RCRC, in partnership with several local government and local transportation agency associations, has expressed strong opposition to Assembly Bills 2237 and 2438, both authored by Assembly Member Laura Friedman (D – Burbank), who is chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee. Combined, the bills impose several new requirements on local transportation agencies, and authorize state agencies to restrict funding to local transportation agencies, if those local agencies plan and implement projects that are not deemed to advance state or regional climate goals.
Specifically, the bills combined require local transportation agencies to ensure that future proposed transportation projects are consistent with several specified state-level climate policy frameworks and documents, and to rank-order prioritize projects based on their climate benefits. The bills combined direct state agencies to verify that locally-identified projects are, in fact, climate policy consistent, per a project-by-project determination, and to condition and restrict funding to local transportation agencies based on the climate performance of that agency’s slate of proposed projects.
Additionally, AB 2237 would also require each regional transportation planning agency or county transportation commission to submit a report on local transportation tax measures to the California Transportation Commission on or before March 30, 2023. The bill would require the commission, in consultation with the state board, to propose recommendations on alignment of local tax measures with the state’s climate goals.
Both bills passed their respective Assembly policy committees, including the Assembly Transportation Committee, and are before the Assembly Appropriations committee for further consideration.
Read the letters of opposition here. For more information, contact RCRC Policy Advocate, Sidd Nag.