California Transportation Commission Reluctant to Incorporate Complete Streets Guidelines

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) is rushing to make updates to the State Highway Operations and Protection Program (SHOPP) in advance of a new Complete Streets law that takes effect in January, reports Melanie Curry for Streetsblog California.

“S.B. 960 includes major revisions to Caltrans responsibilities, particularly around transparency and showing progress towards Complete Streets goals,” Curry explains. But the agency plans to finish updating its guidelines by the end of the year without incorporating the changes called for in the law.

According to Curry, “SHOPP guidelines are not required to be updated regularly, and S.B. 960 does not include a deadline to incorporate its provisions - so not addressing them in this update could indefinitely delay including complete streets.”

Curry notes that the CTC could take steps to ensure compliance with the law now, such as posting documents online before they finalize the updates to allow for public comment. In an April letter to Caltrans, advocacy coalition ClimatePlan urged the agency to address SB 960 and take note of the California Bicycle Coalition’s recent Incomplete Streets report, which highlights the state’s slow progress on building safer infrastructure for cyclists, pedestrians, and transit users.