California announces $2 billion in transportation infrastructure funding, approves $2.3 billion for future projects

California Construction News staff writer

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has announced about $2 billion for transportation infrastructure across the state and $2.3 billion for future projects including $571 from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and $257 million from Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

“SB 1 and IIJA funding are helping rebuild and transform California’s transportation future, and we are putting that investment to work to create a system that allows all of us to travel in an equitable, safe and sustainable way,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares.

Also, an additional $1.7 billion was approved for future projects: $1.1 billion for the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP); $507.4 million for the Solutions for Congested Corridors Program (SCCP); and $142.4 million for the Local Partnership Program (LPP).

TCEP projects:

• $140 million to fund the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry in San Diego, which will construct a new crossing at the California and Mexico border for personal and commercial vehicles.
• $70 million to fund the Fix 5 Cascade Gateway in Redding and Shasta County, which will restore and improve a large section of I-5 to allow more room to merge at the on- and off-ramps while helping reduce merging conflicts at multiple state routes that intersect in this area.
• $41.9 million to fund Southern California Hydrogen Fueling Facilities, which will build a network of heavy-duty hydrogen refueling stations for freight vehicles throughout Southern California. The six refueling stations will be located near highway interchanges and along heavily trafficked goods movement routes in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties.
• $19.7 million to fund phase two of the I-80/San Pablo Dam Road Interchange Improvements, which will upgrade the overcrossing structure to current standards and provide improved pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the city of Richmond in Contra Costa County.
• $18.5 million to fund the I-5, State Route 15, and Harbor Drive 2.0 Project in the city of San Diego, which will improve freight throughput of about 1,600 more trucks per year by constructing all-day connected truck-only lanes and off-peak dedicated flex lanes, and other improvements to separate trucks from passenger traffic.

SCCP projects:

• $132.4 million to fund Santa Barbara U.S. Highway 101 Multimodal Corridor Project to increase both non-vehicular and vehicular mobility between Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
• $50 million to fund the Capitol Corridor Regional Transit Improvement Project in Placer and Sacramento counties to increase mobility choices while improving freight capacity.
• $30 million to fund SMART Windsor Rail System Extension Project in Sonoma County, which will provide extended commuter rail services, non-motorized pathways, new short-line freight rail service opportunities and expanded broadband access.
• $20 million to fund the Los Angeles Metro Light Rail CORE Capacity & System Integration Project in Los Angeles County to improve transit service capacity to the Los Angeles International Airport.

LPP projects:

• $25 million to fund the Oakland Alameda Access Project and improve access between the cities of Oakland and Alameda.
• $15 million to fund the State Route 99/Caldwell Avenue Interchange, Safety and Multi-Modal Project in Tulare County, which will replace a stop-controlled interchange with two roundabouts and a new bridge with bike lanes and sidewalks to allow access across SR 99 that currently does not exist.
• $14.8 million to fund the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) Emission Zero Project in the city of San Carlos, which will provide infrastructure and electrification improvements at SamTrans’ Maintenance Facility.
• $6 million to fund the Urban Core Rehabilitation and Transportation Project in Ukiah, which will reconstruct local road and bicycle lanes, including replacement of water and sewer utilities and construction of ADA-accessible curb ramps.
• $2.4 million to fund the Foothill Boulevard Complete Street Project, which will add bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the city of Rancho Cucamonga in San Bernardino County.

The CTC also adopted the 2023 MPO Active Transportation Program with $540 million for future projects including more than 120 miles of new bikeways, 60 miles of new sidewalks, and many other improvements to intersections, crosswalks, shade and signage.

MPO active transportation projects include:

• $32 million to fund the Boyle Heights Community Connectivity project in the city of Los Angeles (Southern California Association of Governments), which will transform the community by adding protected bikeways, new sidewalks, improved crosswalks, bike racks, bike lockers, hydration stations, e-bike charging stations, street lighting, shade trees, and benches, providing residents with a comfortable connection to schools, parks, sports and recreation centers, medical centers, transit, and affordable housing. The project is located in a low-income community disproportionately affected by pollution, including from a nearby toxic waste site that is currently being decontaminated.
• $8.8 million to fund the Bell Street Safe Routes to School project in Sacramento County (Sacramento Area Council of Governments), which will construct sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, curb ramps, and shortened crossings, providing residents with safer access to schools, parks, and other locations in the historically disadvantaged neighborhood of West Arden Arcade.
• $3 million to fund the Limitless Lane Network project in the City of Parlier (Fresno Council of Governments), which will create protected bikeways, bulb-outs to shorten crossing distances, and shade trees to create a more comfortable place to walk and bike, providing a safe connection to schools and other community resources in a low-income, farmworker community.
• $3.3 million to fund the 22nd Street Separated Bikeway in the city of National City (San Diego Association of Governments), which will construct a separated bike path in a low-income community with limited access to vehicles and high levels of pollution. Once built, the project will connect residents to the transit center, from which community members can reach major employment centers, San Diego State University, and the University of California, San Diego.
• $1.2 million to fund phase two of the Pioneer Trail Pedestrian Improvement Project in the city of South Lake Tahoe (Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization), which will add bike lanes, street lighting, sidewalks, and shortened pedestrian crossing distances in a low-income community that works primarily in the tourism industry in South Lake Tahoe.