Orange County Branch Newsletter

March 2022

ASCE OC Sustainability Committee

Complete Streets, CAPTI, and CTP 2050

By Charlotte Wu, PE, ENV SP, STP | T&DI - Secretary



Orange County Sustainability Committee (SusCom) with a joint effort from Transportation and Development Institute (T&DI) invited Reyna Baeza-Oregel and Irene Hou from Caltrans District 12 and Sherry Weinmeier from Stantec to speak on the subjects of complete streets and the future of transportation infrastructure in California. The topics discussed were the recently approved documents California Transportation Plan (CTP) 2050 and Complete Street Decision Document (CSDD) from Caltrans, as well as the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI) from the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), and two recently completed complete streets projects. The presentation took place on January 20th over Zoom with almost 50 attendees. The event provided breakout rooms prior to the main presentation to allow participants, including guest speakers, to network for 15 minutes. Parsons, one of Branch’s Annual Sponsors, was given the opportunity to introduce the first speaker. SusCom and T&DI took turns introducing the second and third speakers.

Reyna provided an overview of Caltrans’ complete streets design guides and documents, including the recently released CSDD and Director’s Policy (DP) 37. CSDD records decisions made regarding incorporating complete streets facilities during design. This document is required for all projects that require a Project Initiation Document (PID) that have not been programmed. DP-37 ensures that all Caltrans-funded transportation projects will provide complete street facilities where there are current or future needs. It also allows Caltrans to maximize the use of design flexibility to incorporate complete street elements that work for each project. Reyna also gave an overview of the CAPTI. CAPTI outlines CalSTA’s strategies to combat climate change; for instance, how it will support climate resilience through transportation system improvements and protections for natural and working lands and how it will strengthen transportation-land use connections. CalSTA is a cabinet-level agency focused solely on addressing the state’s transportation issues.

Irene provided an overview of Caltrans’ CTP 2050. The CTP 2050 identifies the goals and lays out what the recommendations are for addressing those goals. Some of the goals identified include achieving statewide GHG emission reduction targets and increasing resilience to climate change, improving multimodal mobility and accessibility to destinations for all users, and maintaining a high-quality and resilient transportation system. Some of the recommendations laid out in the document include enhancing transportation system resiliency such as conducting Vulnerability Assessments on the State Highway System and advancing Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) technology and supportive infrastructures such as expanding California’s designated Alternative Fuel Corridors to support the strategic placement of charging stations for electric, hydrogen-fuel cell, and natural gas-powered vehicles. Sherry gave a brief overview of Stantec’s latest projects: the North Harbor Drive Separated Bikeway and ADA Enhancements project in Redondo Beach, California and the 17th Street Separated Bikeway and Sidewalk Improvement project in Santa Monica, California. She went over the key items to consider during the planning phase for a complete street project such as Active Transportation Plans and Vision Zero Initiatives. Sherry also discussed design features that were considered during the design phase of the projects such as curb extensions, raised islands, and separated/buffered bikeways and walkways. She also went over the CSDD as part of the design exercise for the projects discussed, highlighting what the completed CSDD should include. Thank you to Reyna, Irene, and Sherry for volunteering your time on this presentation!


About the Author:

Charlotte Wu is a Transportation Engineer with AECOM. Charlotte is passionate about designing transportation projects that improve the quality of life while maintaining a balanced and sustainable community. Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor activities such as running, snowboarding, and riding. Charlotte can be contacted at charlotte.wu@aecom.com.


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