Senate Bill 1 Workshops for Planning Grants Announced

SACRAMENTO - Today, Caltrans announced workshops that encourage Californians to help shape how planning grants will be allocated in their communities under the landmark Senate Bill 1, The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, signed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in April. Senate Bill 1 will provide more than $270 million in planning grants for local communities over the next decade. Public input collected from these workshops will be used to draft grant guidance documents for:

• Transportation Planning: Caltrans will provide $25 million in annual grants for local and regional planning to support the goals and best practices cited by the California Transportation Commission in its regional transportation plan guidelines.
• Climate Change Adaptation Planning: Caltrans will provide $20 million over three years to local and regional agencies to support resilient planning for areas that are potentially vulnerable to climate change.

Caltrans is also partnering with other state agencies to ensure that planning grants incorporate strategies to achieve the state’s greenhouse gas reduction target goals of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. This much needed funding will support planning that aims to improve the environment while building communities anchored by a stable economy.

Never attended a planning grant workshop before? Expect a basic overview during which a timeline for the development of the planning grant guideline documents will be covered. Workshop discussion will also include grant program objectives, minimum and maximum funding amounts for grant awards, and criteria for both grant applicant eligibility and distribution of funds. Participate by asking questions and commenting on the draft guidance documents.

Caltrans is committed to conducting its business in a fully transparent manner and detailing its progress to the public. For complete details on SB 1 visit http://www.rebuildingca.ca.gov/.