Executive Director Steve Heminger's Report to the Commission Meeting of June 26, 2013
External Caltrans Review
Sacramento, May 29
Secretary of Transportation Brian Kelly announced that a group of independent transportation experts from the State Smart Transportation Initiative (SSTI) will conduct an external review of the management and operations of Caltrans.
National Freight Advisory Committee
Washington DC, May 30
Outgoing U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has named 47 members of a new National Freight Advisory Committee to advise U.S. DOT on goods movement issues. There were several Californians named to the panel, including Assembly Transportation Committee chair Bonnie Lowenthal, CTC Commissioner Fran Inman, and the Bay Area’s own Randy Iwasaki, executive director of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority.
Regional Economic Summit
Mountain View, May 31
I joined Commissioner Wiener on a diverse panel that also included education leaders and the CEO of the San Francisco 49ers to discuss the Bay Area’s rebounding regional economy. The event was sponsored by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.
MTI Summit on Transportation Finance
Philadelphia, June 1
I moderated a panel discussion on the state of federal transportation finance that included Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff, AASHTO chief executive Bud Wright, and APTA CEO Michael Melaniphy. The event was sponsored by the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI), of which I serve as board chairman this year.
TRB Executive Committee
Washington DC, June 20-21
I attended the biannual meeting of the executive committee of the Transportation Research Board last week. While in Washington, I also participated in a workshop on transportation performance measures sponsored by the Bipartisan Policy Center.
New Headquarters, New Address
Since we are moving the front door of our new regional agency headquarters in San Francisco from Main Street to Beale Street, we needed to secure a new street address for the building. In a fitting twist of fate, I am pleased to report that our new address will be 375 Beale Street.
Map of the Month
This map illustrates total vehicle miles traveled on all roads across the country. The data is based upon traffic volume trends data collected by the U.S. Department of Transportation from January 1971 to February 2013. Since June 2005, vehicle miles driven have fallen nearly nine percent. There are several reasons that may be causing this steady downward trend, including rising gas prices, the Great Recession, an aging population led by the Baby Boomers over the age of 55 who tend to drive less, and quite possibly younger Americans led by the Millennial generation choosing to drive less too. Between 2001 and 2009, the average yearly number of miles driven by 16- to 34-year-olds has dropped 23 percent.
MTC Operational Statistics
The monthly report on the performance of MTC’s operating programs: