Recent ucits items

Employment Benefits from California Climate Investments and Co-investments

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

From the launch of California Climate Investments in 2013 through 2016, the state appropriated about $2.2 billion to 29 programs aimed at reducing GHGs. Of these, 13 were transportation programs that received nearly $1.8 billion in California Climate Investments, including the High-Speed Rail Project, the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, and other

Low CarbonTransportation investments.How do these programs translate into jobs? Researchers at the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation conducted the state’s largest study of the employment impacts of CCI transportation investments.

Moving Beyond the Colors: The Full Life-Cycle Emissions of Hydrogen Production Pathways for California

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

There is growing interest in the use of hydrogen as a transportation fuel but the environmental benefits of using hydrogen depend critically on how it is produced and distributed. Leading alternatives to using fossil natural gas to make hydrogen through the conventional method of steam methane reforming include using electrolyzers to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, and the use of biogas as an alternative feedstock to fossil natural gas. This report examines the latest carbon intensity (CI) estimates for these and various other hydrogen production processes, adding important nuances to the general “colors of hydrogen” scheme that has been used in recent years. CI values for hydrogen production can vary widely both within and across hydrogen production pathways. The lowest CI pathways use biomass or biogas as a feedstock, and solar or wind power. The report also analyses jobs creation from new hydrogen production facilities and shows that these benefits can be significant...

Results of the 2024-2025 Campus Travel Survey

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The UC Davis Campus Travel Survey is an annual survey led by Transportation Services (TS)—formerly known as Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS)—and the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS-Davis). It collects a rich set of data about travel to the UC Davis campus, demographics, and attitudes toward travel.

The 2024-25 survey collected data from 3,962 people affiliated with UC Davis about their travel to campus during October and November 2024. It used a stratified random sampling method with the intent to gather a representative sample of the campus population. About 11 percent of those invited responded to this year's survey. For the statistics presented throughout this report, the responses are weighted by campus role (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, Master’s student, PhD student, faculty, and staff) and gender, so that the proportion of respondents in each group reflects their proportion in the campus population.

California and USA Pricing Strategy Experiences

Fri, 4 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This white paper examines the successes and failures of road pricing strategies in California and the United States, with implications for congestion pricing across California. It evaluates nine case studies spanning feasibility studies, operational HOT lane programs, and the country's first large-scale cordon pricing zone. We address the conditions that favor pricing, barriers, outcomes, and how costs and benefits are distributed using case studies in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo County, Alameda County, New York City, and Northern Virginia. We find that successful pricing programs have sustained political champions, state enabling legislation, and benefits visible to identifiable users. Revenue allocation, not toll structure, is the primary determinant of whether pricing is regressive or progressive. No pricing program reviewed was repealed after implementation. We conclude that advancing road pricing in California will require clear state leadership and supportive...

Improved Asphalt Bases and Slab-Base Engineered Interlayers for Rigid Pavements

Tue, 1 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Improved Asphalt Bases and Slab-Base Engineered Interlayers for Rigid Pavements

Strategies for Improving Community College Access in California

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In California, transportation plays a key role in community college access because many community college districts have satellite campuses, have limited transportation options, and tend to not have on-campus housing. To better understand the mobility challenges students face accessing community colleges and provide potential policy strategies to overcome these challenges, the researchers interviewed local transportation agencies, community college administrators, and students at five California community colleges between September 2022 and October 2023. Participants were asked about available transportation options for community college students, typical student travel patterns, and the resources needed to support improved community college transportation access. Small group discussions with students focused on student travel patterns, mobility challenges, and opinions on potential strategies to improve access. In addition, we reviewed state legislation on student transportation...

Reduce Emissions and Improve Traffic Flow Through Collaborative Autonomy

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This report explores opportunities for employing autonomous driving technology to dampen stop-and-go waves on freeways. If successful, it could reduce fuel consumption and emissions. This technology was tested in an on-road experiment with 100 vehicles over one week. Public stakeholders were engaged to assess the planning effort and feasibility of taking the technology to the next level: a pilot involving 1000+ vehicles over several months. Considerations included the possible geographical boundaries, target fleets of vehicles, and suitable facilities such as bridges or managed lanes. Flow smoothing technology may improve the user experience and operations of managed lanes or bridges, however it may require external incentives such as reduced tolls to entice the traveling public to use it. This must be matched with other goals such as verifying vehicle occupancy. It might be possible for some hybrid solution that addresses both challenges to provide a way forward. A concept of...

Advanced Air Mobility: Opportunities, Challenges, and Research needsfor the State of California (2023-2030)

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Advanced air mobility (AAM) is a broad concept that enables consumers access to air mobility, goods delivery, and emergency services through an integrated and connected multimodal transportation network. AAM can provide short-range urban, suburban, and rural flights of about 50-miles and mid-range regional flights up to a several hundred miles. State law delegates responsibility for oversight in aviation primarily to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). This white paper presents an overview of the state of the market, such as the aircraft under development and forecast market growth and discusses factors that could facilitate the development of AAM or pose risks to its deployment or to the public, including the safety and the regulatory environment, airspace and air traffic management, security, environmental impacts, weather, infrastructure and multimodal integration, workforce and economic development, social equity, and community engagement and social acceptance....

Equity and Road Pricing: Fairness and Affordability

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This white paper reconsiders the equity of road pricing by distinguishing between fairness and affordability—two concepts that are otherwise often conflated. A fair price assigns costs in proportion to the burdens a user imposes on others; an affordable price is one that users can pay without hardship. While both are important, these are distinct objectives, and treating them as interchangeable can obscure judgments about whether pricing is morally or ethically correct. Applying this framework suggests congestion pricing is more equitable than flat VMT charges because it better aligns payments with the social costs of driving. While congestion pricing may raise affordability concerns for some users, these concerns can be addressed through targeted redistribution of toll revenues. By contrast, unpriced roads and poorly targeted charges allow drivers to impose substantial external costs on others, undermining fairness even as they appear more affordable.

Twenty-Year Performance Review of Asphalt Concrete Long-LifePavements with Performance-Related Specifications

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The first asphalt concrete long-life (AC Long Life) project was constructed in Los Angeles County on Route 710 (LA-710) near Long Beach in 2001/2004 and is now over 20 years old. Four more AC Long Life projects have been completed in California since then, three between 2011 and 2014 (TEH-5, SIS-5, SOL-5), and one in 2021/2022 (SAC-5). The goal of these AC Long Life projects was to achieve design lives of 30 years or 40 years (the standard Caltrans asphalt pavement design life was 20 years at the time). Measures taken to achieve those lives included the use of performance-related specifications for job mix formula approvals, higher compaction requirements, and the use of a three-layer asphalt concrete system for structural capacity. These measures required additional costs. Calculations indicate that the longer lives will result in life cycle cost reductions if they achieve the design lives. Hence, periodic performance evaluations are important, which is the purpose of this technical...

A Systems Approach Can Lower Costs and Protect the Grid as Freight Electrifies

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

California is transitioning heavy-duty freight trucks from diesel to battery-electric vehicles to help meet its climate and air quality goals. Unlike passenger vehicles, electric trucks require much larger batteries and high-powered chargers, creating concentrated demands on the electric grid. At the same time, freight carriers operate under strict schedules that leave little flexibility in when and how long trucks can charge. As freight electrification expands, coordinating truck operations, charging infrastructure, and grid planning will become increasingly important.

