Calendar of Events

The State of California’s transportation system is at a fiscal crossroads. Population and travel continue to grow, but traditional sources of transportation revenues, like the motor fuels tax, have been lagging for years and new revenue sources, like local option sales taxes, have only partially filled the widening gap. Projections show that fuel taxes would need to be tripled to begin to catch up with rising costs and growing needs, but remains little political will to raise fuel taxes. Instead, we have increasingly turned to local sales taxes, bonds, and public-private ventures in what is becoming an increasingly ad hoc (and inadequate) system of transportation finance. The result is an ever widening divide between transportation system needs and revenues – a gap that has worsened appreciably during our current economic downturn.Given both the unprecedented scale and urgency of the transportation and state funding crises, this two-part series of lunchtime speaker events is designed to promote understanding of transportation finance in California, and an open dialogue on possible solutions to the impasse. These forums will be particularly relevant to members and staffs of the legislative and executive branches of state government. Each event will showcase speakers representing government leaders, experts in transportation and finance from academic and research institutions, and senior level administrators from state agencies.