Press Release Archives

CalBike Launches Statewide Working Group to Study E-Bikes and Electric Mobility Devices

October 15, 2025/by Andrew Wright

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kevin Claxton, Advancement Director, CalBike, (909) 274-0137, kevin@calbike.org

SACRAMENTO, California, Oct 14, 2025 – The California Mobility Fund, a 501(c)3 and sibling organization of the California Bicycle Coalition, has convened the California Independent Electric Mobility Council, a first-of-its-kind statewide working group. The mission of the council is to bring order and vision to the fast-changing landscape of e-bikes and other small electric mobility devices, so that they can be safely and fairly integrated into California’s networks of streets, bikeways, and shared-use paths.

The California Mobility Fund focuses on educational and research-oriented work to advance bicycling and safe streets. Paired with the advocacy efforts of 501(c)4, the California Bicycle Coalition, the two organizations are known collectively as CalBike.

Concerns about unregulated e-mobility devices sold in California, such as e-bikes and e-motos, have led to a hodgepodge of local and state legislation, but the state lacks a unifying voice to bring the full range of concerns to the table and offer actionable solutions. Concerns about “e-bikes” traveling faster than the 28-mph top speed allowed under California law are understandable. But regulations that broadly limit e-bikes may negatively affect those using legal e-bikes and other devices for shorter commute distances and climate-friendly transportation.

“We need a better way to approach e-mobility regulation,” said CalBike Executive Director Kendra Ramsey. “The first step is to bring all the stakeholders together. That’s the purpose of the California Independent Electric Mobility Council.”

The Independent Electric Mobility Council represents a diverse group of transportation, safety, and public health experts. Over the next nine months, the Council will work to develop updated guidance, policy recommendations, and educational resources to address this complex mix of electric mobility devices.

In conjunction with the Council, CalBike will implement a statewide communications campaign to dispel misconceptions, share safety practices, and educate road users and California decision-makers alike.

Members of the Council include representatives from the California Emergency Nurses Association, the Motorcycle Industry Council, the Mineta Transportation Institute, Ecology Action, PeopleForBikes, the City of Santa Cruz, the California DMV and Department of Public Health, Alta Planning + Design, Lyft Urban Solutions, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, Streets Are For Everyone, and VoltVerified. The program is funded by a contribution from Honda.

CalBike responds to a changing e-bike landscape

CalBike has long taken the lead in helping Californians adopt sustainable, low-cost, active transportation. Our work was key to securing funding for the statewide e-bike incentive program for low-income Californians that has given out hundreds of vouchers in its first year.

But in recent years, we’ve also seen new vehicles enter the bike lane — small electric mopeds, e-dirt bikes, e-unicycles, electric scooters and skateboards, and electric autonomous delivery bots, just to name a few. Numerous communities across California have passed measures to restrict and regulate who can ride which devices and where they can ride them.

This piecemeal effort opens the door for local police to target youth of color, and writing tickets on the bike path doesn’t address the bigger issues of education for all road users and the need for safe spaces to ride and recreate. All too often, regular folks riding bikes pay the price, with their access to safe off-street trails and paths restricted.

With the creation of the California Independent Electric Mobility Council, CalBike seeks to remedy this and provide models for e-mobility regulation that can be used across California.

California’s Budget Prioritizes Freeway Expansion Over Safe Streets

June 9, 2025/by Laura McCamy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 9, 2025

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

Sacramento — CalBike and other advocates had a modest ask from California’s nearly $20 billion 2025 transportation budget: give back the $400 million that was stripped from the Active Transportation Program (ATP) in 2024, as the legislature promised to do in last year’s budget. Yet the legislature’s version, released today, includes no additional funding for the ATP.

Last year’s cutbacks limited the program to funding just 13 projects for safe biking and walking infrastructure across the state. The missing funds could immediately jumpstart 30 local infrastructure projects that applied for funding and are ready to break ground.

In tight budget years like 2025, cuts aren’t distributed evenly. Programs backed by powerful industries, such as money to build new highway lanes, receive billions despite their negative impact on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, while the Active Transportation Program, which saves lives and provides climate solutions, is left begging for crumbs.

“The Active Transportation Program is the victim of its own success, continuously oversubscribed. Yet the governor and some of our lawmakers fail to recognize its value,” says CalBike Policy Director Jared Sanchez. “The disregard for biking and walking at the state level undercuts state climate policy and makes it harder for local governments to meet residents’ demands for safer streets.”

