UC Berkeley Report Says California Transportation Policy Is Still Built for Cars - and It's Deepening Inequality - Streetsblog California

"California's transportation system is making it harder for millions of people to get to work, school, healthcare, and daily necessities, according to a new report from UC Berkeley's Possibility Lab. An Abundance Agenda for Transportation calls for a fundamental rethink of how the state plans, funds, and measures transportation. Abundance Agenda argues that despite years of reform rhetoric, California policy remains largely focused on moving cars rather than ensuring people can access what they need safely, affordably, and reliably."

"The paper introduces an "abundance" framework, distinguishing between "abundance hubs" - places with strong access to jobs, schools, services, and healthier environments - and "scarcity zones," where residents face limited access to essentials and longer, more expensive trips. In abundance hubs, transportation investments often prioritize protecting road capacity and parking rather than enabling housing growth, transit expansion, or safer streets, reinforcing exclusivity in places where opportunity is already scarce."

California's transportation system makes it harder for millions to reach jobs, school, healthcare, and daily necessities. Planning and funding remain focused on moving cars rather than ensuring people can travel safely, affordably, and reliably. That orientation has increased inequality, produced unsafe streets, raised transportation costs, and intensified housing pressure near job-rich areas. Data and modern computing can enable decisions centered on accessibility, shifting investments toward safe streets and transit priority. The 'abundance' framework separates abundance hubs with strong access from scarcity zones with limited access, and shows how protecting road capacity and parking can reinforce exclusivity and limit housing and transit expansion.

Read at Streetsblog