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CalBike’s 2023 Budget Agenda: Fully Fund Active Transportation and Complete Streets

March 16, 2023/by Jared Sanchez

Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget for 2023 cuts some of the funds added to the Active Transportation Program last year. CalBike and our allies recently sent a letter to the California Senate and Assembly leaders and the budget committees of each branch, urging them to not only restore those funds but to fully fund the ATP and create an additional fund to help communities build Complete Streets.

Read CalBike’s budget letter: 3/16/2023 Budget Request for Active Transportation Sign On

Invest in active transportation, divest from freeway building

Our budget advocacy is a critical element of our Invest/Divest Campaign. Despite a predicted budget shortfall this year, we believe California can fully fund active transportation projects if it adjusts its transportation budget to align with its climate and equity goals.

However, even without shifting money from climate-killing freeway projects, California has additional transportation funding from the federal Infrastructure and Jobs Act that should be directed to projects that support safe biking and walking.

More money for the ATP

Last year, thanks to advocacy by CalBike and our allies, the ATP got a one-time funding boost, so Cycle 6 had $1.6 billion to dole out to projects across the state rather than the usual amount of $400 to $600 million. But it’s still not enough.

Every year, more and better projects vie for ATP funding as municipalities across the state recognize the value of Complete Streets and seek help to upgrade their infrastructure. That demand will only grow as communities begin to update the circulation elements in their general plans and look for resources to implement those plans pursuant to SB 932.

Yet, even with significant additional funding, Streetsblog reported that there was funding only for projects with a score of 89 (out of 100) or higher. That’s better than in Cycle 5, when projects needed a score of 92 to get funded, but it means that many worthy biking and walking projects won’t get built because our state isn’t providing enough support to tackle these much-needed improvements.

California needs Complete Streets

A Complete Street is a roadway that serves the needs of all users: people biking, walking, driving, and taking public transit. Complete Streets connect to popular local destinations via protected intersections. Bike lanes and sidewalks don’t abruptly disappear. Bus riders have shelter and seating, and bus-only lanes ensure that transit is a fast and appealing alternative to driving a private vehicle.

Complete Streets are safe for everyone. People from 8 to 80 can feel safe enough to bike on protected bikeways. And people of all races, ethnicities, genders, and other identifications feel safe to move freely in their community without fear of biased and often brutal police action against them.

State policies prioritize Complete Streets, but there’s no money to support that priority. That’s why we need dedicated funding to help communities build Complete Streets, and CalBike is advocating for just that.

California’s transportation transformation can’t wait

For years, bike and pedestrian advocates have been fed budget crumbs. We’ve been told to be patient, that we have to wait. At the same time, our state has pumped billions into the status quo: freeways that lead to more congestion and pollution, which leads to more freeway construction, in an endless loop of doom.

California can’t afford not to fund the safe streets we need to mitigate the climate crisis and create livable communities for all residents, and CalBike is bringing this agenda to the forefront in this year’s budget negotiations. But we’re up against vested interests from various private industries as well as years of entrenched policy at state agencies such as Caltrans.

How you can help: We’ll be calling on CalBike members and supporters to reach out to your representatives to tell them to fund active transportation NOW. If you’re not on our list, please join us to get the latest updates and opportunities to speak up for safe streets.

California’s 2022 Budget: Better, but Still not Enough for Active Transportation

July 7, 2022/by Jared Sanchez

Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature officially agreed upon next year’s state budget on June 30, 2022. It is the biggest budget ever set in California, and it includes the most significant amount dedicated to active transportation: $1.05 billion in additional funding.

However, a $1.05 billion increase is only a drop in the bucket of the budget’s $47 billion allocation for infrastructure. The total biking and walking safety allocation represents only 2% of California’s infrastructure budget. It certainly isn’t enough to transform California’s communities into places where the average person will consider biking a safe and convenient transportation option for short trips. In a state ravaged by climate change, we must do better. In reality, even the $2 billion CalBike advocated for was just a down payment on the funding needed to prepare our state for a transition to low-carbon transportation.

