Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Santa Monica) introduced AB 891, a bill that will require Caltrans to develop quick-build bike lane and intersection projects to improve safety on state highways for cyclists and pedestrians.
A "quick build project" is a temporary, easily adjustable infrastructure improvement that can be installed rapidly using readily available materials to either solicit feedback from a community or put a smaller improvement in place while a larger one is planned. Quick build projects often rely on paint, signage, and plastic barriers, when concrete or other stronger materials will be needed for a permanent improvement.
AB 891 is sponsored by the California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike) who note that the bill will allow projects to be moved on the ground faster and reduce planning and engineering costs.
"The planning process at Caltrans can take several years, and during that time more vulnerable road users will be injured or killed on our state roadways. Caltrans should have the same ability to respond quickly to remediate known hazards that local governments have," said CalBike Policy Director Jared Sanchez.
"This pilot will also show the way to build safe bikeways and intersections quickly. California has a huge deficit of active transportation infrastructure; we can't wait years or decades to build streets that encourage walking, biking, and taking transit."
Santa Monica has made use of quick-build projects on local streets in recent years. Some examples: the plastic-bollard parking protected bike lane on Broadway in 2023, a series of Safe Routes to School’s Projects also in 2023, and the city is planning to use quick build for the East Pico Safety Project.
One example of a state highway that would benefit from this legislation is the Pacific Coast Highway, State Route 1. Following a high-profile fatal crash in 2023, the City of Malibu has worked with the state to change the character of the highway which currently features high speed limits, beautiful views of the ocean and mountains and high volumes of bicycle traffic.
Legislation authored by Senator Ben Allen and sponsored by Zbur is allowing the city to use speed cameras to enforce traffic laws, and the city has worked to restore the number of police cars on the PCH to pre-pandemic levels.
Could quickly adding bicycle and pedestrian safety infrastructure to the road also be part of the solution? AB 891 makes it easier to do that should Caltrans decide to do so on this particular state highway.
In a press statement Zbur notes that traffic crashes are increasing across the state, and AB 891 could be one way to respond. For example:
- The latest report by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), traffic fatalities climbed to 4,285 in 2021, marking a 7.6% increase from 2020
- Data compiled by the City of Los Angeles shows there was a 6% increase in traffic fatalities in 2022 from the previous year, and a staggering 29% over 2020.
- Data released by the City of San Francisco shows that in 2024 alone, there were 42 traffic fatalities.
"Simple bikeway and intersection improvements can provide significant safety benefits, and as more Californians turn to alternative transportation, these changes should be implemented more quickly and effectively," said Assemblymember Zbur.
"By developing quick-build projects statewide, we can deliver critical safety infrastructure faster while allowing local jurisdictions to plan for more permanent, community-driven solutions over time."
