Roads are congested
- California urban centers are some of the most congested in the nation, worsening quality of life for Californians.
VMT per capita is increasing
- VMT per capita increased by .8% in California from 2012 to 2016.
Autonomous vehicles impact to VMT and congestion is uncertain
- Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are expected to increase car travel and road congestion, although policies and market mechanisms, such as promoting ride-pooling and connections to transit service, could curb the growth in VMT.
Adding road capacity in congested, high-growth areas does not reduce congestion
- More road capacity induces demand for driving, increasing overall VMT.
Highway expansion continues
- From 2012 to 2016, urban highway expansion has increased in California by 10.2% or 1,516 urban highway lane miles, and this expansion is costly to maintain– the added roadway can cost up to $97.4 million annually in maintenance costs.
Budget squeeze on other modes
- Excessive highway expenditures reduce the availability of money to spend on other modes of transportation, limiting transit-dependent populations’ mobility and endangering pedestrian and cyclists’ lives.
Highway expansion induces sprawl
- Land development spurred by highway expansion projects pushes people far from urban centers and infringes on natural and working lands, diminishing wildlife habitat, ecosystem services, and limiting food production, among other impacts.
Displacement
- Housing shortages are pushing low-income households, who have the highest rate of transit ridership, far from job centers and transit options, hurting their mobility and lowering their quality of life.
Poor health outcomes from lack of physical activity, air pollution, and motor vehicle injuries
- Driving is strongly linked to increased obesity rates and other health issues from transportation emissions and motor vehicle collisions, costing the SCAG region alone over $8.5 billion annually.
Climate pollution is on the rise
- To meet California’s 2050 GHG emission reduction targets, there must be a 15% reduction in total light-duty VMT below the newly adopted SB 375 targets, in addition to cleaner cars and fuels.