Tag: California Department of Transportation: Page 6

Roadbuilding

Caltrans seeks comments on California Transportation Plan 2040

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is seeking public comments on California Transportation Plan 2040 (CTP 2040), the long-term transportation plan for the state. “The public can play a key role in the long-term vision we are creating for California’s transportation system,” says Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “Our population is growing, the way we live […]

March 8, 2016

Roadbuilding

California lowers gas tax by 2.2 cents per gallon

While states like Missouri, Alabama and Mississippi are considering raising their gas taxes to better fund infrastructure, California’s tax board recently decided that its residents paid too much for gas last year, and will give them a break at the pump. The Associated Press reported that the California Board of Equalization voted 3-2 Tuesday to lower the […]

February 25, 2016

Roadbuilding

Caltrans ordered to pay $12 million for construction crews’ exposure to fungus

The California Department of Transportation has been ordered to pay close to $12 million to five contracted construction employees for exposing them to a dangerous fungus. According to the Los Angeles Times, a jury in Solano County ruled that Caltrans knew there was a dangerous fungus that causes an incurable respiratory disease known as valley fever at the […]

February 2, 2016

Roadbuilding

Caltrans workers clear Highway 299 after a landslide

A minor landslide earlier this month turned into a much larger problem in California after El Nino pounded northern California. The California Department of Transportation spent two days digging Highway 299 out from 1,500 cubic yards of debris that fell on the highway. For two days, the road was closed disrupting a connection between 130,000 people […]

February 1, 2016

Roadbuilding

California slashes $754 million from transportation ; DOT says impact of job delays, cuts could be billions

California will have significantly less money to spend on transportation over the next five years following the California Transportation Commission’s decision to slash the Department of Transportation’s budget. According to Caltrans, the commission decided to cut the budget by $754 million over the next five years after a review of the current and projected financial situation. […]

January 25, 2016

Roadbuilding

Watch Caltrans use explosives to move a 20-ton boulder

A 20-ton boulder blocking a rural road might seem like an pretty difficult thing to move, but not when you have explosives. After the massive boulder fell onto U.S. Highway 50 about 80 miles north of Sacramento, the California Department of Transportation cleared the area and brought in the big guns – well, big explosives. In […]

January 21, 2016

Roadbuilding

California governor proposes annual vehicle fee to fund road construction

California needs more money for its aging roads and bridges, but with so many electric and hybrid vehicle drivers, the state isn’t getting enough funding from fuel taxes to foot the bill. Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed a new plan to try to put more funds back in the transportation budget. According to CBS San Francisco, […]

January 14, 2016

Roadbuilding

Caltrans gets grant to update traffic data collection equipment and software

The California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has given the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) a $400,000 grant to help update traffic data collection equipment and software for the state’s highway system. The Model Inventory of Roadway Elements (MIRE) grant will update a system that is used in traffic […]

January 6, 2016

Roadbuilding

Caltrans innovation contest awards $25k for signage, app ideas

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has selected three first place winners and one second place winner for its Innovation Contest. The contest was part of the “$25K Find a New Way” program signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown in 2014. Officials said the contest was aimed at finding the “best unique idea with […]

January 4, 2016

Roadbuilding

California Transportation Commission adopts 27 projects valued at $154 million

The California Transportation Commission has approved 27 projects worth close to $154 million, including allocations from Proposition 1B approved in 2006. “Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) is making sure every dollar counts when it comes to building California’s transportation infrastructure: repairing aging freeways, making highways and bridges safer and promoting bicycling and walking,” says Caltrans […]

December 17, 2015

Roadbuilding

Caltrans implodes San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge old east span pier

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Nov. 14 imploded the largest pier of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge’s old east span (Pier E3) after months of planning around minimizing environmental impact from the demolition. Engineers set off the implosion early in the morning during “slack tide” using 600 controlled charges. The effort weakened the 50-foot […]

November 15, 2015

Roadbuilding

Study: No ‘significant difference’ between cost of gas tax and RUC on California drivers

Fuel efficient cars have been a boon for the environment and the wallets of drivers, but it’s had the side effect of bringing in fewer tax dollars to support roads in California and across the nation. As a result, some states are looking toward adopting a new road user charge (RUC) that taxes drivers based […]

November 10, 2015