Gov. Newsom Vetoes Bill to Require Caltrans Study Top Crash Locations on State Highways

“I encourage the Legislature to partner with Caltrans to advance the implementation of these efforts,” Newsom said.

Caltrans’ Mission says, “Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment.”

Caltrans’ Number #1 listed Goal is “Safety First.”

Road safety is the very crux of Caltrans’ purpose and existence.

In fact, the 8/27/24 Senate Floor Analysis addresses this:

According to California Traffic Safety Program (OTS), California continues to experience a road safety crisis. Projections from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) estimate more than 4,400 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes throughout California in 2022, or about 12 people every day. Early data from NHSTA for 2023 and 2024 estimates a year over year 5% increase in traffic fatalities. Across the state, traffic fatalities increased approximately 7.6% from 3,980 in 2020 to 4,285 in 2021. 

“SB 936 was a critical step toward addressing the safety risks that countless Californians face every day on our highways,” said Senator Kelly Seyarto. “We cannot afford to continue patching up dangerous roads with short-term fixes that cost lives and escalate expenses in the long run. This bill would have provided a targeted, data-driven approach to ensuring that our most hazardous roadways receive the attention and rehabilitation they desperately need. I’m deeply disappointed by the veto, as it sends a message that road safety isn’t being prioritized at a time when fatalities are on the rise.”

But Caltrans is still advertising the Covid vaccine and Covid updates on its website.

And Caltrans’ commitment to sustainability and equity is front and center in Caltrans’ 2020-2024 Strategic Plan – a sure sign of poor leadership:

As leaders in transportation, we can push California toward a more socially responsible transportation network. Our energies will be focused on actions woven throughout our Strategic Plan that promote
sustainability and equity.

Seyarto continued:

Car crashes are consistently a top cause of unintentional injury or death for Californians. Traffic fatalities surged 22% from 2019 to 2022, while severe and fatal traffic crashes resulted in $166 billion in economic and quality-of-life costs for Californians in 2022 alone.

Senator Seyarto’s bill made it through the Legislature and was passed by the Senate 39-0, and Assembly 76-0 in what should have been a strong sign that the Legislature was already a “partner with Caltrans to advance the implementation of these efforts,” as Gov. Newsom said needed to happen.

As an aside, the Caltrans Cap City Corridor project in Sacramento, “the most congested corridor in the region,” was originally identified in 2015, the Project Study Report was prepared in 2016, Engineering and Environmental Studies 2016-2019, prepared plans, specifications and estimates, right-of-way activities, and permits acquired 2019-2022, advertisement and construction contract awarded in 2022, and construction started in 2023, which will continue through 2027. And that stretch of highway has never been more dangerous than it is right now with vehicle crashes and wrecks taking place daily.

The Globe does not harbor bad feelings for Caltrans’ employees – they are as much victims of lousy state leadership as the rest of us, and also have to drive on the state’s dangerous highways.