Data Collection Plan for Evaluating the Greenhouse Gas Impacts of High-Occupancy Toll Lane Projects

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This report presents a data collection plan for evaluating the greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane projects implemented under Caltrans' Carbon Reduction Strategy. Because HOT lanes can affect route choice, departure time, vehicle occupancy, and destination choice beyond the managed lane corridor, the report recommends evaluating impacts across the regional travel shed. We recommend two approaches for reliable before-and-after estimates of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by speed bin. The household-based survey approach uses OBD-II, GPS, or smartphone-based tools to observe a representative sample of households within the travel shed, yielding the most detailed evidence on regional VMT and how impacts vary across the population. The infrastructure-based approach combines continuous freeway sensor data with sampled counts and speeds on arterials, local roads, and ramps; it is less costly and easier to implement but offers less insight into the travelers behind...

Mechanistic-Empirical Structural Design of Standard Interlocking Concrete Pavements—Final Report, Including Design Catalog

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This report presents the results of Phase I of a two-phase study to develop a new practice-ready design catalog for standard interlocking concrete pavements (ICP) based on a mechanistic-empirical (M-E) design approach. The new catalog is intended to replace the existing ASCE Standard 58-16 catalog, which was developed using the empirical AASHTO 1993 design method. Phase I objectives were to develop a framework for the M-E design process for ICP, assemble a database of appropriate values for critical design inputs, and develop an initial design catalog to be validated through accelerated pavement testing in Phase II.

Field investigations were conducted on selected ICP sites representing a range of structures, ages, traffic volumes, and axle-load distributions. Deflection testing was conducted to backcalculate as-built stiffness and variability of different layers in ICPs. Performance modeling was conducted using CalME, the M-E design program developed and maintained by...

Shaping India’s Economic and Energy Security Outcomes through the Electric Vehicle Transition

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Shaping India’s Economic and Energy Security Outcomes through the Electric Vehicle Transition

Comparison of Low-Carbon Transport Strategies in California and Europe

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A rapid transition to a near-zero-emission transportation system in California and Europe will require rapid uptake of transportation technologies, changes in transportation services, and investments in associated infrastructure. These in turn require policy innovations. This report compares California and EU policies across three broad areas: 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) targets for 2030 to 2050; 2) progress on reducing GHG emissions from different transportation modes; and 3) current strategies and policies to achieve targets. Differences by region and across major modes are identified. Strategies cover electrification, uptake of hydrogen, aviation and shipping fuels, and modal shifts. Policies include regulatory requirements (fuel economy and CO2 standards, fuel standards); incentive programs, including taxation, feebates, and others; direct investment programs; equity considerations and environmental justice-related initiatives. In both geographies, a range of impactful policies...

Diseño de la Fase 3 de la NOM-163 para cumplir las metas nacionales de emisiones: eliminar créditos tecnológicos, retirar gradualmente los multiplicadores y reducir las metas de CO₂

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This brief is available in English at: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/14d9497v

Design Recommendations for Phase 3 of Mexico’s CO₂ Standard for Light-duty Vehicles (NOM 163)

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Este reporte está disponible en español en: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1xz827td

Remote DCFC Reliability and Downtime Detection Tool: Detecting EV Charging Failures That Standard Reliability Protocols Cannot Detect

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Caltrans ZEV 30-30 project is established to support California's goal of deploying five million ZEVs on the road by 2030, focusing on filling gaps in the State Highway System's corridor ZEV charging network. The reliability of DC Fast Charging (DCFC) infrastructure along these corridors is essential. Unreliable chargers erode driver confidence and undermine the transition to zero-emission transportation. Charging Station Operators (CSOs) currently rely on conventional monitoring protocols, primarily the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), to detect charger failures. While OCPP-based monitoring is effective for detecting most electrical and software failures, it cannot identify a broad class of faults arising from mechanical damage, physical obstruction, network communication outages, or logistical barriers. [1, 2] These hidden issues persist until an EV driver encounters the faulty charger and reports the problem, leading to delayed fault resolution and degraded consumer experience.This...

Recomendaciones para el diseño de la Fase 3 de la norma mexicana de CO₂ para vehículos ligeros (NOM-163)

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This report is available in English at: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9f60f7gb

Designing Mexico’s NOM-163 Phase 3 to Achieve National Emission Goals: Remove Technology Credits, Phase-out Multipliers, and Lower Manufacturer’s CO₂-Emission Targets

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Este reporte está disponible en español en: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/38m139fq

U.S. Q2 2026 EV Market Brief: Disentangling Product Withdrawal from Consumer Demand

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

U.S. Q2 2026 EV Market Brief: Disentangling Product Withdrawal from Consumer Demand

Strategies to Build an Affordable Electric Passenger Car Market in Kenya: Insights from Total Cost of Ownership and Market Analysis

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Strategies to Build an Affordable Electric Passenger Car Market in Kenya: Insights from Total Cost of Ownership and Market Analysis

Assessment of Field Performance of Rubberized HMA with RAP Pilot Projects—Year 3

Fri, 7 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This technical memorandum presents the results of a visual assessment of five pilot projects constructed by Caltrans between 2022 and 2023 as part of a Caltrans-industry initiative aimed at evaluating the feasibility of using 10% reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), by aggregate replacement, in rubberized hot mix asphalt–gap-graded (RHMA-G) mixes, which is currently not permitted under Caltrans standard specifications. Each pilot project included a section constructed with RHMA-G incorporating 10% RAP while the remainder of the project was built with a conventional RHMA-G containing no RAP. The visual assessments were conducted between October 2025 and January 2026, when the projects had been in service for approximately 2.4 to 3.1 years. The assessment included, for each pilot project, a 0.4-0.6 miles long section built with RHMA-G with 10% RAP and an adjacent section, either immediately upstream or downstream, built with conventional RHMA-G without RAP. Overall, both RHMA-G mixes—with...

Automated Vehicle Safety: Heavy Duty Safety Drivers and Remote Operators – Safety Metric Foundations

Thu, 6 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This research presents a risk-informed framework to derive metrics characterizing and tracking the safety performance of heavy-duty automated vehicles (HD-AVs) operations. A combination of traditional and novel hazard identification methods are leveraged to study potential human-system interactions in HD-AVs operations, ranging from safety drivers to remote operators.

Benefits, Challenges, and Opportunities of Different Last-Mile Delivery Strategies

Wed, 5 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

As online shopping nears its third decade, it is clear that its impacts on urban goods flow are profound. Increased freight traffic and related negative externalities such as greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution can impede sustainability goals. In response, e-retailers are exploring innovative distribution strategies to enhance last-mile delivery sustainability and efficiency. They use urban consolidation centers with light-duty vehicles like electric vans and cargo bikes, establish alternative customer pickup points, and deploy crowdsourced delivery networks. Advanced technologies that may streamline deliveries, such as autonomous delivery robots and unmanned aerial vehicles, are being tested. University of California Davis and Irvine researchers have investigated these strategies under economic viability, environmental efficiency, and social equity frameworks. Different modeling approaches were implemented to evaluate last-mile network designs and the potential for...

Fuel Portfolio Scenario Modeling (FPSM) of 2030 and 2035 Low CarbonFuel Standard Targets in California

Wed, 5 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) plays a critical role in California’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions from transportation. The LCFS incentivizes the use of fuels with lower life cycle GHG emissions by using a credit market mechanism to provide incentives for low-carbon fuels, using revenue generated by charges applied to high-carbon ones. Maintaining an approximate balance between LCFS credit and deficit supplies helps support a stable LCFS credit price and the broader transition to low-carbon transportation. The Fuel Portfolio Scenario Model, presented here, evaluates bottom-up fuel supply and LCFS compliance to inform LCFS policy decisions. We considered two key fuel demand scenarios: (1) the Low Carbon Transportation scenario, reflecting the expected transition to low-carbon transportation in California over the next 15 years, and (2) the Driving to Zero scenario, featuring a significantly higher consumption of petroleum gasoline. In both...

