California’s Transportation Spending Has the Wrong Priorities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jared Sanchez, jared@calbike.org, 714-262-0921

Sacramento — CalBike is disappointed to see no increase in funding for active transportation in Governor Gavin Newsom’s May revise. As it has become clear there will be no leadership from Washington on climate change, active transportation, and safe streets, it’s more imperative that California step up and work toward its goals on climate and safety.

Last year’s budget stripped $400 million from California’s highly effective Active Transportation Program (ATP), which funds biking and walking infrastructure around the state. The deep cut left this essential program crippled. It was only able to hand out 13 grants in the most recent cycle, leaving many shovel-ready safe streets projects in limbo, waiting for funding.

“Active transportation projects give us the biggest bang for our buck,” said CalBike Policy Director Jared Sanchez. “Yet the governor consistently cuts sustainable transportation while leaving funding for our unsustainable legacy transportation systems untouched.”

Four hundred million dollars might build a few miles of highway, but it goes a long way for active transportation infrastructure. Restoring that money to the ATP could greenlight two dozen critical projects to build safe bikeways, intersections, paths, and more.

CalBike calls on the legislature to step up where the governor has not and restore the $400 million taken from the ATP. It’s time to stop throwing money at expensive highway boondoggles that worsen the climate crisis and invest in a transportation system that will carry California into the future, which includes active transportation as a key component.