Making ATP Work

Every year through the Active Transportation Program (ATP), the state invests hundreds of millions of dollars in projects meant to help people walk, bike, and access transit safely. These projects are broadly popular and growing in support among Californians of all political stripes. Fully realized ATP projects have become the cornerstone of biking networks around the state, fulfilling the vision of the program founded 13 years ago by SB 99.

The goals are well understood: reduce traffic violence, cut emissions, improve public health, and give people real transportation choices.

But the real test is whether those choices hold up over the distance of everyday life. When safe, reliable bike connections extend to transit, a trip from Anaheim to Santa Monica doesn’t have to mean slogging it out on the 405; it can be a bike trip linked with transit; practical, repeatable, and, for many people, vastly preferable.

This year in the legislature, CalBike is posing a more pointed question: are we funding these projects in a way that actually delivers their full potential? AB 2168 is an attempt to answer that question directly.

Getting More out of the Same Dollars

At its core, AB 2168 is not about creating a new program or fundamentally changing the existing program. It’s about making the program work the way it was intended to. The bill makes targeted updates to ensure ATP investments more effectively increase walking and bicycling access to public transit, particularly in areas of transit-oriented development, where these connections can have the greatest impact. By prioritizing these projects, AB 2168 helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, supports California’s climate goals, and promotes healthier, more sustainable communities.

It also recognizes that the most effective projects are rarely delivered with a single funding source. AB 2168 pushes the state to better align ATP funding with other transportation dollars — especially through the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) so projects can be built at a larger, more ambitious scale that meets the climate crisis head on, rather than the endless freeway expansions that only make traffic worse.

Finally, the bill strengthens accountability. AB 2168 introduces clearer expectations and real consequences for agencies that fail to use awarded funds in a timely manner. That ensures limited transportation dollars are used efficiently and high-impact projects are delivered without unnecessary delays.

What This Makes Possible

CalBike’s aim is to move to a version of the ATP where funding is coordinated, where projects are built to reflect how people actually move, and where different investments reinforce each other.

It works within the structure we already have but brings a clearer focus to how dollars are spent, prioritizing access to transit, encouraging alignment across funding sources, and ensuring projects are delivered in a timely way.

Investments in active transportation infrastructure not only improve safety and mobility but also support public health, economic vitality, and environmental sustainability. AB 2168 represents a thoughtful and necessary step toward aligning California’s transportation funding with these goals.