Transportation Impacts of Berkeley Hills Tunnel Disruption by Earthquakes

Tue, 4 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In the San Francisco Bay Area, earthquake damage to a small number of critical transportation facilities can produce regionwide mobility impacts. This report evaluates the Berkeley Hills Tunnel, a key Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) cross-hills connection, using an integrated model that links tunnel seismic performance to transportation consequences during disruption and recovery. The model couples scenario-based seismic assessment of the tunnel with screening-level fragility for substitute corridors and propagates the resulting time-dependent capacity states through a transportation simulation. At a representative recovery-stage demand of 25 percent of normal, mean cross-hills travel time rises from about 9 minutes in the mildest scenario (327-year return period) to about 41 minutes in the most severe (654-year). In that severe case, a fully subscribed bus bridge can lower the mean cross-hills travel time by up to 30 percent. Uncertainty quantification identifies recovery-stage...

Planning for the Next Big Earthquake: A New Tool for Transportation Agencies

Tue, 4 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Earthquakes pose a persistent and significant threat to the movement of people, goods, and services. While agencies have made progress on emergency response, planning for recovery (how quickly transportation systems can be restored after a major event) remains limited. A key challenge is that earthquake modeling and transportation system modeling have remained largely separate efforts, making it difficult for agencies to anticipate disruptions, prioritize investments, and coordinate recovery across jurisdictions.

When Seconds Count: Protecting Airports with Earthquake Early Warning Systems

Tue, 4 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Airports play a critical role in emergency response and disaster recovery, yet are highly vulnerable to earthquakes. Past earthquakes in California, including the 1989 Loma Prieta, 1994 Northridge, and 2014 South Napa events, caused infrastructure damage, power outages, and operational delays at airports, affecting both safety and mobility. As seismic risk remains high across the state, improving airport resilience is critical to maintaining transportation access and supporting emergency operations.Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) systems offer a way to reduce these risks by providing seconds to tens of seconds of advance notice before strong shaking begins. While this technology has been around for several decades across the world, the development of the ShakeAlert system has brought it to the West Coast recently, giving airports in the region the chance to be early adopters of the technology in the United States. To better understand how EEW could be used in airport settings,...

Understanding Electric Vehicle Purchase Decisions in the United States: A Qualitative Study

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This research brief explores factors influencing consumers decision to buy an electric vehicle (EV). The brief also explores what areas of the EV ecosystem EV owners think need improvement. Results come from interviews conducted with EV owners across the US. Following the interviews transcripts were thematically coded to extract common themes. Overall, we find consumers decisions to purchase an EV are influenced by functional or economic factors, such as refueling cost or purchase price. Emotional factors in the form of environmentalism played a role, but less so than previous studies. Desired improvements to EVs were mostly related to charging infrastructure, including improvements to infrastructure availability, charging speed, reliability, and other issues. Improvements to driving range were also desired.

Further Development Toward Implementation of Likely Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs)

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Samples from various material groups including biomass ashes, biochars, natural pozzolans, and construction and demolition waste (C&DW) were evaluated as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) for concrete. C&DW included rock dust (baghouse fines) from asphalt plants, rock dust from aggregate quarries, recycled concrete aggregate fines, crushed concrete aggregate fines, and concrete wash pond sludge. Characterization covered chemical and physical properties. Cementitious reactivity (pozzolanic or latent hydraulic) was measured based on ASTM C1897. Materials identified as pozzolanic reactive with equivalent total alkalis >5% or equivalent available alkalis >1.5% were further assessed for alkali-silica reactivity (ASR) by ASTM C1567 using a standard mortar with highly reactive sand and 20% cement replacement by each SCM. For SCMs that mitigated ASR expansion but did not meet Caltrans’s 0.1% limit, testing was repeated at replacement levels >20% when possible.

A...

Exploring the Integration of Induced Travel into Cal-B/C

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In 2020, pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 743 (2013), the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) adopted guidance requiring that the induced travel effects of capacity expansion projects on the State Highway System be analyzed as a part of the environmental review process under the California Environmental Quality Act. However, despite the fact that induced travel also has economic effects, most conventional benefit-cost analysis tools do not account for induced travel, at least not fully. In this study, the authors examined how induced travel is and can be incorporated into the California Life-Cycle Cost/Benefit Analysis Model (Cal-B/C) maintained by Caltrans. They found that induced travel is not calculated automatically within Cal-B/C. Instead, induced travel must be incorporated manually by the analyst by adjusting the average daily trips on the project information sheet. This can produce wildly divergent benefit/cost ratio outputs depending on whether and...

The Missing Piece in India’s Two-Wheeler Transition: Electrifying Motorcycles

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Missing Piece in India’s Two-Wheeler Transition: Electrifying Motorcycles

Autonomous Vehicle Safety Performance in Mixed Traffic: Insights from NHTSA Crash Data

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The safe deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) depends on the ability of automated driving systems (ADS) to handle rare, complex, and safety-critical “edge cases.” This study develops a novel framework for identifying and analyzing such scenarios using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ADS crash dataset. Two complementary approaches are applied. First, large language models (LLMs) are used to directly analyze crash narratives, identifying edge cases through high-risk keyword and phrase detection and anomaly-based rarity analysis. Second, LLMs are employed to extract structured variables from narrative fields, which are then analyzed using hierarchical clustering to systematically isolate unusual crash groups. Edge cases are characterized by a higher prevalence of unusual crash partner behaviors, non-motorist involvement, roadway anomalies, and disengagement of AV systems, highlighting their distinct and atypical nature. The findings underscore the importance...

A Corridor Pilot for Better Track-Time Governance in Indian Railways

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A Corridor Pilot for Better Track-Time Governance in Indian Railways

Understanding Suburban Equestrian Transportation Safety

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Understanding Suburban Equestrian Transportation Safety

Personalized Coordinated Routing with Utility Learning

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Current navigation applications estimate travel times based on current traffic conditions, without considering upcoming travel demand. A potential solution to this problem is a central coordination system that collects global travel demand information, enabling more accurate traffic projections. Monetary incentives or charges can be used to encourage drivers to follow assigned routes that contribute toward a system optimum, which represents the most efficient traffic state for the transportation network. The challenge in determining incentives lies in the heterogeneity of drivers, as each has different preferences. Traditionally, surveys have been used to estimate drivers’ routing preferences, but these suffer from respondent inconsistency and changing driver preferences. This research proposes a utility learning mechanism. Instead of relying on static survey data, the system periodically updates its understanding of drivers’ preferences by observing their route choices over...

Increasing Access to Zero-Emissions Vehicles at Dealerships Could Increase Adoption and Improve Equity Outcomes

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

California has set a target of achieving 100% zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales by 2035. While the state has made substantial progress, with ZEVs accounting for roughly 25% of new vehicle sales in 2025, adoption remains uneven across communities. Disadvantaged communities (DACs), which face disproportionate exposure to air pollution, continue to lag in ZEV uptake. Most DAC-related policy efforts to date have focused on demand-side interventions, such as consumer purchase incentives, rather than supply-side approaches that increase vehicle availability. Because more than half of ZEV sales in California occur through franchised dealerships, they are a critical gateway through which consumers access these vehicles and may represent an important leverage point for increasing adoption.

