Federal and state funds were recently awarded to a large number of road projects around California.
The California Transportation Commission recently allocated more than $3.1 billion in transportation infrastructure around the Golden State, including $1.8 billion from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“California has received more than $22 billion since the IIJA’s passage in November 2021,” reports Thomas Gase for the Times-Herald. The majority of Gase’s coverage is devoted to detailing the funding allocated to projects in the North Bay Area. A press release from Caltrans lists the specific project allocations in the Bay Area, organized by county. A separate article published by Random Lengths News provides specifics for a few projects in Southern California. None of the projects listed on includes any projects devoted to public transit or active transportation projects. Still, Caltrans touts the investments as devoted to making the state’s transportation systems “safer, more sustainable and more reliable.”
The recent allocation also includes $200 million in funding from SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. “SB 1 provides $5 billion in transportation funding annually that is shared equally between the state and local agencies,” according to the Caltrans press release.
More information about the state’s investments of SB 1 and IIJA funding can be found at the Rebuilding California website.
Infrastructure Bill’s Emission Reductions Allotments Fund Highway Projects Instead
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 promised to achieve major progress on emissions reductions and climate resilience. A total of 38 states used the bill to fund emissions- and pollution-producing car-centric infrastructure instead.
Road Widening Plans Criticized in Fairfax County Virginia
The car-centric status quo is continuing unabated even as Fairfax County commits to more urban thinking on transportation and land use planning.
Staten Island Road Widening Project Moves Forward
New York’s Department of Transportation plans to double the width of a Staten Island street to accommodate more vehicular traffic.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
Understanding Road Diets
An explainer from Momentum highlights the advantages of reducing vehicle lanes in favor of more bike, transit, and pedestrian infrastructure.
New California Law Regulates Warehouse Pollution
A new law tightens building and emissions regulations for large distribution warehouses to mitigate air pollution and traffic in surrounding communities.
Phoenix Announces Opening Date for Light Rail Extension
The South Central extension will connect South Phoenix to downtown and other major hubs starting on June 7.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service