The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has announced an allocation of 1 billion USD for initiatives aimed at solving challenges in the field of mobility, as well as aid for California’s investments in a more resilient highway system.
Of the total allocated funds, 263 million USD has been pledged by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA), with a further 295 million USD provided via the Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.
The announcement comes with the approval of a slew of schemes aimed at improving public transport infrastructure throughout California
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Of the projects approved as part of the funding, the CTC has confirmed that 15 million USD will be provided for the installation of new electric charging infrastructure to power electric buses for San Mateo County’s SamTrans system and 9.5 million USD worth of funding to provide new bike lanes, crosswalks, pedestrian push buttons, signal heads and various other safety upgrades on the SR-82 in Santa Clara County.
Other initiatives receiving the green light include the provision of 6 million USD for a new light rail station serving Sacramento City College and 114,000 USD for the implementation of fleet maintenance service bays for electric buses in Humboldt County.
Tony Tavares, Caltrans Director, said:
These investments will harden the transportation system against the devastating results of extreme weather events.
The allocations made today will add to the electric charging infrastructure, increase mobility options for people who walk and bicycle and enhance our goal to improve safety and economic equity for all users.
Having funded the creation of over 170,000 in California since its introduction, the IIJA looks to improve both the sustainability and resiliency of the state’s energy, water, broadband and transportation systems. Of the 62 billion USD pledged thus far, investments have been provided for upgrades to state roads, bridges, rail, public transit, airports, ports, waterways and electric vehicle charging networks.
A full list of approved state projects can be found on the California Government webpage, here.