Pathway to a Comeback: Student Transit Passes Can Drive Ridership and Equity in Post-Pandemic California

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates free and reduced fare pass programs (FRFPs) for K-12, post-secondary, and college students across California since the COVID-19 pandemic and their role in ridership recovery. A survey of 67 transit agencies, including 34 with established FRFPs, indicates that most of them maintained their FRFPs between fiscal years 2018-2019 and 2022-2023, showcasing agencies' resilience despite financial uncertainty. LA Metro's GoPass enrolled over 241,000 students and generated 1.2 million monthly boardings, inspiring similar initiatives. Post-pandemic, K-12 FRFPs saw significant expansion, improved funding, and a surge in ridership across participating agencies. These findings underscore the positive influence of fare-based incentives on student mobility and attendance.

Balanced Mix Design Rut Test Validation Test Track: Construction of HMA Sections

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This technical memorandum describes the design and construction of a full-scale test track and the construction quality control/quality assurance testing of the different materials, including subgrade, aggregate base, and asphalt mixes. Construction of the test track and the Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) and laboratory testing that followed are part of the Caltrans balanced mix design (BMD) implementation effort led by the Pavement and Materials Partnering Committee (PMPC) BMD Working Group. The main goal of the test track evaluation was to compare the rutting performance of surface mixes under the HVS with laboratory rutting test results. A secondary goal was to compare the reflective cracking performance of the same mixes with laboratory cracking test results. The test track includes four lanes, each 177 ft. long, and each with a variation of a control hot mix asphalt (HMA) surface mix, with two sections in each lane for evaluation of either rutting or reflective cracking performance....

An Estimate of Revenue Requirements to Support California’sMedium and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Deployment Targets

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The California medium- and heavy-duty zero emission vehicle (ZEV) market is poised for growth despite challenges to regulatory authority at the federal level. To ensure market momentum, long-term funding certainty is needed for the medium- and heavy-duty ZEV incentive program, called HVIP. In 2024, the CARB board voted to redirect the Clean Fuel Reward (CFR) program from light-duty ZEVs to medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission truck (ZET) incentives. While this provides a foundation for revenue for ZET incentives, ITS-Davis analysis finds that it will likely fall far short of long-term HVIP revenue needs. We estimate the total HVIP funding gap (including both ZETs and ZEBs) after CFR revenues are considered for the 9-year period from 2027-2035 to be between $4.2 billion and $26 billion, with a mid-case scenario funding gap of $8.5 billion. The wide range is due to uncertainties in ZEV market growth rates and CFR revenues. The funding gap necessitates new approaches to address,...

Track Allocation in Indian Railways: Institutional Design, Departmental Incentives, and the Allocation of Scarce Track Time

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This capstone examines how Indian Railways allocates scarce track time between train operations and track maintenance. The same track that carries passenger and freight trains must also be made available for inspection, repair, and renewal. The study asks how institutional design and departmental incentives shape this allocation, and what changes can better align Operations and Maintenance with the wider goals of safety, reliability, and efficiency.The report uses a focused case-study method. It reviews Indian Railways’ rules on rolling block planning, line capacity, and maintenance access. It then studies six heavily used corridors through six indicators: passenger punctuality, freight speed, maintenance blocks granted against demand, block productivity, block overruns, and track-related failures. It also draws lessons from Britain, Japan, and India’s Dedicated Freight Corridor experience.The main finding is that the current system produces a stable but inefficient outcome. Trains...

How Bike Ridership Can Inform Bike Safety

Thu, 9 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How Bike Ridership Can Inform Bike Safety

Sales credit trading mechanism to accelerate markets for zero emission trucks in India

Thu, 9 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Sales credit trading mechanism to accelerate markets for zero emission trucks in India

Modeling Traffic Noise and Light on Natural Landscapes at the State Scale

Thu, 9 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Anthropogenic noise and light have been shown to impact wildlife behavior, distribution, movement, and population fitness and survival. Traffic noise and light can inhibit wildlife use of areas adjacent to roads, impair wildlife perception of traffic risks, and cause a barrier effect to wildlife occurrence and movement well beyond road edges. A critical action being taken by states to repair wildlife movement across roadways is construction of wildlife crossings, theoretically providing a safe passage across roads. Planning the location of theses crossings and to some degree their design currently does not take into account traffic noise and light impacts on wildlife approaching the structures. The authors developed statewide models of traffic noise and light intrusion into areas adjacent to state highways to aid understanding of wildlife responses to noise and light and to aid locating and designing crossings to maximize wildlife approach and use. These models have the added...

Which Freeway Corridors in Los Angeles Can Support Regional Bus Service?

Mon, 6 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Which Freeway Corridors in Los Angeles Can Support Regional Bus Service?

How Bike Ridership Data Can Improve Bike Safety in Los Angeles

Mon, 6 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Biking is a crucial mobility option for cities as it is dramatically more space-efficient than cars. Los Angeles, however, has failed over the last ten years to increase the viability of biking, as the number of cyclist deaths and serious injuries has not changed, while ridership has stagnated, and may be decreasing. One reason for this may be that LA’s bike infrastructure planning does not take into account where people are actually biking. This project examines the many benefits that an understanding of bike ridership patterns can provide for bike infrastructure planning. In order to estimate LA’s bike ridership, several data sources are analyzed through spatial, temporal, and longitudinal lenses. One key source of data was recorded trip data from Metro Bike Share, Los Angeles’s rentable bike share program. I find that bike share users exhibit travel patterns that closely resemble those of other cyclists within the same areas, suggesting that bike share data can serve as a useful...

Equestrian Transportation Safety in the Northeastern San Fernando Valley

Mon, 6 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Northeastern San Fernando Valley is a historic, passionate, and diverse equestrian community in suburban Los Angeles. It hosts approximately three-quarters of the equestrian population of the City of Los Angeles. Though the region has an extensive network of equestrian trails, many of these trails are unofficial, not clearly mapped, or lacking in safe infrastructure. Additionally, many community members have expressed concerns about future access to the trails given proposed land use changes. In response, the City of Los Angeles and the Office of Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who represents the Seventh Council District encompassing many of these neighborhoods, are working to improve equestrian mobility throughout this region and to other key recreational areas. To supplement this effort, I conducted a safety project to both understand the existing activity patterns of equestrians and to identify potential improvements to the network. This project seeks to answer the question:...

Assessing the Role of Dealerships in Expanding Equitable Access to Zero-Emission Vehicles in California

Mon, 6 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the relationship between levels of access to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) at car dealerships in California and rates of ZEV adoption in surrounding areas. ZEV accessibility scores for census tracts—based on available ZEV inventory and proximity to dealerships—correlated significantly with ZEV adoption rates, even after controlling for income, demographics, charging infrastructure, and consumer incentives. Our results suggest that a 1% increase in ZEV accessibility correlated with an increase in ZEV adoption by 0.73% in disadvantaged communities (DACs) versus 0.125% in non-DACs. This indicates a latent demand in DACs constrained by supply-side barriers. Dealership-based incentives positively correlated with local ZEV adoption. Policies that support equitable inventory distribution among dealerships, expanded dealership-based incentive programs, and coordination with charging infrastructure planning may increase ZEV adoption in DACs.

