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California transportation official says equity focus drives new investments, cites $47 billion multi‑year plan
Summary
Tux Omishakin discussed efforts to repair decades of car‑centric planning that harmed underserved communities, and said Governor Newsom has proposed roughly $47 billion in multi‑year transportation funding to be used with an equity lens.
Tux Omishakin, identified by the host as the secretary of the California State Department of Transportation, said California is shifting its approach to transportation to address historic inequities and expand access beyond car users.
"For many years, from a transportation standpoint, the way we've invested, we haven't invested in a in a way that is thinking about every single person that uses the system," Omishakin said, adding that the state must better serve people who walk, bike or rely on transit.
Omishakin argued that mid‑20th century highway construction imposed lasting harms on some communities. "We also built a highway system that cut off many underserved communities," he said, and noted the tradeoffs included social harms and worse air quality from heavy truck and car traffic.
He said policy conversations have moved from talk to regulation and now to funding. "Governor Newsom recently put in place a $47,000,000,000 multi‑year transportation budget, outside of the gas tax," Omishakin said, describing the new package as a source of additional dollars intended to support equity‑focused projects through CalSTA, Caltrans and the state's high‑speed rail program, with federal partnership.
Omishakin described the scale of the challenge: much of the highway network and major investments were developed beginning in the 1950s and continued for decades, and retrofitting that system to prioritize safety and access for all users will take policy, funding and sustained implementation.
The interview concluded with the host thanking Omishakin for joining the program. No specific projects, timelines or vote actions were announced during the segment.
