Evaluation of Equipment Production and Procurement Practices

65A0558This report provides an exploration of procurement methods utilized by state and provincial agencies throughout North America to provide a comparative analysis to operations within the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The primary goal of this investigation is to explore comparable institutions that manage statewide fleets of vehicles or equipment to unveil methods, strategies, or metrics that may assist Caltrans to improve their current production and procurement methods. In addition to the immediate goals of evaluating and clarifying the Caltrans production and procurement process, the survey provides an exploratory analysis of the agencies that currently build, have built, and agencies that may have considered or have never considered building equipment. Additional information on renting, leasing, and alternative procurement methods was collected to identify when traditional purchasing methods were not the preferred method of vehicle acquisition

Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution is Rarely Considered When Planning Bicycle Routes but It Should Be [Policy Brief]

Project Name: Biking in Fresh Air: Consideration of Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Bicycle Route PlanningLocal, regional, and state agencies in California are making efforts to increase bicycle infrastructure and ridership. In most areas, bicycle routes are a subset of vehicle routes and new bicycle infrastructure is created by adding bicycle lane(s) to existing roadways. The planning process for identifying bicycle routes typically considers available right-of-way, existing roadway infrastructure (e.g., presence of bridges, number of intersections), vehicular traffic volume, safety concerns, and built environment factors (e.g., attractive land uses such as shopping districts, scenic views), among other factors. However, exposure to traffic-related air pollution is rarely considered in this process. This oversight can have negative impacts on bicyclists given they are directly exposed to vehicular exhaust and experience an increased breathing rate during biking. Exposure to traffic-related air pollution has been proven to contribute to a wide range of health problems such as lung and heart diseases