Exploring Transportation Mode Choice and Participation in LA Metro’s “GoPass” Program Among Los Angeles Community College Students

Thu, 2 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This research evaluates LA Metro's GoPass program—a fare-free transit initiative for K-12 and community college students—through asurvey of Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) students. We investigated students' travel preferences through a discretechoice experiment, assessed GoPass awareness and participation impacts on transit use, and analyzed spatial and seasonal ridership patterns from TAP card records. GoPass participation increased transit use by 26 percentage points for school trips and 19 percentage points for discretionary trips, with greater benefits for socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Even students aware of GoPass but not participating showed a 5.8 percentage point increase in school-related transit use. However, 39% of eligible students were unaware of the program, and car access reduced transit use probability by 37 percentage points. The discrete choice experiment revealed students valued travel time savings at $27–$54 per hour and Wi-Fi availability...

Understanding Post-Pandemic Travel Behavior Patterns and Trends in California

Thu, 2 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped global mobility, forcing a departure from previous travel norms. In California, initial declines in public transit and ride-hailing were accompanied by a surge in private vehicle interest and shifts to active travel. To assess whether spatial and temporal travel patterns shifted between 2019 and 2023, this study analyzed Performance Measurement System freeway data, regional transit boarding records, and spatial econometric modeling of Streetlight Insight data. The findings reveal a near-recovery of weekday freeway volumes and stable weekend patterns, yet an uneven transit recovery that favors buses over rail and weekends over weekdays. There was significant spatial dependence in active transportation; while the primary factors influencing walking and cycling remain consistent, their relative magnitudes have shifted. Ultimately, Californians’ choices of transportation modes are different after the pandemic than they were before it. Integrating...

Beyond the Harbor Transitway: Evaluating Freeway-Based Bus Service Opportunities

Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Caltrans District 7 freeway corridors require evaluation to determine their capacity to support effective, high-capacity regional bus-based trunk service. While freeways serve as the region’s mobility backbone, transit performance remains uneven due to institutional fragmentation and infrastructure constraints. This analysis identifies the conditions required for reliable, all-day service and applies them to a regional screening framework.The study uses a comparative case study approach, examining U.S. freeway corridors and international high-capacity busway systems using a consistent unit of comparison: Type 1 all-day trunk services. Quantitative performance indicators, including ridership, reliability, and cost efficiency, are paired with agency documentation and practitioner input to identify recurring drivers of performance.Five core factors govern corridor outcomes: right-of-way continuity, trunk consolidation, station interface and throughput, governance coordination, and...

The Revival of Cargo E-Bikes in the United States: Challenges and Recommendations

Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cargo e-bikes are emerging as a promising solution for sustainable urban freight delivery, offering advantages over conventional van-based systems in emissions reduction, congestion mitigation, and operational flexibility. This white paper examines the current state of cargo e-bike deployment in the United States, identifies key barriers to adoption, and provides evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and urban planners. Despite a rapidly growing global market—with projected annual growth of 11–15% through 2034—cargo e-bike deployment faces three interconnected challenges: infrastructure gaps (microhub locations, bicycle network coverage, and parking); regulatory inconsistenciesacross jurisdictions regarding vehicle specifications and permitted infrastructure use; and operational challenges including higher upfront costs and battery-related concerns. To overcome these barriers, this report recommends that cities establish microhub networks, expand bicycle infrastructure,...

Mobility Wallets Expand Opportunity and Quality of Life for Low-Income Travelers

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Transportation costs place a disproportionate financial burden on low-income households. Families in the lowest income quintile spend roughly 32 percent of their household income on transportation, which combined with housing costs, can consume nearly all their available budget. Transit affordability is typically addressed by providing discounted public transit fares. But transit alone cannot meet every trip need, and without access to a car or other affordable alternatives low-income travelers may forgo trips — reducing social connections, limiting employment opportunities, and eroding their well-being.

E-shopping meets electrified self-driving: Impacts on the Number, Size, and Locations of Warehouses & Distribution Centers

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study shows that as freight transportation costs decline due to autonomous driving technology and online shopping increases, warehousing becomes more consolidated, the number and size of distribution centers increase, drayage truck mileage is reduced but delivery truck mileage increases, leading to a net mileage increase.

Zero-Emission Vehicle Transition in California’s Construction Industry

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Although construction equipment generates 2% to 3% of total GHG emissions in California, the construction sector lags behind other industries for decarbonization, primarily due to the systemic challenges of delivering high-capacity electric power to temporary and remote jobsites. This study investigates the primary infrastructure, regulatory, and economic barriers to construction site electrification while exploring technological and policy solutions. Using a multi-faceted approach, we conducted a literature review, interviewed California Electric Load-Serving Entities, and analyzed emerging mobile charging technologies. Findings indicate that utility support varies by institutional model; municipal utilities often manage requests more efficiently than larger investor-owned utilities, which face complex regulatory hurdles. Key obstacles include local grid capacity limitations, long lead times and high costs for distribution upgrades, and high capital costs for electric machinery....

Revitalizing Downtowns May Help Transit Recovery—But It Won’t Be Enough

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated hybrid and remote work and online shopping. These changes caused a sharp decline in activity and transit use in downtowns across California, particularly in transit-oriented downtowns that account for a large share of statewide ridership. This decline has major implications for climate commitments, equity, and the economy. Public officials and business leaders are pursuing a range of strategies to revitalize downtowns and support transit recovery. However, transit ridership has still not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

A Review of Pricing Strategies for Decarbonizing Transportation

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

California’s ability to achieve its climate and mobility goals depends on addressing the growing gap between transportation infrastructure needs and the declining effectiveness of traditional fuel tax revenues. As electric vehicle adoption rises, fuel efficiency improves, and demands for resilient, multimodal systems expand, new approaches to transportation funding and demand management are required. This paper examines a range of mobility pricing strategies—including tolling, managed lanes, congestion charges, vehicle-based fees and feebates, distance-based user charges, and parking pricing—to evaluate their potential for enhancing financial sustainability, reducing congestion, and internalizing the environmental and social costs of driving. Particular attention is given to dynamic pricing, which can flexibly manage demand for both road and parking space, and to distance-based charges that offer a more equitable and efficient alternative to fuel taxes. The analysis highlights...

Free Transit Helps Students—But Car Access, Transit Quality, and Perceptions Still Shape Who Benefits

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Fare-free transit programs are increasingly used to increase ridership and reduce household transportation costs, especially for lower-income households. In California, where fewer than ten percent of school trips are made on school buses and many students travel long distances to reach school, transit costs and access can pose real barriers to education and after-school opportunities. At the same time, fare-free programs require substantial and ongoing public investment, raising important questions about whether eliminating fares alone is enough to meaningfully change student travel behavior.

Transportation System Performance: Should We Redefine Induced Demand?

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In Walkable City, Jeff Speck says that induced demand is the thing that everyone in city planning understands but doesn’t talk about. It may be more accurate to categorize induced demand as the thing that everyone in city planning talks about but doesn’t understand. The issue is muddied by inconsistent definitions of relevant terminology.

Understanding the Impacts of Telecommuting on Travel Behavior Before, During, and After the Pandemic

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

California set ambitious goals for decarbonizing the transportation sector, including reducing the amount of per capita vehicle travel. This may mean shifting more travel to other modes of travel, such as ride-hailing (i.e., on-demand services such as Uber, Lyft, and taxis) and public transit. To better understand different types of non-automobile travelers, we examined the connections between the tour-based travel patterns of public transit and ride-hailing users and their household activities . Our analysis used an activity-based approach that considers daily travel patterns using tours and activity patterns as basic units of analysis. We identified different subgroups or “classes” of riders based on the type of trips taken and modes used and then analyzed the socio-demographic composition of each class. All tours considered in our study start and end at home, with at least one trip by ride-hail or transit. Additionally, tours were classified as work or non-work trips, and complex...