Active transportation gets a much-needed boost

The Active Transportation Program (ATP) will receive most of the $1.05 billion increase. The increased ATP budget is significant because the program has historically been short on money compared to the number of projects in the pipeline across the state. The total amount available in Cycle 6 of the ATP is $1.65 billion, a substantial increase over past funding rounds. The additional money will allow the program to greenlight many more projects, so you can expect new and improved biking and walking infrastructure in many communities around California over the next few years.

But CalBike’s work is far from done because the increase doesn’t keep up with the growing demand for active transportation infrastructure improvements. In Cycle 6, local and regional agencies have submitted over $3.1 billion in projects (which have a total cost of over $4 billion), so the infusion is not even close to enough to cover basic active transportation needs, not to mention the transformative changes we need.

Envisioning transformative change for California streets and neighborhoods

California needs transformative change in how we get around, and we need it NOW. Our climate crisis keeps escalating, so we don’t have another 10 years to ponder the next steps. We already know what we need to do because other cities and countries are leading the way, taking steps to make their cities more bikeable, walkable, and sustainable.

California’s 2022 budget is a missed opportunity to allocate the funding California needs to build an equitable and sustainable transportation system that will achieve our state’s climate goals. This year was a critical time to invest in transformative changes since we have an almost $100 billion budget surplus. In an uncertain economy, we may not have another opportunity like this for many years.

EVs won’t save us

Bikeway design guidelines are particularly important at intersections.

The budget for active transportation is small compared to the investment in automobiles in many ways. For example, it includes a $10 billion investment in electric cars over six years, a valuable contribution to climate change mitigation. But EVs still have significant carbon footprints, and mining for the lithium needed to build electric car batteries brings its own environmental havoc. Walkable, bikeable communities are a better solution to the climate crisis.

Policymakers continue to propose investments in electric vehicles as the primary solution to climate collapse, and EVs alone won’t meet California’s climate goals. And the focus on electric cars is even more shortsighted because it fails to meet our societal goals to reduce traffic violence, increase public health, develop more vibrant local communities, and undo the harm that freeways and large roads impose on us all. We don’t just need more infrastructure — we need a transformative mode shift. Continuing to funnel state money into electric vehicles keeps outmoded and harmful mobility patterns in place.

A roadmap for better biking

We must make it convenient and comfortable for many more Californians to take short trips by walking and biking, not driving. To do that, California needs to move quickly to make biking easier — and the signed budget just doesn’t include enough money to build bike infrastructure fast or create the connected networks we need for genuinely bikeable neighborhoods.

CalBike continues to advocate for a separate pot of money for connected bike networks. The fund would give money to communities that commit to building fully connected bike networks quickly — in five years or less. We believe that, by putting some of these projects on the ground soon, we’ll be able to demonstrate the potential of safe, protected bike networks to transform how Californians get around. That will encourage other communities to invest in their own bike networks.

Think about what you need in your community to close the gaps and create safe bike networks and even bicycle highways to get you where you need to go. Neighborhoods with all the services residents need within a 15-minute bike ride would improve safety, air quality, and quality of life. Those are the types of projects that this budget should pay for in every community throughout California. With our historic surplus and in the face of a looming climate crisis, now is the time to transform our state.

We can’t drive ourselves out of the climate crisis. California’s 2022 active transportation budget is an excellent step in the right direction, but we need much more investment in safe streets. CalBike will keep pressing for that funding.

City DOT leaders - can they pave the way to a greener future?

Governor’s May Budget Revise Provides New Funds but Still Shortchanges Active Transportation

May 19, 2022/by Kevin Claxton

Governor Gavin Newsom’s revised proposal for the state’s July 2022-June 2023 budget includes $1.1 billion in new money for active transportation. This would be a historic increase, more than four times the typical annual allocation to biking and walking safety.

CalBike applauds the governor for allocating increased funding for active transportation. Thanks to pressure from bike advocates like you, we are more than halfway to our goal of $2 Billion for Bikes in California’s 2022-23 budget. That extra money can fund projects that make biking and walking safe and convenient for Californians, and it is a welcome investment in building healthier communities.

