When I first arrived in Berkeley, I was astonished by the city’s swift delivery of parking tickets and the cumbersome routine residents and students must endure to pay for parking — that is, if they ever find a spot. I knew immediately that this was not a convenient place to own a car, so naturally, I turned to public transportation. I did not find a solution. I found another problem.
I grew up in the Bay Area, so I know as well as anyone how innovative technology and bold social policies can change the essence of a region in a matter of years. Yet, even in the world’s cradle of progress, students and residents alike are subjected to hours of traffic and slow, limited public transportation on a daily basis.
Welcome to the Smog Blog, a column investigating all issues concerning the environment, the effects Berkeleyans have on it and our ability to manipulate our surroundings. UC Berkeley students live in an incredibly progressive part of this country, and we not only get a front-row view of ingenuity but also a look at both the positive and negative effects of that ingenuity on the environment.
This week, we’re taking to the roads. In 2013, the Bay Area boasted the highest percentage of “mega-commuters,” or employees who travel a minimum of 50 miles to work per day, in the nation. Yet, we live in a region with dismal public-transportation infrastructure. Highways are overcrowded, and the roads themselves are $59 billion behind in maintenance. Here in the East Bay, getting on the 1R bus heading towards downtown Oakland during rush hour is only slightly more appealing than watching paint dry. Waiting periods between buses can be upward of 25 minutes, and BART’s service area is small for such a robust, urban area.
The most immediate cause for these frustrations is the most obvious one: A lack of funding. Since 1990, California’s population, average personal income and miles traveled by vehicle have all risen considerably. However, our state’s gas tax rate is roughly the same as it was in 1990 when adjusted for inflation. The state Senate finally raised the rate by 12 cents per gallon in August. But while gas taxes fund large-scale road and public transportation expansion and restoration, the solution is not as simple as implementing legislation to raise this rate.
The gas tax is not a guaranteed source of sustainable revenue. Some of the largest corporations in the world are putting considerable time, money and energy into developing cars that require little to no gas. Google employs 18,600 workers in its research and development department, which is funded by 13.2 percent of the company’s total revenue. Additionally, there is a general consensus that mass public transportation is yet another solution to our crowded highways. A tax on gas is illogical in an era where technology and public sentiment are both pushing toward low-emission transportation rather than expanding upon the inefficient 20th-century model of the automobile.
The answer may exist in the private sector. The construction of Presidio Parkway in San Francisco was largely funded by a public-private partnership, or P3. The chosen applicant — in this case, Golden Link Partners — designs, builds and maintains the project for a specified period of time — 30 years, in this scenario. In return, companies involved in P3s can receive various forms of subsidies, in addition to financing for the project and funding for all orders of maintenance.
The Presidio Park project was the first P3 venture of its kind in our state. In 2009, former governor Schwarzenegger approved a bill allowing Caltrans, California’s department of transit planning, construction and maintenance, and regional transportation agencies to engage in unlimited P3 operations. Such enterprises are incredibly efficient and economically stimulating, because state and local governments can incentivize private contractors to work on public projects, which avoid bureaucratic limitations and delays.
The local implications of such contracts are numerous. BART is the fifth busiest heavy-rail rapid transit network in the United States. A P3 initiative pairing BART with a private railway manufacturer would introduce new technology and boost efficiency, making BART a more attractive form of transportation and ultimately, take people off the overcrowded roads.
The utilization of P3s will revolutionize local and state public works programs. These contracts don’t have to be limited to roadways. Advocacy for P3s between the government and companies, such as Google and Tesla, would transform the software and engineering used for buses and subways. Other technological powerhouses could use their might to study and develop better traffic control technology. In order to keep up with the growth and constant evolution of technology, government agencies will succeed by working smarter, not harder.
Schuyler Whiting writes the Wednesday blog on how the environment affects Berkeley, and how Berkeley affects the environment. Contact him at swhiting@dailycal.org.