Improvements that reduce traffic fatalities and make it safer and more appealing to walk and bike are very popular in California communities. The number of projects looking for ATP funding grows every cycle, and the number of high-scoring projects eligible for funding increases.

The demand for local active transportation infrastructure, which has been proven to reduce injuries and fatalities for people using all transportation modes and moves California closer to its climate goals, continues to grow. We should increase the budget for the ATP, yet lawmakers have slashed its budget, nearly leading the California Transportation Commission to cancel the most recent funding cycle due to a lack of funds.

Climate change isn’t something we can deal with down the road; it’s here, now. Safer streets shouldn’t be a “someday when we have extra cash” project, but an urgent necessity to prevent more children and other vulnerable road users from dying needlessly. Our budget priorities show our values. This year, California has sided with polluters over people.

California Walks and CalBike Call on Cities to Implement Daylighting to Save Lives

May 27, 2025/by Laura McCamy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Published simultaneously with California Walks.

Contact:

Kendra Ramsey, CalBike, 707-469-3387, kendra@calbike.org

Kevin Shin, California Walks, 562-248-6371, kevin@calwalks.org

In 2023, AB 413, Assemblymember Alex Lee’s Daylighting to Save Lives Bill, passed in Sacramento, making California the 43rd state to prohibit parking approaching intersections to increase visibility of pedestrians and bicyclists. CalBike and California Walks sponsored this critical safety measure, and we are calling on all municipalities to enforce it.

The law included a one-year grace period during which cities could issue warnings but not tickets to cars parked in the daylighting zone of 20 feet on the approach to a crosswalk. On January 1, 2025, cities could begin issuing tickets. Yet, few California communities have stepped up to enforce daylighting, and some of our largest cities are lagging in their implementation.

“Intersections are some of the most fatal parts of our roads where cars, bikes, and pedestrians cross paths,” Assemblymember Lee said. “Roughly a quarter of all traffic fatalities occur around intersections. By improving visibility, daylighting is a simple solution that’s been proven to save lives. Daylighting will help prevent roadway deaths, and we need cities statewide to fully embrace this safety measure. It’s critical that we catch up with the rest of the country and commit to solutions like daylighting to make our streets safer for everyone.”

Every year, around 4,000 people are killed on California roads, and many more are injured. Pedestrians are particularly vulnerable, and intersections are one of the most dangerous spots on the road. Older adults, who are more likely to die even in a low-speed collision, make up a disproportionate number of these fatalities. Children are also among the most vulnerable pedestrians, and the trend of taller front hoods on cars, trucks, and SUVs means that drivers of these vehicles need extra distance to see kids.

The improved sightlines provided by daylighting intersections allow time for drivers to see someone crossing the road on foot or by bike, slow down, and come to a stop to yield the right of way. Yet, we are hearing excuses and obfuscations from cities to water down or simply not enforce this law. In San Francisco, the SFMTA is painting 10-foot red zones instead of 20-foot red zones on some streets. The law allows cities to set shorter daylighting zones if they pass a local ordinance including justification for the difference, which San Francisco has not done. Other cities have refused to ticket drivers because there is no local ordinance prohibiting parking next to intersections, even though state law supersedes local regulations and the daylighting law is enforceable throughout California.

California communities would do better to follow the example of cities like Cupertino, CA, which has taken many of the appropriate steps to prepare its intersections for daylighting. Of course, other cities across the country, including Hoboken, NJ, have achieved zero traffic fatalities, mainly through the daylighting of intersections.

CalBike and California Walks urge municipal leaders and public works departments to:

Educate parking enforcement officers and empower them to write citations for parking within daylighting zones. No signage or curb paint is required to take this step.
Educate residents about the need to leave sightlines clear near crosswalks as an act of community care.
Install signage and red curb paint marking the 20-foot no-parking space wherever feasible.
Harden daylighting zones as much as possible by adding bike parking corrals, bike or scooter share docks, benches, planters boxes, bioswales, or other community amenities.
Use planned road maintenance projects as opportunities to demarcate and harden daylighting zones.

The 20-foot space required by state law (15 feet for intersections with curb extensions) is the equivalent of just a single parking space. We believe one parking space is worth the life of someone’s child or grandparent. Giving up this small amount of parking is something we can all do to benefit our communities and our neighbors.

Daylighting is an essential tool in reducing the growing toll of traffic violence on California streets. We urge our civic leaders to fully adopt this simple yet effective safety measure.

California’s Transportation Spending Has the Wrong Priorities

May 14, 2025/by Jared Sanchez

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.

California to Launch Bike Highway Pilot Program Under Bennett Bill

March 6, 2025/by CalBike Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 6, 2025

Contact: Michelle Sevilla, Michelle.Sevilla@asm.ca.gov (805) 485-4745 ext. 10638

Jared Sanchez, jared@calbike.org (714)262-0921

(SACRAMENTO) – Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Ventura) introduced AB 954, which would launch a pilot program for Caltrans to develop a bike highway program. Offering full separation from motor vehicles, bike highways accommodate high volumes of people traveling longer distance on bicycles (more than 3 miles) by connecting users to major destinations, employment centers, and transit hubs. CalBike is a sponsor of this measure.

Bike highways offer an important alternative to residents seeking relief from rising gas prices, and those working to lower their carbon footprint. In June 2022, Caltrans released a Bay Area Bike Highway Study that identifies feasible opportunities to add these corridors and incorporates best practices most suitable for the region. With the U.S. importing an estimated 2.4 million e-bikes between 2020-2023, commuting longer distances by bike is becoming more feasible for the average consumer. California prioritizes bicycling as a key part of its larger decarbonization goals, and is among 19 states offering assistance to purchase an e-bike with the launch of the California E-Bike Incentive Program in late 2024. The State of California was recognized as the 4th most Bicycle Friendly State in the Country by the League of American Bicyclists in December 2024.

“I’d like to see California elevate our offerings to our residents,” said Assemblymember Steve Bennett. “We must strengthen and diversify the connections neighborhood to neighborhood and from city to city. Bike highways provide the highest sense of safety and will attract more people to take advantage of their bikes. If you build it, they will come.”

“The Bicycle Highways Bill will create a safe, separated bikeway network, similar to California’s highway system,” said CalBike Policy Director Jared Sanchez. “This is an essential step to make getting around by bike a viable option for more Californians. We know better infrastructure leads to more biking and we know that more biking is crucial to combat climate change, so CalBike is excited to sponsor this bill.”

Kate Faulkner, Government Liaison for Channel Islands Bike Club said: “Channel Islands Bicycle Club, representing over 300 members, supports the Bicycle Highway Bill. Bike Highways will reduce traffic congestion, improve fitness and health, and provide travel options for those who don’t feel safe cycling on roads. Studies have shown that many people, particularly families, women, and seniors, would choose to bike if safe options are convenient and available.”

“The Bicycle Highway Pilot Program under AB 954 is a vital investment in both infrastructure and people. For BikeVentura.org, it’s an opportunity to expand our mission of delivering critical bicycle safety education to underserved communities, ensuring they can thrive in a transportation system designed with equity and safety at its core. BikeVentura stands proudly with Assemblymember Bennett on this transformative initiative,” said Lawrence Abele, Board Member of Bike Ventura.

Assemblymember Bennett has supported active transportation throughout his tenure in the State Legislature and the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. He is chair of the Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Transportation, Climate Change, Natural Resources, and Energy.

California’s Transportation Budget Must Prioritize Green Transportation

January 10, 2025/by Jared Sanchez

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

CalBike: California’s Transportation Budget Must Prioritize Green Transportation

Sacramento — CalBike applauds Governor Gavin Newsom for leaving funding intact for the Active Transportation Program (ATP) in his proposed budget, after two years of steep cuts. The ATP is the state’s only dedicated funding source for infrastructure that supports biking, walking, and public transit.

However, the governor’s budget doesn’t go far enough and preserves backward-facing investments that bake in decades of warmer temperatures and climate catastrophes. To have a realistic chance of mitigating the multiple disasters California faces due to climate chaos, we must stop investing in old ways of moving goods and people and reimagine our transportation systems.

The last budget cut two-thirds of the ATP budget, giving the California Transportation Commission(CTC) only enough funding to approve the top 13 projects out of dozens of worthy applications for grants. This budget should restore the $400 million taken from the ATP, allowing CTC to greenlight more green transportation infrastructure projects.

But that isn’t enough. The ATP is chronically underfunded, slowing the pace of California’s transition to a state that prioritizes safe passage for people using low- and no-carbon transportation options. CalBike is asking the legislature to double ATP funding going forward.

“The Active Transportation Program represents a tiny fraction of California’s transportation expenditures, yet it delivers powerful benefits for climate change mitigation,” says Jared Sanchez, CalBike’s policy director. “You can build a bike lane, upgrade a sidewalk, or add a bus-only lane for a fraction of the cost to build and maintain highway lanes. California should be investing much more in infrastructure like bicycle highways and connected biking and walking networks to make our communities healthier and safer from the ravages of climate disasters.”

State highway money (perhaps $1B) continues to build climate-killing roadways that increase traffic, fail to mitigate congestion, and work in opposition to the state’s climate goals. We must begin to shift our transportation spending to carbon-neutral options if we are to have any hope of stopping or reversing climate change.

New CalBike Report Details the Unfulfilled Promise of Complete Streets in Caltrans Projects

September 30, 2024/by Brian Smith

For Immediate Release: 9/30/24

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

SACRAMENTO — Today, CalBike is releasing a new report: Incomplete Streets: Aligning Policy with Practice at Caltrans.

The report details where Caltrans has succeeded in adding elements for people biking, walking, and taking transit when it repairs state roadways that serve as local streets. But the findings also detail, for the first time, evidence of where Caltrans falls short, using data to show pattern and practice at the agency and case studies to illustrate how district staffers downgrade and leave out infrastructure people biking and walking on Caltrans projects.

Last Friday, CalBike celebrated Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of Senator Scott Wiener’s Complete Streets Bill, SB 960. The signing is a huge victory after seven years of advocacy by CalBike and our partners SPUR, AARP California, and others. We applaud the governor for recognizing the need for reform at Caltrans. Newsom also signed the Transportation Accountability Act, AB 2086, a bill to increase oversight of Caltrans.

The Complete Streets Bill and the Transportation Accountability Act are the first steps. Holding Caltrans accountable comes next.

Jared Sanchez, policy director at CalBike said, “Caltrans needs more oversight. The Complete Streets Bill will require clearer goals and better reporting for Complete Streets, ensuring that the agency prioritizes the needs of all road users. Our new report explains why Caltrans needed a stronger mandate to get the job done and will continue to need better oversight in the future.”

In California, state routes often double as local streets, weaving through towns and cities. They connect schools, hospitals, senior centers, shops, and homes. These roads are usually the most direct route across regions and are managed by Caltrans to prioritize vehicle speed over the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. These streets can become safer with Complete Street elements that Caltrans has committed to include in repaving and rehabilitation projects. Now that the Complete Streets Bill has become law, we hope Caltrans will join us in building safer streets, but the agency has a long way to go.

Why was the Complete Streets Bill needed?

In 2023, the California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike) surveyed our members about their experiences on Caltrans-controlled local streets. The response was almost unanimous: people want to walk and bike on state routes that double as local streets, but they don’t feel safe doing so. We then spent much of 2024 reviewing Caltrans project documents from the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) obtained through Public Records Act requests. We narrowed our focus to 200 projects on roadways used by people biking and walking funded by the 2024 SHOPP cycle, out of a total of over 600 projects in the 2024 SHOPP.

The Complete Streets Bill will require Caltrans to consider the needs of people riding bikes, walking, and taking transit on our state roadways, many of which serve as local streets. SB 960 will increase accountability by requiring the agency to set targets for active transportation improvements in SHOPP projects and add elements for people biking, walking and taking transit when it repairs roadways. It will also establish a transit priority policy, placing greater emphasis on transit improvements on state roadways.

Findings

Caltrans’ project documents show the agency has made progress but still has a long way to go to make sure state routes that serve as main streets are safe for all users.

The total cost of Complete Streets facilities needs identified in the 200 projects was $1 billion out of total project costs of $6.1 billion, or 17.13% of the project budget. But Caltrans included less than a quarter of the bicycle and pedestrian facilities identified by its staff, ultimately promising to spend less than $240 million on Complete Streets. Therefore, less than 4% of total spending on the 200 projects where Caltrans considered active transportation elements (which was already a subset of the 600 total SHOPP projects) went to bicycle or pedestrian safety.

Despite Caltrans’ public commitment to Complete Streets, its implementation falls short. While 52% of the projects CalBike reviewed included all the identified pedestrian and cycling safety needs, a review of additional planning documents showed that over 60% of the projects failed to meet the documented needs. The disparity between identified needs and implemented facilities highlights a critical need for more effective oversight to ensure safer streets for all California residents.

