From Streetsblog CA: 1:00 PM PDT on October 17, 2023

"More Than 60 Organizations Urge Governor Newsom to Intervene at Caltrans

California is still spending billions of dollars on highway and interchange expansions that increase reliance on driving, drain household budgets, and make traffic worse. Governor Newsom should step in."

In October, we at ClimatePlan were elated to announce Governor Newsom’s latest effort to tackle climate change – Executive Order N-19-19 – which required the State Transportation Agency will leverage $5 billion in annual state transportation spending to:

• Align the state’s climate goals with the state’s transportation spending.
• Reduce driving by strengthening the connection between jobs, housing, and transportation.
• Reduce congestion by investing in innovative strategies that encourage people to shift from cars to other modes of transportation.
• Invest in transportation options that improve Californians’ health such as walking, bicycling, and other active modes.
• Mitigate costs for lower-income Californians.

This type of action is critical if California wants to avoid even more destructive wildfires.