California Commission Rejects Highway Expansion Funding

In an uncommon move, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) denied funding to a Southern California highway expansion project, reports Melanie Curry in Streetsblog California, serving as “a warning to highway builders that they need to stop fooling around with the California Environmental Quality Act and state climate policy requirements.”

The I-15 Freight Corridor Improvement project in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, already under construction, was asking for $200 million from the CTC and “adds auxiliary lanes and express lanes with ‘price managed/toll facilities’ to the I-15.”

CTC Commissioner Joseph Lyou, who opposed the funding, said the project would add between 152 million and 300 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) annually through induced demand, adding, “It's very troubling that, despite knowing better, we continue to approve project after project after project.” Two other commissioners voted against the funding, signaling a new willingness at the CTC to question the rationale behind road-building projects.