The White House and U.S. Department of Transportation jointly announced $3.3 billion in grant awards across the country through the federal “Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods” Grant Program, with California applicants receiving $237 million in funds. These funds add to more than $35 million awarded to California projects from the same program last year. California transportation leaders also announced the first funding recipients for California’s “Reconnecting Communities: Highways to Boulevards” Pilot Program yesterday, with three projects in Arcata, South San Francisco, and San Diego identified as awardees.
While all of this funding together (more than $400 million in California) will be impactful, it is nonetheless a drop in the bucket of California’s $20+ billion annual transportation infrastructure budget. In order to truly prioritize climate and…