State Auditor to examine potential inequalities in CalTrans Maintenance Program
(Sacramento) – Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson), Chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, requested today that the State Auditor examine the California Department of Transportation’s (CalTrans) Maintenance Program. The audit, which was approved by a unanimous vote, will examine what criteria and methods CalTrans uses to decide where resources are sent.
“From city to city, the disparity in the upkeep of our public roads is obvious,” states Gipson. “I want to understand why the freeway on ramps, highway pavement, and rest stops in more disadvantaged neighborhoods are often in more disrepair compared to affluent areas. This audit would assess what criteria CalTrans is using to select maintenance projects, and look at the disparity between funding in different socio-economic districts.”
The Maintenance Program provides funding for routine care and upkeep of highway pavement, roadsides, landscaping, litter removal, and rest stops throughout the state. The approved audit would review the most recent 5-year period, and identify revenue, efficiency, and methodology used towards the distribution of program funds.
“As an elected official for over a decade, I have watched the roads and highways in my district fall into such disrepair that many should be classified as safety hazards. And as roads elsewhere are being fixed, the conditions continue to get worse for my constituents,” states Gipson. “We need to make sure that public safety is a top priority when making decisions on what resources our state expends.”
The State Auditor will present the findings of the audit next year. For more information, please visit Assemblymember Gipson’s website - http://legaudit.assembly.ca.gov.
Mike Gipson represents the 64th Assembly District. The district includes the cities of Carson, Compton, Gardena, Harbor Gateway, Lynwood, North Long Beach, Rancho Dominguez, South Los Angeles, Torrance, Watts/Willowbrook and Wilmington.