Thank Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin

Here’s something we don’t often say at CalBike: Good work, Caltrans!

As we reported here, Caltrans pulled $100 million in funding from its biannual road repair program to add bike and pedestrian safety elements to some of the projects. This directive came from the top: Director Toks Omishakin.

This was an explicit and unprecedented admission that Caltrans made a mistake in excluding such safety improvements when these projects were first planned. Even better, as Caltrans staff choose how to allocate that $100 million, they are putting disadvantaged communities first. The people most impacted by inequities in our transportation system will benefit from positive public investment for a change.

These steps give us confidence that, when this program comes up for funding again in about 18 months, the projects will include bike and pedestrian safety improvements from the beginning.

Please take a moment to thank Director Omishakin for this important shift in direction at our state DOT. We’ve included draft language. Feel free to add your own thoughts.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

California will never have the equitable, prosperous and inclusive communities that CalBike advocates for until we address and redress the anti-Black violence that has plagued our country since slavery. 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.

Thank Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Join the movement for better biking in California

DONATE

JOIN/RENEW

CONTACT US

ABOUT US

WHAT WE DO

RESOURCES

EVENTS