Policy

This report investigated the institutional aspects of Bus Rapid Transit through a macroscopic examination of relevant issues ascertained through a literature review, a series of project team brainstorming meetings, and input from members of the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus Rapid Transit staff. The literature review provided insight into the history of Bus Rapid Transit concepts ranging from very early research in the United States in the late 1950s, continuing with dual mode systems and early busways in the 1960s and 1970s, international experiences in Latin America and Canada, and...

On April 28, 2016, UCCONNECT hosted a symposium in Berkeley, CA on Achieving Zero-Emission Mobility: The Role of Innovative Electric Vehicle Companies. The symposium provided a platform for innovative and trendsetting electric vehicle (EV) companies to explain their latest business models and show how they can add value and contribute to the national dialogue on the transformation needed to achieve zero-emission transportation. Focus was also placed on identifying strategies that could potentially broaden the clean-transportation conversion by increasing “zero-emission vehicle” (ZEV)...

Since 1935, the Vehicle License Fee (VLF) has been assessed on all privately owned registered vehicles in California. It is a property tax currently set at 2% of a vehicle's value, based upon its most recent purchase price and a fixed depreciation schedule. The Legislative Analyst's Office has estimated that the VLF, if unchanged, would have raised approximately $3.9 billion in the 1998-99 fiscal year. In light of the current fiscal surplus, the Legislature recently reduced the VLF by 25%, with possible additional reductions in future years. Because little information is available on who...

This Preliminary Investigation document, on one hand, outlines challenges encountered by SB/DBEs in the process of getting certified, entering into a contract, executing on projects or delivering services, and sustaining or growing their business. On the other hand, it summarizes OCR’s current ongoing efforts that are aiming to expand contracting with SB/DBEs. Along the way it identifies opportunities that warrant more in-depth investigation for OCR to target its programming and resource allocation as it aims to reduce obstacles or otherwise improve the ability of SBs/DBEs to successfully...