Can California Power Electric Construction Equipment at Scale?

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

California’s climate policies are accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles, but the construction sector faces a major barrier: access to reliable power at job sites. While electric excavators and loaders are entering the market, many construction sites—often temporary and in remote or constrained locations—lack the electrical infrastructure needed to support them. Grid connections are often too costly and take too long to install for construction projects, and existing grid infrastructure was not designed to handle the power demand of heavy machinery. Without practical charging solutions, electrifying the construction sector may lag behind state goals. Meanwhile, construction equipment is contributing 1% to 2% of California’s total greenhouse gas emissions.To better understand these challenges, we reviewed existing research, assessed available charging technologies, and spoke with utilities and energy providers across California. We focused on identifying key barriers...

Generalized Tools for Evaluating Active Transportation Projects Show Promise—But Project Level Estimates Need Other Support

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cities and regions are increasingly investing in walking and bicycling infrastructure, driven by well-documented health, social, and environmental benefits of active transportation. However, most agencies lack practical tools to accurately assess whether these investments are achieving their intended outcomes. Accurately measuring change in walking and bicycling attributable to investments like new bike lanes or sidewalks is difficult and involves resources and expertise that is generally not feasible or financially sustainable for mode agencies.

California Can Improve Access to Electric Vehicle Charging By Incorporating Equity, Price, and Grid Readiness Data

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

As California transitions to electric vehicles (EVs), ensuring equitable access to public charging remains a challenge. While the state and utilities have invested heavily in new charging infrastructure, simply counting stations does not show whether the network is reliable, affordable, and accessible, particularly for vulnerable populations and renters without home charging options. As of March 2025, California had installed about 178,549 public and shared- private chargers, including roughly 17,000 DC fast chargers. The California Energy Commission projects a need for about 1.01 million chargers by 2030 to support 7.5 million zero-emission vehicles.

2025 Condition Survey of High RAP Pilot Projects on El Dorado 49, San Bernardino 215, and San Joaquin 26

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Three pilot projects were constructed using hot mix asphalt (HMA) with higher percentages of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) (25% to 40%) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) used at 0% or 3%. The three projects were paved between 2021 and 2022 on State Route 49 in El Dorado County (ED 49), State Route 215 in San Bernardino County (SBD 215), and State Route 26 in San Joaquin County (SJ 26). Two and a half to three years later, pavement condition surveys were conducted to observe surface distresses. On ED 49, the 3% RAS mix exhibited 6% low-severity wheelpath alligator cracking, often with mild pumping. The other mixes on ED 49 exhibited lower levels of alligator and total cracking. No alligator cracking was observed on SBD 215, which includes a cement-treated base not present in the other pilot projects. On SJ 26, all test sections exhibited some form of cracking, though mostly of low severity. Among the mixes, the 25% RAP/3% RAS mix showed the most alligator cracking on SJ 26...

Transit Finance at a Precipice: Major Policy Changes Are Needed to Stabilize Public Transit Budgets

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Public transit systems in California sit at a financial crossroads. Ridership has recovered slowly and unevenly since the pandemic, with commuter-focused transit services to and from downtowns continuing to struggle the most. While other sources of transit funding such as sales taxes have recovered, fare revenues have not. As one-time federal relief funding is spent down, some transit agencies in California and across the U.S. sit at the edge of a fiscal cliff. To better understand the scale of this challenge and how agencies are responding, researchers at the UC Institute of Transportation Studies analyzed financial data from transit agencies, examined federal databases, and conducted surveys and interviews with agency staff. This work provides a clearer picture of current conditions and the strategies agencies are considering to stabilize their budgets.

Understanding the Impacts of Telecommuting on Travel Behavior Before, During, and After the Pandemic

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a massive and abrupt shift in work arrangements across the United States, with telecommuting (or working from home) becoming a dominant mode for a substantial portion of the workforce. This shift not only disrupted traditional employment structures but also significantly altered daily activity schedules and travel behavior. As policymakers and planners seek strategies to manage travel demand, mitigate congestion, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, understanding the long-term implications of telecommuting on travel patterns is essential. The pandemic offers a unique opportunity to study these changes at scale and across diverse geographic and demographic groups.

Majority Mobility - Issue 3

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Majority Mobility - Issue 3

Exploring Sensor Threats and Vulnerabilities in Intelligent Traffic Controllers

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study highlights that Inductive Loop Detectors (ILDs), sensors embedded into the pavement for traffic control, are concerningly vulnerable to novel cyber and physical attacks.

The Long-term Impacts of the Pandemic on Ridehailing Use Could Have Negative Environmental Impacts

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Ridehailing services (such as those offered by Uber and Lyft) can contribute to increases in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by attracting demand from more sustainable modes, encouraging additional travel, and driving while not serving passengers . Pooled ridehailing services (i.e., ridehailing services that offer discounted fares in exchange for the potential to be matched with other customers traveling to similar destinations) have been identified as a means of addressing the negative impacts of ridehailing services. However, the impact of pooled ridehailing is heavily influenced by the uptake of these services. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic substantially influenced travel mode preferences, resulting in an increased preference for individual modes (e.g., private vehicles and active modes) and a reduced preference for shared modes (e.g., public transit and ridehailing)3 . Given the disruptive impacts of the pandemic on travel mode preferences, and the negative impacts of ridehailing...

RAP and RAS in HMA Pilot Project on SJ 26: Material Testing, Observations, and Findings

Tue, 9 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A pilot project for the inclusion of high percentages of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) in hot mix asphalt (HMA) was built on State Route 26 in San Joaquin County in September 2022. Six mixes were included in short test sections: (1) a control mix with no RAS or RAP, (2) a mix with 25% RAP and recycling agent (RA) (3) a mix with 30% RAP and RA, (4) a mix with 35% RAP and RA, (5) a mix with 40% RAP and RA, and (6) a mix with 25% RAP, 3% RAS, and RA. A seventh mix, which was a typically used mix with 12% RAP and no RA, was used for construction of the rest of the overall project. This technical memorandum presents the laboratory test results from plant mix produced for job mix formula verification and from one or two quality assurance (QA) samples, depending on the test, taken during test section construction, as well as observations of plant production and construction. None of the mixes passed the Delta Tc specification, which is not uncommon...

Can Combining Traffic Sensor Data Make Our Roads Safer?

Tue, 9 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Modern adaptive traffic signals rely on sensors like inductive loop detectors (ILDs) embedded in pavement and cameras mounted above roadways to detect the presence of vehicles and adjust signal timing accordingly. These systems aim to reduce congestion and improve safety. However, bad weather –like rain and fog—can cause sensors to fail or generate false signals, creating unnecessary delays and safety hazards. In addition, an emerging concern is “spoofing”, where individuals intentionally disrupt ILDs by sending false electrical signals. This could cause traffic signals to mismanage flow, increasing congestion and risk of crashes. Sensor fusion, the practice of combining ILD and camera data, is gaining traction as a solution for improving performance. To better understand the vulnerabilities and potential advantages, we tested how sensor fusion performed under a simulated range of traffic and weather conditions and how spoofing attacks affected signal control and object tracking...

