SB 1 Funding Will Help Alleviate These Problems, Speed Goods Movement

According to a recent report by the American Transportation Research Institute, seven of the nation’s 65 worst truck bottlenecks are in California; and six of these are found at locations in Southern California, including Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Corona. The ARTI study also reported that Los Angeles County is home to two of the country’s top 15 truck bottlenecks: the 60/57 freeway interchange in Diamond Bar ranked fifth on the list; and the 710/105 freeway interchange in Paramount came in at number 13.

ATRI collects national truck GPS data to quantify the impact of traffic congestion on truck-borne freight. ARTI says that the information can empower decision-making in both the public and private sectors by helping stakeholders better understand the severity of congestion and mobility constraints on the U.S. highway transportation system.

The institute also quantifies the economic cost of all this congestion. Research identified trucking industry costs of $63.4 billion as a result of congestion on the nation’s highways. That cost generates from 996 million lost hours of industry productivity. “ATRI’s report makes clear where the biggest issues lie and we urge policymakers to quickly address them with much-needed investment,” California Trucking Assn. CEO Shawn Yadon said.

The California Department of Transportation has already outlined a series of projects that will ease truck congestion along major CA freight corridors over the next 10 years. Caltrans says most of the projects are made possible through the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB 1), which devotes $54 billion for infrastructure improvements throughout the state.

Southern California Partnership for Jobs supports infrastructure investment. It enhances our overall quality of life and supports individuals’ employment and their families’ well-being. We advocated for the passage of SB 1, a new transportation funding source that is becoming ever more critical for California. We continue to work closely with other advocates to seek more funding at the state, regional and local levels.

Source: socalworks.org