The Plan is a framework to guide investment of Interregional Improvement Program dollars to achieve strategic transportation objectives for improving the interregional movement of people and goods. The Plan includes a vision for each eligible funding component, strategies for making most effective use of the dollars, performance measurement at a higher system level, principles for carrying out the program, and six key strategic objectives toward which the Plan and program are directed.

While each of the six objectives is important, completion of the trunk system (Focus Routes) is pivotal for sustained statewide interregional mobility.  It’s continued development is the basis for meeting three of the other Plan objectives.  These routes are termed “focus” for focused investment of Interregional funds.  They are a strategic investment for California’s current and future population and vital to goods movement for non-Interstate truck travel.  These 10 routes are the major underdeveloped north-south and east-west non-Interstate routes in California that serve the larger interregional travel needs statewide from the Mexico Border to Oregon and from the Ocean to the Eastern Sierra. Completion of the Focus Routes, with the already completed Interstate System, will ensure a strong, constrained ground transportation system for CA.  

The focus routes (or trunk system) are key routes for current and future goods movement and connectivity for non-Interstate truck traffic.  They are STAA (big truck) routes and terminal access routes.  These routes combined carry the second largest daily vehicle miles of travel for 5 axle trucks-26% - next to the Interstates at 57%. Eighty three %  of all large truck travel is handled by these two systems. The focus routes provide critical east –west access over the coastal mountains (such as Pacheco Pass on SR 152 for movement of produce from the Salinas Valley and for access into the Valley from the farther eastern areas via SR 58).  They provide north-south access in the 3 primary corridors statewide (such as SR 99 with 5 axle truck volumes that are some of the highest in the state and with additions of over 2,700 big trucks per day during agricultural peak seasons.  Agriculture is the primary economic engine of the valley with $10 billion generated in revenue annually.)  The routes overall are a strong non-Interstate trunk for goods movement statewide, including in the north state for moving timber, lumber and mining products. 

The 3rd objective is to ensure “dependable movement into major gateways and connectivity to intermodal transfer facilities”.  The objective emphasizes primarily the Interstates and their vital importance to goods movement and access to key intermodal transfer centers and distribution facilities, such as International air and seaports.  The Interstates, although complete from a system perspective, can be improved for interregional goods movement through truck climbing lanes and other projects.

The 5th objective to “Link rural and smaller centers to the Trunk” recognizes the vast land area of the state and that while 86% of the State’s population lives in urbanized areas on 4.2% of the land, there are many rural and small towns that are part of the complexity and diversity of CA.  Susanville, Williams, San Juan Bautista,Chowchilla, Bishop and Oasis are among them to name only a few.