Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Active Transportation Program

Good News in the State Budget: Active Transportation Program Funding Restored

In the end, when Governor Newsom signed the budget, the claw-back of ATP funds was gone.

Melanie Curry/Streetsblog|

The Active Transportation Program provides funds to make it safer for people on bikes and on foot. Image: Melanie Curry/Streetsblog

Sharp-eyed Jared Sanchez at the California Bicycle Coalition noticed that a threatened $500 million cut to the Active Transportation Program has disappeared from the budget deal signed by Governor Newsom.

In his January budget proposal, Newsom had floated the idea of balancing the deficit in part by clawing back part of a promised one-time boost of $1 billion to the ATP. He kept that in his May revision, but the focus of budget negotiations was on other issues, including the pending transit deficit. That was temporarily resolved with a $1.1 billion allocation from the state's cap-and-trade fund.

In the end, when the budget was signed, the cancellation of ATP funds was not in it. More details from Sanchez and CalBike here.

Also note that CalBike is pushing for a lot more money to be spent on active transportation, period. The urgency of climate change, heightened by scary headlines every day, should be reason enough for the state to just stop putting its transportation money towards car travel. $10 billion to encourage people to walk and bike would be a solid - and relatively - inexpensive investment.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

First OC Streetcar Arrives

The $649 million 4.1-mile OC Streetcar light rail line is 92 percent complete, and now anticipated to open in spring 2026

May 8, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines

California and Trump continue to spar and more news from up and down the state.

May 8, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: ‘Normal’ is Not Correct, Someone Died Here

After a crash, the debris is quickly cleaned up and everyone moves on (usually too quickly). But these two experts are asking us to all slow down.

May 8, 2025

Metro Names Bill Scott as Chief of Police

Chief Scott and Metro leadership emphasized that keeping Metro transit safe would require a multi-faceted approach that included the deployment of officers as well as collaboration with the community, ambassadors, and service providers. "Sometimes enforcement is the answer," Scott said. "Sometimes it's not."

May 7, 2025
See all posts