Between Two Shovels Ep.34: Sabrina Drago - Winning Grants, Express Lanes & Pay-Per-Mile

Drago Vantage’s first grant application won $103 million for the Yolo 80 managed lanes project.

At the time of recording, tolls on those lanes were planned to move with traffic, from $0.75 up to $10. Carpools of three or more would ride free.

Sabrina Drago, founder of Drago Vantage and former executive director of the Sacramento Transportation Authority, joined me on Between Two Shovels to talk about what wins discretionary grants, how express lanes work, and whether Californians should pay by the mile.

Thank you, Sabrina, for comparing notes on what it is like to come from the private sector into the top job at a small public agency.

When your agency writes a grant application, how much of it is about the people the project will serve?

Chapters:

0:00 How to Win Transportation Grants and Fund Infrastructure

4:17 Stakeholder vs Public Engagement: How to Reach People Who Never Go to Public Meetings

14:51 Why Local Transportation Sales Tax Measures Fail, and What It Will Take to Pass One

22:05 Why Widening Freeways Won’t Fix Traffic: How Managed Lanes Free Up the Road

30:33 Rural Roads vs Big City Freeways: Who Gets Transportation Funding?

33:55 Should Californians Pay Per Mile Driven? The Case for a Road User Charge

40:25 How to Win Transportation Grants: Make It About People, Not Pavement 

Guest: Sabrina Drago, CEO & President, Drago Vantage

Hear from government and public sector leaders, transportation executives, funding decision makers, development managers, and more who are shaping our industry.

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Title: Between Two Shovels Ep.34: Sabrina Drago - Winning Grants, Express Lanes & Pay-Per-Mile