Make California’s Communities Walkable, Bikeable, and Accessible
The Issue
Every year, nearly 5,000 Californians are killed or seriously injured just trying to get to school, work, or the grocery store. People walking and biking are disproportionately harmed, particularly low-income people, older adults, children, people with disabilities, and people of color.
To fund 10 years of bike and pedestrian safety and accessibility needs at the current funding rate
The Solution
Communities across California have already identified projects that would make their streets safer — sidewalks, safe crossings, bike paths, and other improvements that help people reach everyday destinations. But insufficient state funding and support leave too many of these projects unfunded and unbuilt. The next administration should invest more in safe streets and deploy Caltrans resources to help deliver projects faster. And when the state or local agencies repave or rebuild streets, they should use those investments to make walking, biking, and getting to transit safer at the same time.
Here are three actions your administration can take:
Make Streets Safer Through Every Road Project
ACTION Direct Caltrans to fully implement the Complete Streets Act (SB 960, 2024), adding pedestrian and bicycle facilities to highway maintenance projects on streets where people walk and bike. Through the California Transportation Commission, strengthen accountability for including these improvements in locally funded road projects. Appoint high-level leadership at Caltrans, including a Director of Active Transportation, to deliver complete streets across the state.
WHY IT MATTERS California already spends billions of dollars every year maintaining state and local roads, including roads that serve as main streets. Every time one of these roads is repaired, it can be made safer for people walking and biking by adding sidewalks, safe crossings, bike lanes, and other safety improvements at a fraction of the cost of a standalone project. Today, communities largely rely on limited and highly competitive grants to make these improvements. California should also make better use of the money it already spends on roads.
Increase funding for the Active Transportation Program
ACTION Establish a sustainable source of new revenue to increase funding for the Active Transportation Program (ATP) and index it to inflation.
WHY IT MATTERS The ATP is California’s only dedicated grant program for walking and biking infrastructure, and demand far exceeds available funding. For the upcoming funding cycle, communities have requested $2.9 billion for just $619 million available. While the Legislature provided a one-time increase in 2022, sustained funding would allow more communities to build the sidewalks, crossings, bike paths, and other safety projects they have already identified.
Improve Delivery of Active Transportation Projects
ACTION Direct Caltrans to help local agencies build the walking and biking projects the state has already funded. Streamline grant administration to get funding out faster and make Caltrans project-delivery support available to communities that need it.
WHY IT MATTERS Winning a grant is only the first step toward getting a project built. Small cities and rural counties in particular may receive transportation grants infrequently and lack the staff and expertise to navigate requirements and move projects from funding to construction. Just as Caltrans can help accelerate transit and rail projects, the state can put its project-delivery expertise to work helping local communities build walking and biking projects faster.