Performance Evaluation of Recycled and Virgin Fibers in Fiber-Reinforced Concrete for Pavement Applications—Laboratory Test Results

Mon, 8 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study evaluates the performance of recycled and virgin fibers in fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC), with a focus on workability, concrete production, and mechanical properties. Fibers were directly sourced from manufacturers and used at dosages recommended by manufacturers and supported by the literature. All fibers improved the modulus of rupture of plain (control) concrete. The fibers investigated included plastic, steel, composite, glass, and basalt fibers. Across most fiber types—regardless of whether they were virgin or recycled—FRC demonstrated improved post-cracking load-carrying capacity, resulting in enhanced residual strength and ductility. Plastic fibers exhibited the best post-cracking performance, with high residual strength, toughness, and effective flexural strength ratios, though they reduced workability. Recycled plastic fibers performed comparably to virgin plastic fibers in terms of post-cracking behavior. Steel fibers had minimal impact on workability and...

Comparative Assessment of Zero-Emission Technologies for Heavy-Duty Freight: Battery Fast Charging, Battery Swapping, Catenary Electric Road, Inductive Electric Road, Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Internal Combustion, and On-Board CO₂ Capture

Mon, 8 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This report presents a comparative assessment of seven zero-emission vehicle and near-zero-emission pathways for heavy-duty freight applications: battery fast charging, battery swapping, catenary electric road systems, inductive electric road systems, hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles (H₂ICEVs), and diesel internal combustion engine vehicles equipped with carbon capture and storage (ICEV-CCS). To enable a consistent system-level comparison, we develop a unified techno-economic modeling framework, SHIFT (Systemic Heavy-duty Infrastructure Framework for Transition), which quantifies and contrasts these pathways across multiple key performance indicators, including fuel cost, energy efficiency, levelized system cost, and levelized cost of transport, using a stochastic Monte Carlo simulation framework with bounded techno-economic parameter sampling. The simulations incorporate variations in fleet size, electricity...

California Travel Post-Pandemic Has Changed: Are Our Policies Keeping Up?

Fri, 5 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed how Californians travel, work, and shop. While overall travel levels have largely recovered, the rise of remote work, online shopping, and more flexible schedules have reshaped when, why, and how people travel. Yet many transportation policies and planning tools still rely on outdated assumptions about travel behavior, creating a growing mismatch between policy and reality, with implications for infrastructure planning, congestion, air pollutant emissions, and more. To better understand these changes, we analyzed travel data from 2019 and 2023 across four primary travel modes–driving, public transit, walking, and bicycling. To examine changes in driving and transit, we used data from sites around the state for driving and transit use, in additionto data from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) region to analyze walking and biking.

Jaywalking in California: History, Pedestrian Safety Trends, Law Enforcement Patterns, and Decriminalization Legislation

Fri, 5 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This report investigates jaywalking laws in connection with traffic safety, racial equity, and street design, focusing on California. It traces the concept of "jaywalking" to an early 20th-century auto industry campaign to shift safety responsibility from drivers to pedestrians. By analyzing national and California pedestrian injury and fatality data (2009–2022) alongside California Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) police stop data (2018–2022), the study describes demographic disparities in both pedestrian crashes and law enforcement of jaywalking. It also documents recent legislative efforts in California and other states and cities to decriminalize or reform jaywalking enforcement. Findings show that pedestrian fatalities reached a 40 year high in 2022, with California’s rates consistently exceeding the national average. Significant racial and economic disparities exist: Black pedestrians experience fatality rates multiple times those of White pedestrians, and lower-income...

Evaluation of an Affordable Electric Carsharing Service in a Low-Income Community of Color: A Case Study in Richmond, California

Wed, 3 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Transportation access is a significant issue in low-income, rural, and otherwise underserved communities in the US, with few affordable and reliable alternatives to car ownership. Carsharing is one promising alternative to improve access among these communities. This study examined the implementation and outcomes of an electric vehicle carsharing service launched in Richmond, California by Míocar. The findings are based on surveys with members, an interview with senior Míocar staff, and an analysis of service utilization data provided by Míocar. The Richmond service experienced a variety of implementation problems related to limited space for vehicles and chargers, vandalism of vehicles and hubs, and transitions between funding sources that required the service to re-launch new vehicle hubs and interrupted the continuity of service. However, utilization of the service was strong (700 reservation hours, 4,000 reservation miles) given its availability. Outcomes related to transportation...

Tools for Demand-Supply Assessment of EV Charging Infrastructure and Strategy Evaluation of Smart Charging

Tue, 2 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

California’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs) requires more than additional charger counts. Public charging must be accessible, affordable, and reliable where people actually live and travel. This report presents a geospatial dashboard and time-series toolkit for the nine Bay Area counties that maps public charging stations, tracks price and charging-port status at 10-minute intervals, and identifies disadvantaged community (DAC) census tracts using the joint U.S. Department of Energy/U.S. Department of Transportation/National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (DOE/DOT/NEVI) framework. The tool reports charger availability, utilization, pricing, reliability, and average session cost, and supports equity metrics such as ports per 1,000 residents or renters, travel time to a direct-current fast charger, and tract-levelcomparisons between DAC and non-DAC areas. It also supports early screening of sites for Level-3 fast chargers by identifying locations that appear feasible from...

What Happens When Cities Eliminate Minimum Parking Requirements?

Mon, 1 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What Happens When Cities Eliminate Minimum Parking Requirements?

Parking Requirements Drive Up Housing Costs

Mon, 1 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Parking Requirements Drive Up Housing Costs

Minimum Parking Requirements Fuel Driving

Mon, 1 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Minimum Parking Requirements Fuel Driving

Accelerating Transportation Innovation in California

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Mobility 10x Summit convened more than 200 leaders from state agencies, regional governments, academia, and industry to accelerate California’s transition toward a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable transportation system. As the capstone event of the Resilient and Innovative Mobility Initiative (RIMI)—a four‐year UC ITS research effort launched in 2021—the summit synthesized extensive research and practitioner insights across ten priority transportation topics, ranging from public transit to automation and carbon-neutraltransportation to equity, safety, and resilience.Across the opening and closing plenary discussions and nine breakout sessions, participants examined the structural challenges facing California’s transportation system: declining gas tax revenues, climate‐driven infrastructure damage, uneven public transit ridership recovery, inequitable access to mobility options, and rapid technological change. These challenges are converging at a moment when California...

Universal Basic Mobility Pilot Programs in Oakland and Bakersfield Are Combatting Transportation Poverty

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The concept of Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) calls upon policymakers to ensure all people have access to transportation services for basic needs like work, food, and healthcare. Pilot programs in California and beyond are testing UBM as a means to address the problem of transport poverty, often defined as a household spending more than 10% of their income on transportation (the average American household spends 16%). Transport poverty also encompasses issues of mobility access (e.g., how far a person can travel and what types of destinations they can reach in a defined amount of time) and transportation experience (e.g., safety). Those particularly vulnerable to transport poverty include low-income households, communities ofcolor, undocumented immigrants, persons with disabilities, and youth who are neither working nor in school.

A radical idea: Eliminating all curbside parking

Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A radical idea: Eliminating all curbside parking

Do Cities Have Too Much Parking?

Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Do Cities Have Too Much Parking?

Ambiguity in Defining High-Quality Transit Shapes Where Housing Can Be Built in California

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

“Major transit stop”—how these three words are defined determines what can be built where, throughout much of California. To address housing shortages and reduce reliance on driving, California has enacted a number of laws that streamline housing approvals and remove zoning constraints in areas near high-quality transit. Many of these laws allow for greater density, less parking, and faster permitting within half a mile of a “major transit stop,” defined in California Public Resources Code § 21064.3 as “an existing rail or bus rapid transit station, a ferry terminal served by either a bus or rail transit service,” or “the intersection of two or more major bus routes with a frequency of service interval of 20 minutes or less during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods.” In some cases, planned future transit stops included in long-range regional transportation plans may also qualify.

