• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
CalBike
  • About Us
  • Get Involved
    • Petition: $10M for E-Bikes!
    • Petition: Decriminalize Jaywalking
    • Petition: Support the Safety Stop
    • Volunteer
    • California Dream Ride
    • Join/Renew
  • What We Do
    • $10M E-Bike Affordability Program
    • Decriminalize Jaywalking
    • Legalize the Bicycle Safety Stop
    • More…
  • Resources
    • Free Quick-Build Bikeway Design Guide
    • COVID-19 & Bicycling
    • Learn to Bike at Any Age
    • Map & Routes
    • Crash Help
    • Register Your Bike
    • California Bicycle Laws
    • All Our E-Bike Work
  • Shop
    • Get our beautiful jersey!
    • Pre-order a bicycle-themed license plate
    • Donate
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • What We Do
  • Resources
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Donate
The Latest
California Highway Boondoggles

CALPIRG Report Identifies California Highway Boondoggles

July 3, 2019/in Newsroom, The Latest, Transportation Justice /by Laura McCamy

Last week, CALPIRG released its annual Highway Boondoggles report. The report details the way our nation’s policymakers continue to prioritize major highway expansion projects, while failing to spend the money needed to repair our crumbling infrastructure.  

“[Y]ear after year, state and local governments propose billions of dollars’ worth of new and expanded highways that often do little to reduce congestion or address real transportation challenges, while diverting scarce funding from infrastructure repairs and key transportation priorities.”

 – CALPIRG Highway Boondoggles 5, 2019

The biggest California boondoggle highlighted in this report is the High Desert Freeway in Los Angeles County. The High Desert Freeway will connect Lancaster in eastern LA County with Apple Valley in San Bernardino County, encouraging more suburban sprawl and more car-dependent communities. It is slated to cost $8 billion. 

Imagine how much could be achieved by putting that $8 billion toward expanding and upgrading transit options for Los Angeles. Or repairing crumbling city streets while adding protected bike lanes.

At a time when California needs to put all its resources and ingenuity into creating a carbon-free future, new highway construction puts this progress in reverse. There is no environmental argument for freeway construction. CalBike will be keeping a close eye on this ill-advised freeway project as it moves forward. We plan to fight hard to make California’s top priority equitable and environmentally sound transportation options.

CalBike continues to hold state leaders accountable to the priorities of reduced greenhouse gases and clean air, so we can build truly healthy communities. We believe that our state’s highway expansions are expensive, increase the state’s debt, don’t solve congestion, and of course damage our environment and the communities where we all live. Historically, big freeway projects cause the most damage in low-income communities of color, which are also disproportionately impacted by increased driving.

CalBike will lead a new campaign in the coming months that analyzes where the State of California is misusing our transportation funds on new highway expansion. This misdirection of funds keeps California from meeting state goals that have been recently identified, and which we’re far behind in achieving. Your voice will be instrumental to this work, so please stay tuned for more information.

Tags: CALPIRG, climate change, highway boondoggle
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share by Mail
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/I-80_congestion-NB_news_release_crop.jpg 630 1200 Laura McCamy https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.png Laura McCamy2019-07-03 14:23:442019-07-03 14:34:37CALPIRG Report Identifies California Highway Boondoggles

Latest News

  • e-bike father with kidsTransportation Committee Endorses E-Bike AffordabilityApril 9, 2021 - 3:56 pm
  • e-bike Phoebe Ford#ebikestories Episode 6: E-Bikes Replace Car TripsApril 9, 2021 - 3:33 pm
  • cycling for sustainable citiesBook Review: Cycling for Sustainable CitiesMarch 30, 2021 - 3:56 pm

BLACK LIVES MATTER

California will never have the equitable, prosperous and inclusive communities that CalBike advocates for until we address and redress anti-Black violence. We want to actively contribute to ending systemic racism, especially in transportation policy, and most especially in bicycling advocacy. We promise to listen and learn how we can best do this work. To our community members who experience the violence of racism on a daily basis: we see you, we hear you, and we stand with you.

Join the movement for better biking in California

Be the first to hear about the latest news and actions you can take to help create bike-friendly communities.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

DONATE

JOIN/RENEW

CONTACT US

ABOUT US

  • About Us
  • Financials & Governance
  • Staff
  • Board of Directors
  • Local Partners
  • State and National Allies
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us

WHAT WE DO

  • Current Projects and Campaigns
  • Past Campaigns and Projects
  • California Bicycle Summit
  • Sign-On Letters

RESOURCES

  • Fact Sheets and FAQs
  • Design Best Practices
  • COVID-19 and Bicycling
  • Tips and Tricks for Happy Biking
  • Crash Help
  • Our Video Channel
  • 2021 Legislative Watch

EVENTS

  • California Dream Ride
CalBike Logo

California Bicycle Coalition | 1017 L Street, #288, Sacramento, CA 95814 | 916-778-0746

Made by Zac Maybury

California Bicycle Coalition
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
CalBike invites you to a house party fundraiser for our Complete Streets Ca... e-bikes for mobility Assembly Transportation Committee Supports E-bikes for Mobility Option
Scroll to top