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Road‑charge outreach expands: website live, phone survey and focus groups set; committee questions distribution
Summary
Caltrans launched a public website and prepared baseline telephone surveys and focus groups; committee members raised concerns that draft survey materials arrived at the meeting and asked for improved distribution and summaries of public input.
Caltrans staff reported at the May 29 Road Charge Technical Advisory Committee meeting that the California Road Charge Pilot Program website went live on May 1 and is generating public interest. Department staff said the site had 2,546 visits to date, 9 public comments, 18 volunteers and 34 interest‑list emails.
Gary Gutierrez of Caltrans briefed the TAC on the baseline data collection plan: the department will conduct neutral telephone surveys the week of June 5–15 followed by four focus groups (two on the weekend of June 19–20 and two later in July). Gutierrez said the department intends the survey to collect neutral ‘‘baseline’’ public attitudes, and therefore the focus groups will follow the phone survey rather than precede it.
Several TAC members said draft survey questions were provided to members only shortly before the meeting. Commissioner Arp reviewed the materials and suggested language changes; members discussed incorporating his edits. A motion to incorporate Commissioner Arp’s comments was made earlier in the meeting but later removed after staff clarified the survey is a Caltrans baseline effort and that Caltrans would manage the survey schedule and finalize questions. Caltrans said it would still welcome advisory input and would provide better advance distribution of materials.
Committee members asked for written summaries of public comments posted to the website when comment volume increases so the TAC could track recurring themes. Staff said they would provide updated FAQs monthly and would circulate summaries of website comments and work‑group discussions as the outreach program proceeds.
No formal committee action was taken to change the survey schedule; staff said the telephone surveys will begin June 5 and run through June 15, with focus groups scheduled in June and July. Caltrans asked the TAC to allow incorporation of Commissioner Arp’s suggestions into the draft questions, but later clarified that the department will proceed with the baseline survey as its effort while taking TAC input under advisement.