However, $1.1 billion isn’t enough to transform California’s communities into places where the average person will consider biking a safe and convenient transportation option for their short trips. In fact, the total allocation for biking and walking safety combined represents only about 5% of California’s transportation budget. As a state ravaged by climate change, we must do better.

CalBike’s priorities for the California budget

Now the budget will move through the legislature to be approved by June 15. The time is now to tell your legislators to make this budget even better for people biking and walking. Here’s what we’re pushing for. We’ll need your voice to make this happen

More bike/walk funding. Increase the total budget allocation for active transportation to $2 billion. The level of funding currently stands at $1 billion for new active transportation projects and $100 million for bike and ped safety through the Highway Safety Improvement Program. (Newsom also counts $150 million in support for freeway removal as active transportation, an allocation we support but do not count toward our goal of $2 billion for targeted safety improvements.)
Connected bikeway networks. Ensure that active transportation funding goes to projects that build complete bikeway networks—no more bike lanes to nowhere or bikeways made unsafe by impassable intersections. This should include funding for a program that rewards cities whose leaders build protected networks that create true active transportation grids. It’s particularly crucial that these bike networks connect bike infrastructure to local destinations including offices, schools, and shopping areas.
Prioritize disadvantaged communities in all transportation spending. In our racialized economy, Black and brown Californians are disproportionately affected by inflation and need better, more affordable active transportation options. In addition, many communities of color suffer from decades of disinvestment and should be the first to get new active transportation investments.

Our climate can’t wait

The governor’s May budget is a missed opportunity to allocate the funding California needs to build an equitable transportation system and achieve our state’s climate goals. We must make it convenient and comfortable for many more Californians to take short trips by walking and biking, not driving. To do that, California needs to move quickly to make biking easier—and Newsom’s proposed budget just isn’t enough to build more bike infrastructure fast.

The proposed budget for active transportation is small compared to the investment in automobiles in many ways. For example, it includes a $10 billion investment in electric cars over 6 years, which is a valuable contribution to climate change mitigation. But EVs still have significant carbon footprints and mining for the lithium needed to build electric car batteries brings its own environmental havoc. Walkable, bikeable communities are a better solution to the climate crisis.

California’s priorities, as shown in the governor’s proposed budget, must change.

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics found that more than half of all trips (by all modes) in 2021 were 3 miles or less, an easily bikeable distance. Most trips (79%) were 10 miles or less, a distance that many people could easily bike with electric assist. And e-bikes are more popular than EVs: Americans bought almost 45% more e-bikes than electric cars in 2021. Yet most Californians still drive for most trips because we have built infrastructure that’s hostile to and often dangerous for people outside cars.

We can’t drive ourselves out of the climate crisis. California’s budget must prioritize the infrastructure we need to avert climate catastrophe. Think about what you need in your community to close the gaps and create safe bike networks and even bicycle highways to get you where you need to go. Neighborhoods where all the services residents need are within a 15-minute bike ride would improve safety, air quality, and quality of life. Those are the types of projects that this budget should pay for, in every community throughout California. With our historic surplus and in the face of a looming climate crisis, now is the time to transform our state.

Active transportation funding increases equity

As inflation hits Californians hard, safe biking is a lifeline to millions of Californians who can’t afford to fill their gas tanks without sacrificing other priorities, like healthy food and secure housing. With a budget surplus that has now swelled to more than $97 billion, $2 billion for bikes is a minimal investment in equitable infrastructure. With enough funding and quick-build installation, Californians could benefit from safer roadways and less polluted neighborhoods in under a year.

Newsom’s proposal in the budget to give $400 per registered car owner to offset high gas prices is an insane subsidy for automobility at a time when all Californians are struggling with higher prices on a wide range of products. And providing a subsidy only to car owners represents a perverse incentive that penalizes Californians who don’t own a vehicle, whether by choice or because they can’t afford one.

Rather than giving residents money to buy gas for a week, give them safe streets and frequent transit so they can get around by biking, walking, and taking the bus every day.

