Progress detailed in second report on Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure
SACRAMENTO – Well ahead of schedule, California has nearly completed all the actions to align the state’s transportation funding programs with its climate goals in only two years since adopting a new climate action strategy, according to a draft report released today by the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA).
The draft of the second annual report details the state’s progress in implementing the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI), which CalSTA adopted in July 2021 as part of a redoubled commitment to invest billions of discretionary transportation dollars annually to aggressively combat and adapt to climate change while supporting public health, safety and equity. CAPTI builds on executive orders signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019 and 2020 targeted at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in transportation – which account for more than 40 percent of all planet-warming pollution – to reach the state’s ambitious climate goals.
CAPTI lists 34 key action items for aligning California’s discretionary investments in transportation infrastructure with the state’s goals to rapidly cut planet-warming pollution. Of those 34 actions, 25 are already complete, and the remaining nine are on track to be completed by the end of June 2024. This is significantly sooner than expected, with the timeline in CAPTI originally ranging up to seven years.
“By completing a majority of the actions called for in CAPTI well ahead of schedule, we are backing up our words with action when it comes to addressing the climate crisis with our transportation investments,” said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. “There is still much work to do, but I’m proud of the significant progress in a small amount of time by expanding safe, sustainable transportation options and reducing our dependence on driving.”
Two years in, CAPTI already has significantly changed how the state invests discretionary transportation funds. Among key findings in the second annual report:
- The amount of funding going toward projects that increase vehicle miles traveled (VMT) has declined significantly since 2019, with record levels of funding going to cleaner modes of transportation. For example, the VMT-reducing Active Transportation Program, which expands safe walking and biking options, received an increase of about $50 million per year in federal funding and a one-time $1.05 billion increase in state funding.
- While CAPTI implementation may shift the state’s transportation investments, it did not negatively impact the number of jobs created or job quality throughout economic sectors impacted by state transportation improvement.
- Increasing multimodal, community-driven projects throughout all CAPTI funding programs also improved the transportation equity outcomes among disadvantaged communities.
CalSTA is accepting written comments on the draft report until December 8 at CAPTI@CalSTA.ca.gov. CalSTA will review all feedback and written comments carefully and will update the report as appropriate before publishing a final version of the annual report in January 2024.
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