CALIFORNIA DREAMING

This article reports on the author's visit to California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) and on the measures that it uses to reduce car dependency. CALTRANS runs a transport network for 32 million people and their 17 million cars, and has 19,000 staff. CALTRANS is keen to use all possible measures to reduce car dependence, but adopts a practical and realistic approach, allowing for the fact that Americans love their cars so much that they will not tolerate limitations of their use. It supports the following measures: (1) mass transit; (2) car and van pooling; (3) alternative working hours; (4) deferred trip making; (5) education; (6) teleworking; and (7) non-motorised transport. Through its Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act 1991 (ISTEA 1991), the US Federal Government has taken steps to achieve an integrated, economically efficient, environmentally sound, and socially responsive national transport system for the USA. Along with other states, California is required to develop a six-part transport management system. CALTRANS is developing more and more partnerships for planning and developing this system. It takes care to avoid unrealistic promises, and considers that measures to restrict transport are often counterproductive, and realises that sustainability has little influence on daily travel choices.

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  • Corporate Authors:

    THE HEMMINGS GROUP LTD

    32 VAUXHALL BRIDGE ROAD
    LONDON,   United Kingdom  SW1V 2SS
  • Authors:
    • RATCLIFFE, T
  • Publication Date: 1996-6-20

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: References;
  • Pagination: p. 20-1
  • Serial:
    • SURVEYOR
    • Volume: 183
    • Issue Number: 5393
    • Publisher: Hemming Group, Limited
    • ISSN: 0039-6303

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00729339
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Dec 12 1996 12:00AM