State Agencies
Streetsblog California
Want to Slow Displacement? Then Build More Housing, Says Legislative Analyst’s Office
What will it take to make sure there’s a future for lower- and middle-income people in California? Anyone who has tried to look for a place to live recently knows that question is much more than an abstract policy discussion.
February 11, 2016
OPR to Host Webinars on Transportation Impacts Under Environmental Law
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) recently issued long-anticipated changes to a provision in California law that currently ranks traffic congestion as an environmental impact. For more details, see recent Streetsblog coverage here. The new guidelines are under a 45-day review period, with public comment being accepted until February 29.
January 27, 2016
State Releases Proposed Rules That Would Finally End LOS in Enviro. Law
Earlier today, the State of California released its anticipated final draft set of changes to the state's environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Under the new CEQA rule, environmental studies will use measurements that better correspond to actual environmental costs and benefits. This realigns the CEQA process to foster better transit, more walking and bicycling, and less driving.
January 22, 2016
Caltrans Seeking 5,000 Drivers to Try VMT Fee Instead of Gas Tax
As the value captured from the state's gas tax continues to fall, and the conditions of the California's roads and bridges continues to worsen, state leaders unveiled a plan last week to pilot a program that could lead to replacing the gas tax with a road user fee based on vehicle miles traveled. A summary of the report can be found here.
January 21, 2016
PIRG: L.A.’s Proposed Freight Highway Tunnel Among Country’s Worst Projects
Yesterday, the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), a national non-profit with state chapters throughout the country, released a report detailing the "12 biggest highway boondoggles" under study in the country. Not surprisingly, a California highway project made the list, the I-710 Tunnel Project in Los Angeles County.
January 20, 2016
California Streetsies: Local Advocacy with the Biggest Statewide Significance
In 2015, Shasta Living Streets worked on a project that, on the face of it, was no different from many other local advocacy efforts in California. But its success is leading to new standards that the entire state will benefit from.
January 13, 2016
New Caltrans Design Bulletin OKs Protected Bike Lanes in CA!
Squeezing up on its statutory deadline, Caltrans issued its "Class IV Bikeway Guidance [PDF]" on the last day of 2015.
January 4, 2016
Caltrans Plays Games with Distracted Driving
Was this tweet a joke? Why would Caltrans promote a potentially distracting video game called “The Distraction Zone”?
December 16, 2015
Redding’s Successful Parklet May Help Bring Statewide Guidance
The success of a parklet in Redding, California, may one day lead to official Caltrans design guidance for similar projects on state highways.
December 15, 2015
Caltrans Admits Building Roads Induces More Driving, But Admitting a Problem Is Just the First Step
Eric Jaffe, in CityLab, recently reported that Caltrans “admitted” that expanding highways increases traffic by posting a policy brief on the subject of induced demand to its website. He called it a rare admission from a state department of transportation.
November 18, 2015