March 11, 2021

The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) has released the draft Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI). The CAPTI is designed to implement the Governor’s Climate Change Executive Order (N-19-19) and describes CalSTA’s draft plans to invest discretionary transportation funds to address climate change and promote public health, safety, and equity.

CalSTA developed the draft plan after conducting outreach to stakeholders over the past year and a half, including engagement from CSAC members and staff. This Bulletin article summarizes previous developments related to the CAPTI and CSAC’s engagement with CalSTA. While the focus of the plan is discretionary transportation revenues controlled by the state, rather than local formula funding, CSAC is carefully reviewing the draft plan to understand implications for county projects and priorities.

The plan was developed pursuant to executive orders signed by Governor Gavin Newson, including EO N-19-19 and EO N-79-20. The draft details the state’s efforts to invest discretionary transportation dollars in sustainable infrastructure projects that align with the state’s climate, health, and social equity goals.

The draft plan includes the following 10 guiding principles:

1. Building toward an integrated, statewide rail and transit network
2. Investing in networks of safe and accessible bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
3. Including investments in light-, medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle infrastructure
4. Strengthening the commitment to social and racial equity by reducing public health and economic harms and maximizing community benefits
5. Making safety improvements to reduce fatalities and severe injuries of all users toward zero
6. Assessing physical climate risk for transportation infrastructure projects
7. Promoting projects that do not substantially increase passenger vehicle travel
8. Promoting compact infill development while protecting residents and businesses from displacement
9. Developing a zero-emission freight transportation system
10. Protecting natural and working lands.

CalSTA will be holding a virtual public workshop on the CAPTI on March 18 at 9 am. The registration link for the workshop is available here. CalSTA expects to adopt the final version of the CAPTI by July 15, 2021.

CSAC will be filing formal comments on the draft and encourages counties to share their feedback and concerns via email to Marina Espinoza. CalSTA is also accepting direct feedback on the draft through May 4, 2021, via email to CAPTI@calsta.ca.gov.

Additional details on the draft CAPTI are available here.