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Caltrans presents draft 2026 TAM; conservation groups ask to fold wildlife connectivity into the plan
Summary
Caltrans briefed the Transportation Asset Management Plan (TAM) update and emphasized federally required focus on pavements and bridges. Conservation groups asked the commission to integrate wildlife-crossing infrastructure and performance objectives into asset management and SHOP planning.
Caltrans presented the draft 2026 Transportation Asset Management Plan (TAM), a federally- and state-required document focused on core asset classes (pavement, bridges, TMS, culverts) and a 4‑year investment horizon. The agency emphasized the distinction between the TAM’s federally required scope and the more detailed State Highway System Management Plan (SHSMP).
Andy Maggi of the Pew Charitable Trusts and Angus Maclean of The Nature Conservancy urged the commission to more systematically incorporate wildlife connectivity and wildlife‑vehicle-collision mitigation into the TAM and SHOP processes. Maggi noted the annual costs Californians incur from wildlife collisions and urged that the TAM include inventory and condition assessments, performance targets, and tracking for wildlife-passage infrastructure. Maclean asked that crossings be coordinated with pavement and bridge work to avoid missed opportunities and save construction costs.
Caltrans staff said wildlife connectivity is addressed in parallel documents — notably the SHSMP and SHOP — and that performance objectives for wildlife connectivity have been included in earlier planning documents (the 2021 SHSMP). The agency described active collaboration with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and other stakeholders to prioritize projects.
Why it matters: wildlife crossings reduce collisions, help reach biodiversity goals, and can be more cost-effective if added into larger rehabilitation projects. Conservation groups asked the commission to consider formal performance measures and to make wildlife infrastructure an auditable element of the TAM/SHOP delivery process.
Sources: CTC meeting presentation on the draft 2026 TAM; public comments from Pew Charitable Trusts and The Nature Conservancy; Caltrans responses during Q&A.