There’s still time to influence the final budget

The legislature will now revise the governor’s proposal and negotiate with him on a final budget for approval by June 15. There are many fantastic bills in the legislature this year that will make our streets safer. The budget needs to include enough active transportation funding to pay for the many excellent pilot projects and new programs.

In the next few weeks, CalBike will work with the legislature and the governor’s office to improve this budget and increase the total amount for bicycling to at least $2 billion. Once the budget passes, we will work on ensuring that the active transportation funding goes to worthy projects that will truly make our neighborhoods safer and healthier.

We will fight for every dollar for biking and walking. And we need your help.

CalBike response to Governor Newsom’s Proposed Budget

January 14, 2022/by Kevin Claxton

Biking and walking safety programs get a $600 million boost in Governor Newsom’s proposed budget released last week. The Active Transportation Program gets an additional $500 million, more than double its normal annual allocation, and the Highway Safety Improvement Program gets an additional $100 million. CalBike applauds the governor for dedicating a solid 3% of the discretionary surplus to biking and walking.

The budget also includes a welcome $150 million allocation for freeway removal.CalBike advocated for a $2 billion allocation of the state’s surplus to biking and walking safety, including a pilot program for complete bikeway networks. The governor’s commitment of $600 million falls far short of making the transformational impact we need for bicycling to become a realistic option for most Californians in most communities. Worse, the governor’s budget includes a massive $523 million allocation to gasoline consumers in the form of a reduced gas tax.

“The governor’s budget is two steps forward and one step back,” said Dave Snyder, CalBike’s Executive Director. “Big spending and breathless verbal commitments to address the climate crisis, social inequity, and declining health are all meaningless if Californians are forced to drive a car for most of their trips,” he added. “We look forward to working with the legislators and the governor’s office, with the support of our members, to make the budget reflect the state’s expressed priorities.”

Next, legislators and the public review the budget and advocate for changes until May, when the governor releases a revised proposal based on that feedback and updated economic data. The legislature uses the “May Revise” of the governor’s budget at its starting point for its final budget proposal that must be signed by the governor in June. CalBike has until then to work with legislators and the governor’s staff to get a better result.

The full budget summary is available at https://www.ebudget.ca.gov/FullBudgetSummary.pdf

Tell the Governor that California needs more active transportation spending to meet our climate goals. Please use the form below to send an email now.

Half Billion Dollars Stripped from Active Transportation Funding in State Budget Impasse

September 27, 2021/by Kevin Claxton

Earlier this year, CalBike Insider reported that California’s Active Transportation Program was slated to get an extra $500 million in funding from the state’s budget surplus. That’s enough to pay for approximately 80 high-scoring projects that got turned down in the last round of limited ATP funding. You can see the list of all projects here.

The funding for the ATP was part of a $9.6 billion package approved by the legislature in June. It was contingent upon an agreement with the governor about how to spend almost half of it on high-speed rail. The parties never reached a deal, so the funding, including the $500 million boost to the ATP, reverted to the General Fund on October 10.

In case you haven’t been following this tangled tale, here’s a quick recap. Despite the impact of COVID, California ended up with higher than expected revenue and a budget surplus of almost $76 billion. The budget that passed in July directed $9.6 billion of that surplus toward transportation projects. HSR would have gotten $4.2 billion. The ATP’s $500 million would have more than doubled its annual budget of $220 million. Scroll down for a list of all the projects that lost funding when this deal fell through.

The disagreement that killed these projects was about whether to prioritize HSR spending in the Central Valley or urban coastal regions. The governor wanted to prioritize the Central Valley portion, which is easier to build and necessary for the entire system to work as planned. The legislators wanted investment in the urban areas to speed up transit and give millions of their constituents in Los Angeles and the Bay Area a convenient alternative to sitting in traffic in their cars.

In his veto statement for AB 604, Governor Newsom included this language: “I look forward to re-engaging with the Legislature to finalize and pass a comprehensive transportation package early next year that invests in a wide variety of critically-necessary projects including high-speed rail….”

