In the Wild: Peter Rossi with the California Transportation Commission's Active Transport Program
Quick Summary
- Peter Rossi shares his experience working with the California Transportation Commission's Active Transportation Program (ATP).
My name is Peter Rossi (he/him) and I am a second year in EPM. Before attending UC Davis, I studied Political Science and Geography at California State University of Fullerton, after which I spent four years working between Sacramento and DC advocating for progressive tax policy. However, I’ve taken my time in grad school to pursue my passion for active transportation and creating a sustainable, multimodal future for all Californians. I aspire to join a transportation agency dedicated to planning and implementing extensive networks of sidewalks and bike lanes so children across the state can safely walk and bike to school.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, I worked with the California Transportation Commission (CTC) in their Active Transportation Program (ATP), focusing on analyzing ATP-funded infrastructure improvement projects. Utilizing the Benefit-Cost Tool developed by UC Davis BicyclingPlus Research Group and Dr. Dillon Fitch-Polse, I quantified the benefits of emission reductions, safety improvements, and increased biking and walking for all Cycle 6 ATP-funded projects, summarizing the results in a Benefits Report that was presented to the Commission.
As a program, the ATP aims to promote biking and walking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve public health, enhance street safety on California’s roads, and encourage viable alternative transportation modes. Various entities, including local, regional, and Tribal governments, submit applications for ATP funding, covering infrastructure, non-infrastructure education programs, plans and quick-build projects.
Despite incremental funding increases to address the program backlog, the ATP faces high demand from applicants due to increasing project sizes and costs. Therefore, the benefits report aims to highlight the profound community benefits that active transportation facilities can offer, supporting the case for additional program funding. Utilizing the Benefit Cost tool, I implemented the first attempt to specifically target and showcase the numerous active transportation benefits provided through the ATP.
The Cycle 6 Benefits Report, synthesized our key findings from the data collection process and was presented at the May 2024 Commission meeting, offering crucial insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and the Commission to consider.
I was thrilled to be one of the first individuals to use the tool and produce a critical report for the Commission. Throughout this project, I gained insights into the complexities of transportation policy and the importance of data-driven decision-making in promoting active transportation. Moving forward, the findings and recommendations from the project will inform future ATP decision-making and guide the next iteration of the Benefits-Cost tool. I am incredibly proud to be a small part of this critical project.