Caltrans Awards $51 Million In Planning Grants For Transportation Projects

Caltrans Image MML

Sacramento, CA– Caltrans has announced the awarding of over $51 million in planning grants for 89 transportation projects designed to increase the state’s resilience to climate change. Of this total, $48.3 million, or 94 percent, will benefit disadvantaged communities throughout California. The funding is largely sourced from Governor Gavin Newsom’s clean transportation infrastructure package and the California Climate Commitment.

The grants aim to enhance the state’s transportation infrastructure, making it more sustainable and adaptable to extreme weather events fueled by climate change. The selected projects focus on reducing pollution, improving the resiliency of the highway system, enhancing access to safe walkways and bike paths, and expanding preparedness for natural disasters.

Nearly $29 million of the funding comes from state and federal sources tied to Governor Newsom’s $15 billion clean transportation package from the 2022-23 state budget, designed to further California’s climate goals. An additional $12.4 million is provided through Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. The funding will support project planning and conceptual design, bringing these projects closer to the construction phase. In total, Caltrans will fund:

• $28.8 million in Climate Adaptation Planning Grants — All from Governor Newsom’s clean transportation infrastructure package, to 30 local, regional, and transit agencies to identify transportation-related climate vulnerabilities through the development of climate adaptation plans, as well as project-level adaptation planning to address climate impacts to transportation infrastructure. Ninety-seven percent of these projects will benefit disadvantaged communities.
• $19.2 million in Sustainable Communities Competitive and Technical Grants — To 50 local, regional, and transit agencies for transportation and land use planning, as well as planning for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This includes more than $6 million to fund planning for 16 projects that improve safety and access for people who walk and bike. Ninety-two percent of these projects will benefit disadvantaged communities.
• $3.4 million in federally funded Strategic Partnerships Grants — To nine projects that will plan for managed lanes, training and certification for local elected officials, comprehensive multimodal corridors, transit network and comprehensive operational analyses, improve interregional ADA paratransit coordination, develop airport passenger transportation recommendations, develop a zero-emissions bus fleet, coordinate multimodal transportation and land use compatibility.