Caltrans grants more than $34M for sustainable transportation planning

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The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced plans to award local agencies with more than $34 million in transportation planning grants for fiscal year 2020-2021.

This aid will focus on those planning more sustainable communities, reduce transportation-related emissions, and adapting to climate change. While the grant announcements themselves should come in spring 2020, some idea of the fund breakdowns has been provided. Approximately $29.5 million will go to Sustainable Communities Grants, to encourage local and regional planning on greenhouse gas reduction. The remaining $4.5 million will go to Strategic Partnerships Grants, for identifying and addressing transportation deficiencies along the state’s highway system.

“Our current transportation system needs innovative strokes to help reduce congestion and protect the health of our communities and our planet,” Caltrans Acting Director Bob Franzoia said. “We are all in this together, and these grants will help our communities address the effects of our changing climate.”

Caltrans reports that current figures show vehicle tailpipe emissions accounted for 37 percent of California’s 2017 greenhouse gas emissions. A large portion of the funds dedicated to fighting such things has come from the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (Senate Bill 1), which has pledged approximately $54 billion over the next decade for improving roads, freeways and bridges, and toward improving transit and safety.

Applications for grant funding are due on Oct. 11, 2019.