Caltrans announced Tuesday it had awarded $26.5 million in planning grants to 65 local projects that are designed to strengthen climate resiliency, reduce planet-warming pollution, improve bicycle and pedestrian safety and increase natural disaster preparedness.
The grants, part of the Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant program, will fund project planning and conceptual design efforts, as well as help move projects closer to construction, officials said.
“These selected projects will greatly improve mobility statewide by supporting multimodal transportation and help our under-resourced communities become more climate resilient. By supporting our local and tribal partners, California can maintain a sustainable, adaptable and resilient transportation system to help all Californians become better connected,” Dina El-Tawansy, Caltrans director, said.
The grants include $21.2 million in Sustainable Communities Competitive and Technical Grants for 51 local and regional transit agencies and tribes for transportation and land use planning; $3.1 million in Climate Adaptation Planning Grants to eight local and regional agencies to identify transportation-related climate; and $2.2 million in federally funded Strategic Partnerships Grants to six projects that planning for equitable regional transportation planning programs.
Officials said nearly $3 million of the funds comes from one-time state and federal sources that are part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $15 billion clean transportation package. Another $12.4 million comes from the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.