On February 20, 2025, CalBike held the first in a series of virtual Summit Sessions, a quarterly webinar series continuing the groundbreaking discussions of the California Bicycle Summit throughout the year. Over 150 people attended the webinar, Creative Approaches to Funding Active Transportation Infrastructure, where a panel of speakers shared diverse resources municipalities can use to fund biking and walking infrastructure.

Thinking outside the ATP

The Active Transportation Program (ATP) is California’s only dedicated funding source for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects. The program disburses grants in two-year cycles, funded through federal and state sources including Senate Bill 1 gas tax funds. The program is consistently oversubscribed and only able to award the highest-scoring projects, demonstrating the need for additional funding sources for active transportation projects.

California Transportation Commission Deputy Director for Traditional Programming Laurie Waters gave a high-level overview of six programs beyond the ATP: 

• State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
• Caltrans State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) 
• Local Streets and Roads Program
• Local Partnership Program
• Solutions for Congested Corridors

For each program, Waters outlined the amount of funding available, what percentage of it is competitive versus granted to agencies based on a distribution formula, the types of projects typically funded, and the name of the program manager at CTC. Her slides are below. Relevant to the discussion, CalBike won a major victory in 2024 with the passage of the Complete Streets Law, which will increase active transportation and transit improvements in SHOPP projects in coming years.

Housing + active transportation

Brianne Logasa, an associate planner with the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC), and Marc Caswell, an advisor with SGC, presented on Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) funding for transportation projects. AHSC receives 20% of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, with revenue generated through California’s Cap and Trade program. 

The minimum grant through AHSC is $10 million, with transportation projects capped at $15 million. A typical project might include infill affordable housing, park space, sidewalks and paths, and bikeways. This funding can be used for a range of amenities beyond sidewalks and bike lanes, including bike racks, wayfinding, lighting, and bike racks on buses.

Local agencies can partner with developers to implement active transportation elements in coordination with new housing development. By pairing sustainable transportation with infill housing, AHSC is an effective way to combat climate change. This program rewards projects with a bold vision for transforming neighborhoods.

The slides from this presentation are below.

Alternative funding on the street in San Diego

Omar Atayee, a principal engineer with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), presented on the Imperial Avenue Bikeway Project, which was funded in part by an AHSC grant. He broke down the elements of this ambitious San Diego project covering more than three miles of a major urban street. 

The foundation for the project was SANDAG’s regional bike plan, with Imperial Avenue as a connection on its regional bikeway network. Atayee walked through the multiple funding sources the agency used to secure funding for the project and the partnerships that made the project work. The Imperial Avenue Bikeway provides a real-world example of the types of transformative projects that can be funded through a combination of sources, including AHSC.

The slides from his presentation are below.

Green transportation programs through CARB

Joey Juhasz-Lukomski, a program manager at the Shared Use Mobility Center, a nonprofit that works with the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) to implement several sustainable transportation funding programs, including the Clean Mobility Options (CMO) program. CMO Grants allow up to $100,000 for needs assessments to ensure SANDAG was using the funding where it was most needed.

Projects can include up to $1.8 million for capital costs and four years of operations for bikeshare, car share, and other mobility pilot programs. 

Juhasz-Lukomski also talked about funding through the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP), also funded through CARB. STEP offers grant funding for things like zero-emissions transit, bike lanes, bikeshare, infrastructure, education, and tree planting. At least one community benefit organization (CBO) or local or tribal government needs to be part of every STEP project.

At the moment, no additional rounds of funding for CMO and STEP have been secured, but the state transportation budget could provide additional rounds if legislators see value in these programs. Juhasz-Lukomski’s slides are below.

The California Bicycle Summit is a biennial gathering of advocates, planners, and thought leaders in the active transportation movement. 

Watch the webinar.