 15% of workers carpool.

For many years, government spending on transportation per person in California has been lower than for other states but has begun increasing. Funds for California’s transportation system come from many sources, including the federal government, the “Special Fund” portion of the annual state budget, user fees, tolls, gas taxes and other taxes. Eighteen counties in California have also passed local sales taxes dedicated to transportation.

Transportation on the ballot

There are no state propositions affecting transportation in the June 3, 2008 election.

Additional resources

Here are additional resources to help you shape and share your perspective about transportation:

CalTrans is the state agency in charge of operating the state’s high way system

An overview of transportation issues from the Public Policy Institute of California (download 2 pages)

An overview of California ’s ports from the Public Policy Institute of California (download 2 pages)
An overview of transportation funding from the California Budget Project (download 15 pages)
Legislative Analyst’s Office Jan. 2007 detailed analysis of transportation policy issues

An adult student worksheet about transportation issues

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