Improving Access and Efficiency to Transportation Affordable Programs in California

This project addresses the Caltrans research need as outlined in the 2022-2023 UC Davis Caltrans Research Grants described as follows: "Despite transportation being the 2nd largest expenditure category for low and moderate-income households, frameworks, and action for comprehensive transportation affordability support policies lag far behind other basic services (utility, housing, and food) sector programs offered at local, state, or federal levels. Existing assistance programs often function as discretionary rather than entitlement programs. These programs are first-come, first-serve, and often over-subscribed. They tend to use limited dollars to channel large benefits to relatively few beneficiaries, leave many eligible households unassisted, and are rarely evaluated.” The researchers will address these research needs through a three-part approach. In Part 1, the research team will inventory and analyze the income-related discounts provided by major travel service agencies by reviewing agency websites and interviewing agency personnel in twelve (12) major metro areas in California. In addition, they will review California Air Resources Board (CARB) documents to quantify past, current, and future funding for clean shared mobility programs and electric vehicle (EV) purchase programs in underserved areas. For Part 2, the researchers will identify other entitlement programs (e.g., housing, food, and energy) for comparison and potential integration with travel discount programs. The objective would be to secure information consistent with that gathered in Part 1. During Part 3, The research team is assisting the San Joaquin Council of Governments and the City and County of Los Angeles (Metro and Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT)) in developing their universal basic mobility (UBM) pilots. Information collected will be synthesized to compare metrics across metro areas, agencies' travel discount programs, relevant state entitlement programs, and UBMs. The analysis will straddle the near and long-term objectives by assessing the landscape of income-related multi-modal service discounts, comparing this landscape of non-travel entitlement programs, and developing lessons learned from UBM pilots/programs. Based on this analysis, the researchers will identify near and longer-term opportunities to provide more effective UBM programs.

• Record URL:
  https://ncst.ucdavis.edu/project/improving-access-and-efficiency-transportation-affordable-programs-california

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $119311
• Contract Numbers:

  Caltrans 65A0686 Task Order 079

  DOT 69A3551747114

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  California Department of Transportation

  1227 O Street
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95843
• Managing Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  University of California, Davis

  1 Shields Ave
  Davis, California  United States  95616
• Project Managers:

  Iacobucci, Lauren

• Performing Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  University of California, Davis

  1 Shields Ave
  Davis, California  United States  95616
• Principal Investigators:

  Rodier, Caroline

• Start Date: 20230530
• Expected Completion Date: 20240630
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Access; Discount fares; Equity; Income; Metropolitan areas; Mobility; Multimodal transportation; Travel
• Geographic Terms: Los Angeles (California); San Joaquin County (California)
• Subject Areas: Finance; Passenger Transportation; Policy; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01884728
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Sustainable Transportation
• Contract Numbers: Caltrans 65A0686 Task Order 079, DOT 69A3551747114
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jun 9 2023 8:45AM