Among the new members of the California legislature sworn in at the beginning of December are several who have listed bicycle and pedestrian improvements among their stated priorities. The new session has barely begun, and how their actions will reflect their priorities remains to be seen, but there's reason to be excited about these seven newly elected members of the legislature.
Nick Schultz has been elected to replace Assemblymember Laura Friedman, who won a seat in Congress. His campaign strongly prioritized pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and public transportation, both for safety and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"I envision a future where the 44th Assembly District is a walkable and bikeable community with housing in close proximity to employment centers and a robust EV charging infrastructure," he writes on his website. "We need to further invest in mass transit options, protected bike lanes, and improved walkability to reduce traffic congestion and create real opportunities to get around the San Fernando Valley without an over reliance on cars."
On the Burbank City Council, Shultz advocated for the city of Burbank to invest in increased bike lanes and pedestrian crosswalks, and for interconnecting rail and bus lines there.
"I have and will continue to support the California High-Speed Rail project as it seeks to integrate with the Burbank Hollywood Airport, which will be celebrating the groundbreaking of a replacement terminal in 2024," he writes.
Schultz has been appointed to lead the Public Safety Committee.
Robert Garcia was elected to lead Assembly District 50 in the Inland Empire, replacing Eloise Gómez Reyes, who was elected to the State Senate. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas appointed Garcia to be the assistant majority leader in the Assembly.
CalBike's endorsement of Garcia noted that "he understands that reducing car dependency is critical to achieving our state’s emissions goals and creating safer, more walkable and bikeable neighborhoods. His plan to shift transportation funding towards accessible mass transit and pedestrian infrastructure reflects his dedication to improving mobility for all."
Catherine Stefani was elected to represent Assembly District 19 in San Francisco. Stefani pushed for the city to build protected bike lanes after a bike rider was killed on Arguello Boulevard in San Francisco, while she was Supervisor. She voted in favor of a 2019 resolution to declare a state of emergency for traffic injuries and deaths in that city as well.
She replaces Phil Ting, a staunch ally for bike riders who has termed out. Among his many accomplishments, Ting was responsible for legislation that decriminalized jaywalking, banned bridge tolls for walkers and bike riders, and added protected bikeways to the Highway Design Manual. He also worked on speed cameras and trying to fix the way the law deals with bike riders at stop signs. Those are large shoes to fill, but CalBike is confident that Stefani is a "consistent advocate for safer streets and smarter transportation solutions" who will be "an essential voice for transportation equity in the state legislature."
Assemblymember Stefani has been appointed to chair the Legislative Ethics committee.
Jessica Caloza was elected to represent Assembly District 52 in Los Angeles, where she replaces Wendy Carrillo, who gave up her seat to run for city council. Caloza served as a public works commissioner for Los Angeles, and as a community advisor for President Obama. She worked on community air monitoring efforts, solar energy, and other environmental projects.
CalBike says that "she knows that our transportation budget must align with our climate goals and will work to ensure that state investments support active transportation and environmental justice for all Californians."
In the State Senate, former West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon will replace termed-out Bill Dodd to represent District 3 in Sacramento. When he was Mayor of West Sac, Cabaldon championed building new housing, adding bike lanes, and improving transit in his city, so SBCA expects the same now that he is serving in the Senate.
Sasha Renée Pérez was elected to the seat formerly held by Senator Anthony Portantino in District 25. She was a champion of Alhambra's first dedicated bike lanes, and won an "outstanding elected official" award from Active SGV in 2021. Streetsblog LA interviewed Pérez when she was a city councilmember in Alhambra.
Sabrina Cervantes, who has championed environmental justice and equity work, moved from the Assembly to the Senate, replacing Richard Roth in District 31.
These are not the only elected representatives that understand the connections between sustainable transportation, climate action, housing, and environmental justice. Having representatives who clearly state these priorities is kind of a new thing, and it bodes well for the coming legislative session.