CalBike is concerned that the governor’s message did not explicitly include active transportation among the projects to be funded when they reach an agreement on HSR. Negotiations will continue during the legislative break, with hopes that the parties can return with a package in January or February.

CalBike will work to make sure that the ATP gets its proposed $500 million boost (at least!) in California’s 21/22 fiscal year. A predicted surplus for next year, which is projected to be at least $5 billion, could provide more incentive to invest some of the prior surplus in worthy transportation projects.

Here’s the complete list of defunded projects from the transportation package:

Los Angeles Olympics – $1 billion General Fund to deliver critical projects in time for the 2028 Olympic Games. These funds would be allocated through the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP). Eligible projects must be in the Southern California region and related to the transportation needs for hosting the 2028 Olympic Games.
Priority Transit and Rail Projects – $1 billion General Fund for transit and rail projects statewide that improve rail and transit connectivity between state and regional/ local services. These funds would also be competitively allocated through TIRCP.
Active Transportation—$500 million General Fund to advance projects that increase the proportion of trips accomplished by walking and biking, increase the safety and mobility of non-motorized users. The intent of this allocation is to fund the list of projects already submitted and scored through the CTC’s Active Transportation Program. While the CTC requested $2 billion for active transportation projects, this significant investment was considered sufficient at this time.
High Priority Grade Separations and Grade Crossing Improvements – $500 million General Fund to support critical safety improvements throughout the state. These funds would be allocated through a competitive grant program for both freight and intercity rail-related projects.
High-Speed Rail – $4.2 billion Proposition 1A funds to complete high-speed rail construction in the Central Valley, advance work to launch service between Merced and Bakersfield, advance planning and project design for the entire project, and leverage potential federal funds.
State Highway Rehabilitation and Local Roads and Bridges – $2 billion ($1.1 billion special funds through 2028, and $968 million federal funds) to support the advancement of priority State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) projects, Interregional Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP) projects, and local road and bridge investments. The source of the $1.1 billion is interest income from the State Highway Account and other accounts.
Zero-Emission Rail and Transit Equipment Purchases and Infrastructure – $407 million ($100 million General Fund, $280 million Public Transportation Account (PTA), and $27 million federal funds) to demonstrate and purchase or lease state-of-the-art clean bus and rail equipment and infrastructure that eliminate fossil fuel emissions and increase intercity rail and intercity bus frequencies. This funding proposal was rejected by the legislature but remains part of the ongoing negotiations.

High-Speed Rail Funding Dispute Holds Up Transportation Spending

July 26, 2021/by Kevin Claxton

A disagreement over the allocation of high-speed rail (HSR) funding is holding billions of transportation dollars hostage in Sacramento, including the Active Transportation Program, California’s only dedicated source of funding for critical biking and walking infrastructure. But don’t worry — a solution to the impasse has begun to take shape.

Governor Newsom and the legislature are engaged in a particularly Californian fight. The governor wants to put the available HSR funding into building the core section already under construction in the Central Valley. (In 2020, CalBike’s Central Valley Project drafted plans to help improve biking and walking access to planned HSR stations in Merced, Bakersfield, and Fresno.) Legislators want the funding to go toward electrification of and improvements to existing rail services at the terminuses in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

The resolution may come from the extra revenue in California’s coffers, thanks to higher than expected interest income. Legislators may be enticed to make a deal with the governor if the package includes funds to support popular projects in their districts. This could, in fact, work in favor of active transportation. Bike and pedestrian projects are very popular with constituents and the legislators know that, so the deal could include a significant additional investment in those projects.

The ATP provides $220 million in annual funding for active transportation projects across the state. The current budget already includes an additional $500 million in ATP funding. CalBike would love to see another funding boost on a similar scale, but nothing is certain at this point. Additional funds would be a welcome boost for the program, especially since at least $1 billion in good projects didn’t make the cut in the last ATP round because there was not enough money.

In addition to the extra ATP money, CalBike is pushing to increase the amount of funding allocated to build the connected bike networks and bike highways envisioned in AB 1147. This funding is separate from and in addition to the ATP monies.