Tracking the Transition: Why California Needs a Central Database for Zero-Emission Trucks

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

California has set some of the most ambitious clean-truck goals in the world. Governor Newsom’s 2020 Executive Order includes a goal that all medium- and heavy-duty trucks be zero-emission by 2045 where feasible. To meet this goal, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved two regulations focusing on trucks—the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, requiring manufacturers to sell zero-emission trucks (ZETs), and the Advanced Clean Fleets rule, requiring fleets to purchase them. Both rules are not currently active, but the targets and aggressive schedules for ZET adoption re-main. This situation creates uncertainty for manufacturers, fleets, and infrastructure providers.

What Are the Best Ways to Organize, Coordinate, and Deliver Public Transit Service in Large Metropolitan Areas? A Research Synthesis

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This report analyzes the optimal organization of public transit service in large U.S. metropolitan areas—like Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area—where multiple operators serve overlapping markets. We synthesize over 50 international and U.S. studies of: (1) regional transit governance and coordination, (2) economies of scale and scope in transit operations, and (3) service contracting. We find that regions gain the most from coordinating front-end, customer-facing functions such as marketing, fares, information, and service planning through a regional association or authority, while leaving back-end service-production and delivery decentralized among sub-regional operators. This approach enhances riders’ travel experience, increases ridership, and improves cost efficiency. Conversely, large-scale transit agency mergers rarely save money and often introduce diseconomies of scale due to increased organizational complexity and higher labor costs. For some large agencies,...

Electrificación de Vehículos Comerciales Ligeros: Perspectivas de la Industria y Oportunidades en México

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This report is available in English at: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5824s35r

Este reporte presenta los resultados de una encuesta colaborativa de la industria y una iniciativa de investigación aplicada sobre la electrificación de flotas de vehículos comerciales ligeros (LCV, por sus siglas en inglés) en México. Realizado por el Global South Center for Clean Transportation (GSC) de UC Davis, el estudio recopiló respuestas de más de 80 empresas en todo el país, con mayor representación de Ciudad de México (CDMX), Estado de México, Guanajuato y Nuevo León.

Los resultados revelan un panorama empresarial en el que muchas operaciones ya presentan condiciones favorables para la electrificación de flotas, aunque persisten barreras financieras y de infraestructura.

Electrification of Light Commercial Vehicles: Industry Perspectives and Opportunities in Mexico

Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Este reporte está disponible en español en: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1570t84x

This report presents the findings of a collaborative applied research initiative on the electrification of light commercial vehicle (LCV) fleets in Mexico. Conducted by the Global South Center for Clean Transportation (GSC) at UC Davis, the study began with a set of semi-structured interviews with fleet operators and supply chain managers. These interviews helped identify key operational concerns, barriers, and opportunities, and informed the design of the broader industry survey discussed in this report.

State of Zero-Emission Vehicle Secondary Market and Accessibility Impacts in California’s Underserved Communities

Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the used plug-in electric vehicle market in California through an integrated analysis of Department of Motor Vehicles household registrations from 2023, S&P Global interstate transfer data from 2016 to 2023, and a statewide survey of vehicle owners with approximately 3,396 respondents. This includes understanding socio-economic, demographic, geographic, and behavior of not only buyers of used PEVs but also buyers of new and used internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The analysis provides empirical evidence on consumer behavior, market dynamics, and barriers to adoption that can inform policy decisions aimed at expanding plug in electric vehicle access across California’s population.

Policies to Improve Transportation Sustainability, Accessibility, and Housing Affordability in the State of California

Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This report presents analytical review of empirical research on the interactions between housing availability and production, and travel behavior, accessibility, land use policies, and transportation policies. It identifies lessons from this review for California state legislative efforts to improve housing and transportation linkages, and to increase both transportation sustainability and housing affordability. Relevant California state efforts include legislation to influence parking standards; to require up-zoning near transit stations; to influence regional housing and transportation planning goals; and to change environmental review to focus on reducing vehicle miles traveled instead of accommodating road traffic.

Preliminary Assessment of Effects of Gross Vehicle Weight Limit Increases for Trucks on Pavement Life and Cost

Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In January 2022, the Caltrans Pavement Program asked the University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC) to provide a quick high-level estimate of the effects of gross vehicle weight limit increases for trucks on pavement performance and the associated impact on the costs of pavement maintenance (Maintenance budget) and rehabilitation (SHOPP budget). Caltrans is considering increasing the limit from current 80 kips to 88 kips. This technical memorandum was delivered in February 2022. It was updated based on Caltrans comments in the same month and used internally by Caltrans but was not published. In September 2024 the Pavement Program requested that the UCPRC publish the technical memorandum. The results show that the high-level estimate is that the Maintenance and SHOPP budgets for pavement will need to increase by approximately 6% over the current projected 10-year total cost of $20.2 billion, resulting in a 10-year total increase of approximately $1.2 billion.

U.S. Q1 2026 EV MARKET BRIEF

Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

U.S. Q1 2026 EV MARKET BRIEF

Report from the 2026 UCLA Arrowhead Symposium: New Mobility, Automated Vehicles and Cities

Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Automated vehicles are no longer a “coming soon” technology; they are an operational reality reshaping the physical and digital real estate of our cities. The question is no longer if the technology will work, but how we will govern the complex ecosystem it inhabits. The 2026 UCLA Arrowhead Symposium on New Mobility, Automated Vehicles, and Cities shifted the focus beyond technological hype and market speculation to the urgent work of public stewardship.

Driving the Market for Plug-in Vehicles: Understanding Reoccurring Incentives

Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Driving the Market for Plug-in Vehicles: Understanding Reoccurring Incentives

In Search of Less Parking: How Curb Management Is Failing Future Mobility

Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In Search of Less Parking: How Curb Management Is Failing Future Mobility

A France–Kenya Compact for Green Industrialization: Co-Investing in Two Transitions

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A France–Kenya Compact for Green Industrialization: Co-Investing in Two Transitions

Tax parking, not housing

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This discussion paper argues that cities should discourage off-street parking by levying a tax — a parking impact fee — on new development. Parking generates environmental and social costs or externalities, and developers, left to their own devices, will provide too many spaces from a societal perspective. A parking impact fee can account for these externalities and provide incentives for developers to reduce the oversupply of parking. One practical way to implement such a fee is to repurpose the transportation impact fees that cities already levy on new development. Rather than the current practice of charging a fee for each housing unit or square foot, which discourages housing and commercial development, cities should charge for each new parking space — discouraging parking instead.

Affordable Carsharing in Urban Contexts: Lessons from Richmond’s Pilot Program

Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In the US, access to a personal vehicle is often essential for getting to work, school, healthcare services, shopping, and other daily needs. To expand mobility options and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, several states have launched publicly supported electric vehicle (EV) carsharing pilot programs. These programs aim to provide affordable, low-carbon transportation options to households that cannot afford to own a vehicle. Míocar, a nonprofit carsharing service, has implemented successful pilots in rural and suburban communities in California’s San Joaquin Valley. In 2022, it expanded its service to the urban environment of Richmond, California by coordinating with the City of Richmond to implement a total of six carshare hubs, three of which are still operational as of 2025. Our research team studied the Richmond pilot service using member surveys, vehicle use data, and interviews with Míocar staff to understand how well the model translated to a denser urban setting and what...

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