California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) officials said the agency has awarded more than $21 million in state and federal funds to bolster statewide transportation offerings.
The Sustainable Communities Grants funding allotment is slated to aid 64 local, regional and metropolitan planning organizations for multimodal and land-use projects and natural disaster planning, initiating projects reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving the highway system, enhancing bicycle and pedestrian safety and access and increasing natural disaster preparedness.
“These grants will help our communities adapt to the impacts of climate change by advancing zero emissions efforts and investing in the future condition of our transportation system,” Toks Omishakin, Caltrans director, said. “Grant projects also create safer, more connected routes for all Californians, regardless if their travel mode of choice is by car, bicycle, or using mass transit.”
Officials said 13 statewide projects received $3.7 million in federally-funded Strategic Partnership Grants as a means of improving transit options between communities, researching alternative funding for road repairs, and alleviating freeway congestion.
Caltrans annually awards transportation planning grants through a competitive process to encourage local and regional transportation planning. Applications are evaluated based upon how they further state transportation goals designed to identify and address statewide, interregional, or regional transportation deficiencies on the highway system.