Caltrans Awards $23 Million to Strengthen Climate Resiliency and Improve Safer Mobility for All Californians

District: Headquarters

Contact: Edward Barrera

SACRAMENTO - Caltrans announced today it has awarded $23.6 million in planning grants to 58 local projects statewide that will enhance climate resiliency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve bicycle and pedestrian safety and increase natural disaster preparedness throughout California.

The projects selected focus on multimodal transportation and help improve mobility options for under-resourced communities. Nearly $14 million comes from Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. The remaining funds are a combination of the State Highway Account, the Federal Highway Administration State Planning and Research program and the Federal Transit Administration's Section 5304 grant program. The awards will fund project planning and conceptual design efforts, helping move the projects closer to construction.

"Every California community deserves an opportunity to shape a safer, healthier and more connected future. These planning grants will support local leaders and residents in designing transportation solutions that improve quality of life and help make safer connections to community assets, schools and workplaces.

"These investments will strengthen California by making it safer and easier for people to move through their communities. By planning for climate-resilient infrastructure, improving access to walking and biking options and supporting under-resourced areas, these projects will help protect people, expand opportunity and build a transportation system that serves everyone."

In total, Caltrans will fund:

• $20.4 million in Sustainable Communities Competitive and Technical Grants to 49 local, regional, transit agencies and tribes for transportation and land use planning, as well as planning for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This includes more than $8.7 million to fund planning for 20 projects that improve active transportation safety for multimodal and land use projects. Eighty-six percent of these projects will benefit under-resourced communities.
  
• $3.2 million in federally funded Strategic Partnerships Grants to nine projects that will plan for long-term multimodal transportation needs, a statewide transportation resource library, railroad corridor crossing safety, multimodal circulation and intersection improvements, transit connectivity, transit service reliability, comprehensive fare analysis, short- and long-range transit planning and Bus Rapid Transit.

Projects include:

• $256,300 for the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians in Tehama County to develop an Active Transportation Plan to enhance safety and connectivity, for pedestrians and bicyclists and improve overall quality of life for Tribal members.
• $700,000 for the City of Richmond to advance its Greenway Gap Closure Project. This project will create a direct bicycle and pedestrian connection across a network of Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way to improve safety and close travel gaps for thousands of residents in this high-risk area, particularly children, seniors, people with disabilities and transit riders.
• $180,000 for the Monson-Sultana Compete Street for Enhanced Sustainability Project in Tulare County. This project will develop a comprehensive Complete Streets Plan for the communities of Monson and Sultana to improve connectivity, promote active transportation, increase use of the regional transit system and address safety concerns.
• $283,000 to fund the completion of the Palmdale Master Bike Plan that will include comprehensive and actionable metrics to implement bicycle transportation, trail and bike lane corridors, complete streets, Greenhouse Gas emissions reductions and safer routes to schools.
• $593,000 for the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians in Riverside County to update their Tribal Land Use Plan which will modernize zoning, streamline development approvals and integrate climate-resilient transportation and land use design standards for this Salton Sea community.

View the complete list of this year's planning grant project awardees.

Caltrans awards transportation planning grants each year through a competitive process to encourage local and regional projects. Applications are evaluated on how projects advance state transportation and climate goals by identifying and addressing statewide, interregional, or regional transportation deficiencies on the highway system. The grant program began in the 2015-16 fiscal year. Since then, 808 planning grants have been awarded totaling $316 million and more than 73 percent of those projects have been completed.

SB 1 provides $5 billion in transportation funding annually that is shared equally between state and local agencies. Road projects progress through construction phases more quickly based on the availability of SB 1 funds, including projects that are partially funded by SB 1.

To view the latest news and information on state and federal infrastructure investments, visit building.ca.gov.