SHE HAS YOUR BACK
When it comes to making sure gas taxes are spent wisely ... The leader of the Mineta Transportation Institute leads research into seeing if money is spent on solutions
SAN JOSE >> California’s new gas tax, enacted last November, is expected to raise $5 billion annually to shore up the state’s highways, bridges and culverts. But is that money being spent wisely?
Just ask Karen Philbrick. The executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute is leading the research within the California State University system to make sure gas taxes are spent on solutions that actually improve commutes, advance safety and save money.
A psychologist by training, Philbrick understands it takes more than scientific research to change people’s habits and perceptions. Education will be critical, she says, as the state grapples with how to reduce vehiclerelated pollution, shift people into trains and buses, encourage biking and other types of ecofriendly transportation, or even convince them to hop into an autonomous car or shuttle.
But first, transportation officials and state leaders need to know what works. And, to answer that question, they need data. Right now the institute is whittling down a pool of 84 research applications from 18 California State University campuses to 10 or fewer proposals, which are expected to be announced on April 26. The research will be funded with $2 million set aside annually from the gas tax, which is also shared among the institute’s partners, the California State Universities at Fresno, Chico and Long Beach.
This news organization sat down with Philbrick to talk about how those proposals will be selected, overcoming the Bay Area’s biggest transportation challenges, and why it helps to have a psychologist helping solve our transportation woes. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
QWhy should taxpayers care about this research?
AIt’s so interesting — I get goosebumps, I’m way too geeky — but it’s so interesting to me because the best estimates right now suggest that the average driver is spending $844 annually on maintenance and repair costs to their vehicle that are resulting from driving on roads that are in a state of disrepair. And to be clear, over 50 percent of our roads or streets in California are in a state of disrepair. $844! We have the ability now through SB1 (the state’s new gas tax) to not only fix many of these issues, because it is a repair and reinvestment act — but to make sure how we fix them is based on research. Because, at the end of the day, if you’re making decisions that aren’t based on scientific and objective research, you may be throwing away money.
“We have the ability now through SB1 (the state’s new gas tax) to not only fix many of these issues, because it is a repair and reinvestment act — but to make sure how we fix them is based on research.” — Karen Philbrick, executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute
Q
What sorts of subjects will you be evaluating?
A
Some of the things we’re looking at is leveraging new technologies, whether it’s autonomous vehicles or automated transit networks or other types of investments, and really looking at how they integrate with other smart city investments and the Internet of Things as we go forward in this new technological age. Then we’re also looking at developing new tools and approaches that will help make better decisions about what materials we’re using to maintain our roads, streets and highways.
Q
How will the research on Senate Bill 1 be selected?
A
So, first we have an objective committee of five members, two transportation professionals and three academics, selecting the research that gets funded. To be clear, there’s no CSU presence on that selection committee, just to make sure we have an air of objectivity and transparency. … And then, we’re using a very objective scoring rubric that’s quantifiable, which is how each of the proposals will be rated. The goal is that all of the research has to relate to California, and it must align with SB 1.
Q
What are the biggest challenges facing the Bay Area’s transportation networks?
A
Some of our challenges are user acceptance. The average person is not willing to walk more than a quarter-mile to reach public transportation. So we have a first- and last-mile connectivity problem, which means you might want to take Caltrain directly into San Francisco, but if you’re located five miles from a Caltrain station, that might be too much for you to actually drive in and get on the train. Even though, at the end of the day, it could save you a vast amount of time, because you can use that time to work or socialize or decompress, instead of being stuck in the car during a heavy commute time.
So, I think we (need) to address the first- and last-mile issue, which by the way, some of the ways we’re doing that is through on-demand ridesharing services, like Uber or Lyft, bike sharing is another way to do it, carpooling, and getting people to realize that investing ten minutes in a half-mile walk is a good thing. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves your health, and it gets you to the transit system.
Q
Is that where your psychology degree comes in?
A
I use it everyday. Every single day, to be honest. It could be with user acceptance. So, with the advent of autonomous vehicles or different technologies, how do you get people to get over the fear and start to greet such technological advancements with excitement? Or, if you think about imagery, if you’re trying to increase the number of people who use active transportation modes, whether its walking or cycling, how do you get them out of their car?