A year and a half after Governor Newsom issued Executive Order (EO) N-19-19 - a multi-agency call to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change impacts - we are now seeing a plan for how this EO will be implemented. The EO has asked that the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) leverage $5 billion of discretionary state transportation spending to prioritize reaching our state’s climate goals. In response, CalSTA has created the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure, known as CAPTI. 

Through stakeholder meetings, comment letters, and surveys, CalSTA created CAPTI’s guiding principles and investment strategies. These recommendations will be the foundation for how future transportation decisions are made. CAPTI is an opportunity to create significant shifts towards more equitable, healthier, and climate-friendly transportation. The ClimatePlan network and partners have been engaging with CalSTA and other agencies to provide input on the guiding principles along the way. 

CalSTA’s 10 Guiding Principles of CAPTI:

1. Building toward an integrated, statewide rail and transit network
2. Investing in networks of safe and accessible bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure 
3. Including investments in light, medium, and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle (ZEV)  infrastructure 
4. Strengthening our commitment to social and racial equity by reducing public health and  economic harms and maximizing community benefits 
5. Making safety improvements to reduce fatalities and severe injuries of all users towards zero 
6. Assessing physical climate risk 
7. Promoting projects that do not increase passenger vehicle travel,
8. Promoting compact infill development while protecting residents and businesses from  displacement
9. Developing a zero-emission freight transportation system
10. Protecting natural and working lands 

CalSTA is holding a virtual stakeholder workshop Thursday, March 18, 2021 to discuss seven investment strategies created from these guiding principles. Similar to the public stakeholder workshop held in October 2020, this is an excellent opportunity to provide input and feedback. Natalie Fowler, Graduate Student Assistant at CalSTA, writes, “these investment strategies are intended to reduce our dependence on driving, increase multi-modal options for all communities, and equitably meet our climate goals.” To attend the workshop, register by 5:00 p.m. on March 15, 2021, by clicking on this link. 

Over the next few months, advocates must be pushing transportation agencies to strengthen, adopt and implement CAPTI. CAPTI needs to be more than an ambitious plan. It needs to produce measurable, actionable, significant policies that will advance equity, health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This means that we need to prioritize projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, make commitments to invest in low-income communities and communities of color, and create a suite of policies that will encourage behavior change to more climate-friendly transportation options. 

CAPTI next steps for the ClimatePlan Network:

• Full Draft Plan Release & Start of Public Comment Period: 03/10/21
• Public Workshop, register here: 03/18/21
• ClimatePlan CAPTI Debrief: 3/19/21
• Provide comments at CTC Meeting Presentation on Draft Plan: 03/24/21 
• Provide comments at CTC-CARB-HCD Joint Meeting Presentation on Draft Plan: 04/08/21
• ClimatePlan Comment Letter: 04/16/21
• Public Comment Period Closes: 04/16/21
• Final CAPTI Release: June 2021

If you would like to be involved with ClimatePlan's efforts to get CAPTI strengthened, adopted, and implemented, please contact Nailah Pope-Harden at Nailah [AT] climateplanca [DOT] com.