Governor Signs Assemblymember Wilson’s AB 697 to Advance Highway 37 Improvements

• Edgar Guerra
• Communications Director
• 916-319-2011
• [email protected]

SACRAMENTO, CA - Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 697, authored by Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), to expedite near-term improvements along the State Route 37 corridor-one of Northern California's most congested and flood-prone highways.

AB 697 streamlines environmental review and permitting for the Resilient SR 37 Near-Term Project, allowing work to begin sooner on critical upgrades that will reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, and protect sensitive wetlands between Marin, Sonoma, Napa, and Solano counties.

"AB 697 represents a major step forward for the people of Solano County and the entire North Bay region," said Assemblywoman Wilson. "This bill will improve the quality of life for thousands of working families by addressing daily congestion, creating good-paying jobs, and protecting the natural environment that makes our region special. I'm grateful to the Governor for signing this bill and to our local and regional partners for their collaboration."

Partner Quotes

"AB 697 will ensure that critical near-term improvements to the Highway 37 corridor can move forward in the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective way possible," said Mitch Mashburn, Solano County District 5 Supervisor and STA Board Chair. "Thank you to Assemblywoman Wilson for her continued support in finding meaningful solutions to the congestion and mobility issues in the corridor for benefit of the residents of Solano County."

"Thanks to Assemblywoman Wilson's leadership, AB 697 will help facilitate the Highway 37 near-term project, which will improve the quality of life for working people by providing relief from daily congestion, while also improving air quality, improving sensitive habitat, and opening the door for new transit service in the corridor," said Michael Quigley, Executive Director of the California Alliance for Jobs. "The project itself will create hundreds of good-paying jobs and demonstrate that transportation projects in California can be built in a timely and responsible way."

"We applaud the Governor for signing AB 697 by Assemblywoman Wilson," said Lynda Hopkins, Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authorities Chair. "This bill will help expedite the environmental process for the near-term Resilient SR 37 project, providing relief for commuters and restoring hundreds of acres of Baylands in Sonoma County."

"The signing of AB 697 is a win for smart infrastructure, the environment, and working Californians stuck in traffic," said Steve Clark, Chair of Transportation California. "This bill clears the way for cost-effective improvements to State Route 37 that will reduce congestion, cut emissions, improve quality of life for commuters, and create thousands of good construction jobs while protecting our state's natural resources."

Highway 37 serves as a vital east-west link connecting Solano County and the North Bay to the greater Bay Area. The corridor supports tens of thousands of commuters and goods movement daily, but faces chronic congestion and recurring flooding. The Resilient SR 37 Project is part of a long-term regional plan to modernize the corridor, enhance mobility, and protect the natural environment, ensuring a safer, more reliable route for future generations.

###