Environmental groups have been waging war against the proposed expansion of State Route 37 in Sonoma County on several fronts, including at the California Transportation Commission and in the legislature. Now, with legislation that would allow the state to grant a critical environmental permit for the project sitting on the governor’s desk, they are asking Governor Gavin Newsom to veto it.
Assembly Bill 697 would authorize the construction of additional travel lanes on State Route 37 between Vallejo and State Route 121 in Sonoma County by allowing the Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue a "permit for the incidental take of fully protected species." Normally, such a permit requires a study and a remediation plan, but legislation passed in 2023 created a streamlined process for certain situations. That 2023 law specifically excluded projects that “increase highway or street capacity for automobile or truck travel,” but AB 697 circumvents that exception for SR 37.
In a letter urging the governor to veto the bill (pdf), a coalition of 22 groups—including CalBike, Transform, Active SGV, and the Coalition for Clean Air—attacks AB 697 on two fronts.
The first is that the project itself is a bad idea.
The SR 37 widening is pitched as a temporary fix for the area while studies continue on a larger highway project that may or may not materialize decades from now. If funding is secured, construction on the widening could begin in about five years. The state ultimately plans to build another highway entirely at some point in the distant future; this project is meant to fulfill travel demand in the meantime.
But the environmental damage isn’t the coalition’s only concern. According to a Caltrans report that the agency recently scrubbed from its website, SR 37 could be underwater within a decade of the widening’s completion. Sections of the widening area sit just 4–6 feet above sea level and are projected to be inundated by 2040 due to sea level rise.
Caltrans has countered that a more recent study shows the area is not at risk of flooding for several decades.
The coalition also argues the bill sets a dangerous precedent for highway projects statewide. While supporters of SR 37 widening insist this project has special circumstances, opponents say the same argument could be made for any highway expansion requiring environmental permits.
Newsom has until October 12, 2025, to sign or veto the legislation. If he fails to act, the bill will be vetoed automatically.
