California

California's 15 Housing Bills Won't Do Enough
At a new affordable housing project in a low-income neighborhood of San Francisco, Gov. Brown signed the package Friday that places a $4 billion housing bond on the ballot next year, adds a $75 real estate transaction fee, and streamlines permitting.

California High-Speed Train Behind Schedule in the San Joaquin Valley
$2.5 billion in stimulus money to build a San Joaquin Valley high speed train has been spent, yet the train is still almost a decade from being ready to carry passengers across its entire run.

California Mulls Banning Sales of Cars with Internal Combustion Engines
Eying European and Asian countries that have set, or are considering timelines to ban sales of cars that emit greenhouse gases, the California governor asked his chief air regulator to see why California couldn't follow suit.
12.3-Mile Gold Line Extension Takes First, Tentative Steps in Southern California
One step forward, and maybe two steps back, for a 12.3-mile extension of the Gold Line light rail in the San Gabriel Valley.

Los Angeles Union Station Plan Creates Multimodal Access to Downtown L.A.
When it comes to trains, trams, and buses, L.A.'s Union Station is "the most transit-accessible location in Southern California." Soon, it will finally connect to its own neighborhood.
High Speed Rail Transforming California's Housing, TOD Conversation
The California Legislature took steps to address the state's housing crisis this year, but housing activists might look to the Governor's High Speed Rail project to provide a link to affordable housing in the Central Valley.

A New 'Transit Homeless Action Plan' for Los Angeles
Transit can be a vital resource for the homeless. In Los Angeles, where that population is growing, this is doubly true.

Accessibility Barriers Continue to Plague Some Metro Systems
Most metro systems in the United States tend to score high on accessibility, while European systems have mixed results.

Three New Bridges for Crossing the L.A. River on Foot
A plan for a bridge from Griffith Park to Atwater Village is the latest in a series of proposed pedestrian bridges over the Los Angeles River.

Lessons From San Diego's Hepatitis A Outbreak
Voice of San Diego reports in detail about the months of warning San Diego officials had about the spread of Hepatitis A in public areas around the city. Still, prevention measures took a back seat to bureaucracy.
Bay Area's First Climate Adaptation Project Could Be a North Bay Highway
State Route 37 is a vital highway connecting four North Bay counties plagued by two unrelated problems: chronic flooding during high tides and traffic congestion. Fixing the problem will set a precedent for Bay Area climate adaptation.

Is the Silicon Valley Past its Peak?
A lack of housing is responsible for an expected decline of the Silicon Valley's economic dominance, according to this opinion piece.

Bay Area Not Prepared for Next Big One
As the death toll from Mexico's 7.1 magnitude earthquake on Sept. 19 climbs above 300, the San Francisco Chronicle investigates how well prepared the Bay Area is for an earthquake of comparable magnitude. Not very well.

L.A.'s New Transit Oriented Communities Guidelines Are a Boost for Affordable Housing
The city of Los Angeles is taking substantive action to provide incentives for affordable housing development.

Faster, No Matter the Cost
Kerry Cavanaugh argues that the interests of drivers are standing between California and the policies it should be pursuing.

Cheaper Parking Bathed in Purple in Walnut Creek
A new on-street parking regime comes with a royal purple color scheme in a ritzy suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Bike Center to Salvage Abandoned Building on Closed Military Base—Not So Fast
The bicycle community in San Diego came up with a win-win-win: an innovative bike center in an abandoned building on a closed military base next to downtown and a major biking route. Then came the real world of unreal bureaucratic concerns.

Battle of the Bay: S.F. and Oakland Sue Oil Companies Over Sea Level Rise
Two California cities are going after oil companies with a legal argument that recalls the legislation against big tobacco companies in the 1990s.

Facebook to Expand in San Francisco
While everyone's attention in recent weeks has been on Amazon, another huge tech company has made a big bet on San Francisco.

New California Law Makes Crossing the Street More Legal
Many pedestrians don't realize it's illegal to cross the street while a crosswalk is counting down until a cop is writing them a ticket. A new bill could change that in California.
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