California Transport Bill Doesn't Support Public Transit as Much as it Could

California State Senators, Ben Allen and Scott Wiener, say California transportation funding bills don't spend enough of their budget on public transit.

1 minute read

January 31, 2017, 12:00 PM PST

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


BART Train

Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock

Two state senators representing parts of San Francisco and Los Angeles wrote an op-ed for the Sacramento Bee advocating for greater public transit funding. "We will never solve this problem without massive, transformational investments in public transportation that make it easier for people to get around in a safe, healthy, convenient and efficient way," write Scott Wiener and Ben Allen.

They see the two infrastructure bills—Senate Bill 1, authored by Sen. Jim Beall, and Assembly Bill 1—authored by Assemblymember Jim Frazier, as neither sufficient for the state's future nor able to sustain the maintenance of existing services. "Neither bill dedicates more than 10 percent of its funds for public transit. For context, 20 percent of the federal gas tax is dedicated to public transportation. Moreover, some of the proposed public transit funds are pre-existing while others aren't certain to ever materialize." Wiener and Allen write.

Monday, January 30, 2017 in The Sacramento Bee

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Person in yellow safety suit and white helmet kneels to examine water samples outdoors on a lake shore.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure

If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

May 1, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Austin, Texas skyline.

Austin’s Building Boom Not Reaching Lowest-Income Families

Despite having the highest rate of affordable housing construction in the nation, Austin is still underproducing housing for the neediest households.

30 minutes ago - Fast Company

Aerial view of Fall Creek bridge in Indianapolis with bike lanes and walking paths.

New Indianapolis Bridge Prioritizes Walking, Biking

Over half the surface of the Fall Creek Bridge is devoted to walking and biking paths.

1 hour ago - WTHR

Aerial vew of New Hampshire state capitol with gold dome in Concord, New Hampshire.

New Hampshire House Passes Parking Reform Bill

The revised bill, which caps parking requirements at one spot per residential unit and eliminates exemptions, will go back to the Senate for a new vote.

2 hours ago - New Hampshire Bulletin

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.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO