California

California Lawmakers Withdraw Connect Bay Area Act
The proposal would have merged the Bay Area’s 27 transit agencies into one regional entity.

New Bike Lanes Coming to Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles is adding 3.6 miles of new protected bike lanes in East Hollywood.

California’s Largest Natural Lake Turns Green With … Algae
A potentially toxic algal bloom has turned Clear Lake in Northern California bright green, fed by increased runoff from human activity.

Caltrans Sued Over I-80 Expansion Plan
Environmental groups argue that the agency purposely split the project into two phases to obscure the true impact of expanded road capacity.

Lake Tahoe Leans on Microtransit to Address Traffic
On-demand transit is helping make transportation around the resort area more convenient, but the region still lacks connectivity via a fixed-route bus system.

California Legislature Issues Revised Budget Proposal
The new plan rejects some of Gov. Newsom’s proposed cuts to active transportation funding.

San Francisco Takes on EPA in Supreme Court Case
The Court has agreed to hear an appeal challenging federal water pollution regulations.

Bay Area Transit Projects Awarded $18 Million
The funding supports eight ‘near-term’ projects slated for completion within the next one to three years.

California Cities Suspend Natural Gas Bans Following Court Ruling
A Ninth Circuit court ruling forced Berkeley to reverse its ban on natural gas in new buildings, prompting other cities to suspend their own efforts to promote all-electric buildings.

Cool Pavements Show Promise as Part of Urban Climate Resilience Strategy
Results from a pilot project in Los Angeles show that cool pavement treatments can serve as a key tool in a city’s climate resilience strategy.

California’s Tiny Home Pledge Still on Paper, One Year Later
A promise to fund 1,200 tiny homes for unhoused residents in four cities as a way to rapidly and cost-effectively provide shelter has yet to yield tangible results, but projects are moving ahead in some cities.

California Could Cut $600 Million From Active Transportation
Complete Streets advocates want the governor to fill the gap with funding from the state highway fund instead.

San Jose Tests AI Translation Tool to Improve Access to Public Meetings
More than half of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home, making translation services a key pillar of accessibility.

LA’s Abandoned Towers Loom as a “$1.2 Billion Ruin of Global Capital”
Oceanwide Plaza, shuttered mid-construction after its developer filed for bankruptcy, has stood vacant on prime Los Angeles real estate since 2019.

Los Angeles County Making Progress in Stormwater Capture
During this “super year” of storms, L.A. County has successfully captured 96 billion gallons of stormwater which is enough to meet the needs of about 2.4 million people a year.

Regenerating and Healing Land Through Parks
Through thoughtful planning and restoration efforts, parks can help heal degraded land, meeting multiple community needs, improving soil quality, restoring native vegetation, and creating habitats for wildlife.

California Testing Per-Mile Gas Tax Alternatives
A summer pilot program will test the fairness and efficacy of collection mechanisms for mileage-based fee options.

California Halts Three Years of Population Loss
The Golden State grew by 67,000 people, or 0.17%, last year, to just over 39.1 million on Jan. 1, 2024, according to a demographic report released April 30 by the California Department of Finance.

Is California's Housing Situation Turning Around?
Population is stagnant. But housing supply is growing. Is this the beginning of a Great Correction?

The Era Of Autonomous Vehicles Has Arrived
Autonomous vehicles are no longer perpetually “five years away.” They are here now. Planners must act now to ensure they don't degrade city life.
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