CalBike will continue to monitor progress at Caltrans to push for greater transparency in the agency’s actions. We look forward to working with Caltrans toward creating a state transportation system that serves all road users.

IncompleteStreets Download

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Governor Newsom Signs SB 960, the Complete Streets Bill

September 27, 2024/by Brian Smith

For Immediate Release: 9/27/24

Contact: Jared Sanchez, policy director, CalBike (714) 262-0921, jared@calbike.org

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the Complete Streets Bill, SB 960, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (pictured above) and sponsored by CalBike, SPUR, AARP California, and others.

The Complete Streets Bill will require Caltrans to consider the needs of people riding bikes, walking, and taking transit on our state roadways, many of which serve as local streets. Caltrans policy mandates this, but the agency often doesn’t follow through.

SB 960 will increase accountability by requiring the agency to set targets for active transportation improvements in State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) projects and add elements for people biking, walking, and taking transit when it repairs roadways. It will also establish a transit priority policy, placing greater emphasis on transit improvements on state roadways.

Complete Streets are safe and comfortable streets for people biking, walking, rolling, and taking transit, as well as driving motor vehicles. Protected bikeways, a key element of many Complete Streets, have been shown to reduce fatalities and injuries for road users in all modes of transportation.

“Californians who get around by biking, walking, rolling, or taking transit have the same rights to safe passage on our streets as people driving cars. True Complete Streets provide equitable use of our public space regardless of transit mode, economic status, or race,” said Jared Sanchez, policy director for CalBike. “The Complete Streets Bill becoming law today moves us closer to the day when California state routes are among the safest streets in our communities, rather than the most deadly.”

Background

CalBike sponsored SB 127, the Complete Streets for Active Living Bill, in 2019. The bill would have required Caltrans to follow its own Complete Streets Policy and prioritize the safety of everyone who uses our roads, not just drivers, on every repaving, maintenance, and rehab project. Despite overwhelming support in the legislature and from constituents, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed that Complete Streets Bill.

In 2019, Caltrans had a new leader and the governor stated in his veto message that he wanted to give the agency a chance to reform its practices without legislative oversight.

Five years on, CalBike examined Caltrans’ record and found that, while there are some positive changes, more needs to improve safety for people who bike, walk, and take transit.

Read CalBike’s recent Caltrans series “Incomplete Streets.”

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Bike and Pedestrian Safety Bills on Gov. Newsom’s Desk 2024

September 6, 2024/by Brian Smith

For Immediate Release: 9/6/24

Contact: Kendra Ramsey, executive director, CalBike, kramsey@calbike.org, 707-469-3387

SACRAMENTO – With the conclusion of California’s legislative year, eight bills sponsored or supported by CalBike are now on the governor’s desk. The governor has until September 30th to sign or veto bills. If he takes no action, the bill becomes law.

“This legislative session was momentous for California’s bicyclists and pedestrians,” said Jared Sanchez, policy director at CalBike. “The eight bills now on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk are significant opportunities to make our transportation system safer, especially for vulnerable road users. These bills will also help Californians switch to less polluting, active transportation modes with far less impact on the climate than a car trip.”

Complete Streets Bill, SB 960 (Wiener): Sponsored by CalBike, this bill would require all transportation projects within the state SHOPP funding program to provide comfortable, convenient, and connected facilities for people biking, walking, and taking transit, as well as those in cars and trucks.

Safer Vehicles Save Lives Bill, SB 961 (Wiener): Sponsored by CalBike, this bill will require most cars, trucks, and buses sold in California to include passive intelligent speed assist (ISA) by 2030. ISA gives drivers a signal when they exceed the speed limit by 10 miles per hour and can help avoid expensive speeding tickets and prevent speed-related collisions, saving lives.

Unsafe Speed Penalties, SB 1509 (Stern): This bill would increase penalties for speeding more than 25 mph over the speed limit on roads with speed limits of 55 mph or less.

Transportation Accountability Act, AB 2086 (Schiavo): This bill will require Caltrans to publicly account for where California’s transportation dollars go. It will be an essential tool for Californians who want to ensure our spending matches our climate and equity goals.

Banning Bridge Tolls for People Walking and Biking, AB 2669 (Ting): This bill makes permanent a measure that sunsets next year, allowing toll-free crossings for people who walk or bike across toll bridges. It will have the biggest impact in the Bay Area, where several toll bridges have bicycle and pedestrian lanes.

Bike Lanes in Coastal Areas, SB 689 (Blakespear): This bill limits the ability of the Coastal Commission to block the development of new bikeways on existing roads in coastal areas.

Limits on Class III Bikeways, SB 1216 (Blakespear): This bill would ban the use of state funding to build Class III bikeways on roads with speed limits over 30 mph. Class III bikeways, often marked with “sharrows,” are lanes shared by bike riders and car drivers. They are dangerous on fast streets and should not be substituted for protective infrastructure.

E-Bike Battery Safety Standards, SB 1271 (Min): This bill requires all e-bikes sold in California to use batteries with safety certifications. It will prevent most, if not all, battery fires, as those are usually caused by substandard batteries.

SB 960 Complete Streets Bill Hearing in Assembly Transportation Committee Monday, July 1, 2024

June 28, 2024/by Brian Smith

MEDIA ADVISORY for Monday, July 1, 2024

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

SB 960 Complete Streets Bill Hearing in Assembly Transportation Committee
Monday, July 1, 2024

SACRAMENTO – The Complete Streets Bill of 2024, SB 960, authored by Senator Scott Wiener, will be heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee on Monday, July 1, 2024, at 2:30 pm.

The Complete Streets Bill requires Caltrans to consider the needs of people riding bikes, walking, and taking transit on our state roadways, many of which serve as local streets. Caltrans policy mandates this, but the agency often doesn’t follow through; SB 960 will codify Caltrans policy in state law and increase accountability.

What is a Complete Street?

Complete Streets are streets that are safe and comfortable for people biking, walking, and taking transit, as well as driving motor vehicles. Protected bikeways, a key element of many Complete Streets, have been shown to reduce fatalities and injuries for road users in all modes of transportation.

“People who get around by biking, walking, or taking transit have the same right to safe passage on our streets as people driving cars. True Complete Streets provide equitable use of our public space regardless of transit mode, economic status, or race,” said Jared Sanchez, policy director for CalBike.

Caltrans and Active Transportation Projects

While Caltrans has made incremental progress in adding more bike- and pedestrian-friendly features to its repaving projects, the 2023 firing of one of the agency’s strongest voices for active transportation shows the need for greater oversight and accountability.

The agency’s Complete Streets checklists treat any element that makes biking or walking even marginally safer as a “Complete Streets” feature, ignoring the fact that a single crosswalk or “Share the Road” sign is often not enough to create a Complete Street.

The Complete Streets Bill requires Caltrans to set objective goals and to better implement comfortable, convenient, and connected facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users on all projects in the [SHOPP funding] program, where applicable.

Background

CalBike sponsored SB 127, the Complete Streets for Active Living Bill, in 2019. The bill would have required Caltrans to follow its own Complete Streets Policy and prioritize the safety of everyone who uses our roads, not just drivers, on every repaving, maintenance, and rehab project. Despite overwhelming support in the legislature and from constituents, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the Complete Streets Bill in 2019.

In 2023, CalBike joined with over 100 mobility, climate justice, and transportation organizations to send a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, urging an independent investigation of Caltrans, a moratorium on freeway expansion, and better oversight of the agency.

In 2024, CalBike is sponsoring a Complete Streets Bill introduced by Senator Wiener, SB 960.

CalBike Launches Statewide Working Group to Study E-Bikes and Electric Mobility Devices

CalBike responds to a changing e-bike landscape

California’s Budget Prioritizes Freeway Expansion Over Safe Streets

California Walks and CalBike Call on Cities to Implement Daylighting to Save Lives

California’s Transportation Spending Has the Wrong Priorities

California to Launch Bike Highway Pilot Program Under Bennett Bill

California’s Transportation Budget Must Prioritize Green Transportation

New CalBike Report Details the Unfulfilled Promise of Complete Streets in Caltrans Projects

Why was the Complete Streets Bill needed?

Findings

Governor Newsom Signs SB 960, the Complete Streets Bill

Background

Bike and Pedestrian Safety Bills on Gov. Newsom’s Desk 2024

SB 960 Complete Streets Bill Hearing in Assembly Transportation Committee Monday, July 1, 2024

What is a Complete Street?

Caltrans and Active Transportation Projects

Background

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