University of California Institute of Transportation Studies

Increasing Californians’ access to and use of public transit is a key component of the state’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from transportation, which is the single largest source of statewide emissions. To achieve state targets of 40 percent GHG emission reduction below 1990 levels by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2045, California leaders will need to support a range of affordable, efficient, and riderfriendly transit options—including local and regional rail networks—to replace personal vehicle use. However, rail transit projects in California and the U.S. are costly and slow to build. Most initial project budget estimates are expensive to begin with, and they often increase significantly after delays and cost overruns occur. This high-cost, slowdeployment pattern of rail transit investment risks depleting public funds available for new transit projects and the public trust necessary to ensure successful projects. With climate and urban design and livability goals demanding greater and more efficient public transit investment, what can state and local leaders do to improve project delivery in terms of cost and time? Researchers at the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment at UC Berkeley School of Law recently combined a cost baseline analysis with five California project case studies to identify the key sources of poor project delivery performance and strategies to overcome them.