The state’s transportation agency will be required to prioritize multimodal transportation infrastructure and improve transparency.

Among the many bills signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom last week is the state’s first Complete Streets law, reports Melanie Curry for Streetsblog California.
“S.B. 960 requires Caltrans to prioritize road improvements for pedestrians, bike riders, and public transit users whenever it performs maintenance or does road work. That can include sidewalks, bike lanes, bus-only lanes, comfortable and accessible public transportation stops, frequent and safe crosswalks, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, narrower travel lanes, and more.” The law also calls for a “more transparent decision process” when local governments want to make safety improvements on state-managed roads, a move sometimes blocked by state agencies.
In addition to pedestrian and bike infrastructure, the bill requires Caltrans to develop a plan for prioritizing public transit, which “should make infrastructure like bus lanes and protected bus stops easier and faster to build.”
Curry notes that the law “still offers Caltrans ways to avoid doing the work that's needed,” and that local advocates must remain vigilant.
The article details another new law, AB 2086, that requires Caltrans to conduct a financial analysis of its California Transportation Plan. “Right now, this plan, which lays the groundwork for the state's future transportation system, is an ‘aspirational’ plan without any solid discussion of funding sources - nor of where current funding is being spent or could be better spent.”
FULL STORY: Governor Newsom Signs Complete Streets Bill

What the US Intercity Rail System Could Look Like
An FRA study shows how new Amtrak lines could connect tens of millions more Americans to rail travel.

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership
Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record
The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

Half of Altadena’s Black Homes Lost or Damaged in Eaton Fire
The community has higher Black homeownership rates than most of Los Angeles, but now faces an uncertain future as residents struggle to rebuild.

Making Autonomous Vehicles Safer for Blind Pedestrians
A team of researchers is developing a dataset to fill a critical gap in self-driving cars’ learning models.

Federal EV Charging Program Suspended
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program planned to fund the construction of hundreds of EV charging stations across the country.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Brookings
City of White Salmon
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
M-NCPPC Prince George's County Planning Department
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service