Clean California Awards Nearly $115 Million to Transform Neighborhoods in Underserved Communities and Beautify Transit Stations

District: 1 - Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake and Mendocino counties
Contact: Rhiannon Montgomery
Phone: (707) 601-9913

• Anderson Valley Track to Health and Fitness (AVTHF) by the Anderson Valley Unified School District will provide beautification, enhancement and expansive community fitness opportunities in Boonville. The track will be a venue for safe and equitable sporting events for high poverty youth at Anderson Valley Junior Senior High School, accessible for independent soccer league participation, a location for fitness charity/tournament events, and most importantly a place for all residents to achieve their individual wellness and recreation goals, since there are no gyms or workout facilities within a 20-mile radius. The grant amount request is approximately $4.7 million.
• The Crescent City Cultural Gateway and Beautification project will improve the public space located at the juncture of US Highway 101 South and Front Street. The project includes a gateway, restoration of Elk Creek, improving public access to the Cultural/Visitor’s Center and Veteran’s Monument, and Tolowa Interpretive Walk, and relocating the Transit Hub to a safer, more convenient location. The grant amount request is approximately $2.9 million.
• The Fort Bragg Art and Recycling Beautification project proposes to procure and install art covered, eye-catching multi-use waste receptacles at strategically placed locations throughout town to reduce littering and increase recycling. The receptacles will be distributed into three areas, 1) along the Coastal Trail, 2) within the Central Business District, 3) and around schools and parks. In partnership with local schools, the City will use art created by students to have quality skins manufactured to decorate the bins using themes, which connect art to environmental preservation. In addition, the City will host two Beach Clean-Up Events during the grants performance period. The grant amount request is approximately $267,000.
• The Beautify Willits project by the City of Willits will beautify and improve public spaces, accessibility in downtown, public parks, and the Main Street and Commercial Street corridors with a focus on safety, reducing litter and illegal dumping, increasing community engagement and educational outreach. The grant amount request is approximately $2.7 million.
• The Yurok Tribe Reservation Parks, Recreation and Beautification project will create new community spaces, renew existing gathering spaces, install new recreation equipment and bathrooms, renovate existing bathrooms, install new art, improve sports facilities, and secure public-use facilities. The grant amount request is approximately $5 million.

District: 2 - Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties
Contact: Samantha O'Reilly
Phone: (530)768-3037

• The Oregon Street Improvements project provides active transportation and beautification improvements to underserved residents in the disadvantaged community area of Downtown Redding. The project is adjacent to the Calaboose Creek drainage, which runs north-south partially underground through the Oregon Street Improvements Project along the east side of Oregon Street. The Oregon Street Project encloses and protects approximately 460 feet of the open drainage portions of the Creek to prevent litter from entering Calaboose Creek which serves as a spawning ground for the endangered Chinook salmon further south of the project area. The enclosed drainage allows for sidewalk infill with a ten-foot sidewalk along the east side of Oregon Street to close a critical sidewalk gap in the network, opens new pedestrian crossings and routes along the corridor, and better connects the underserved community to the many commercial, government, and transit services within the immediate vicinity of the project area. The grant amount request is approximately $2.1 million.
• The Calaboose Creek Core Revitalization project focuses on unused excess City right-of way (ROW) in the downtown core of the City of Redding. The project seeks to convert underutilized excess right-of-way following the original creek bed of historic Calaboose Creek through Downtown Redding into separated trails with curb, gutter, and sidewalk (10'-12' foot in width), water-efficient landscaping, and decorative art fences created by local community artists. Despite being a highly visible gateway into the core of Downtown Redding, this disadvantaged area is continua11y plagued by trash, exacerbated by its lack of a designated use and its central location. In its current state, trash, road runoff, and nonnative vegetation have plagued this area leaving it forgotten to time. The project would rebuild, restore, and enhance the areas around this creek downtown and adjacent to the railroad tracks in and around Downtown Redding. This creek and its corridor is an opportunity to provide value to surrounding businesses and residences as well as establish a new and beautiful destination place in the City. The Redding Cultural Trail Overlook project will create a high-quality park asset and trail connection featuring beautiful Native designs. The project addresses consistent, repeated public concerns about cleaning and maintaining this beloved area and will improve conditions of Redding's most essential all ages and abilities walk/bike connections between the north and south areas of the City. The project will also deliver on the requests and long-standing hopes of local Native community members for a Redding Cultural Trail asset that celebrates local Native people and their culture, defined at the project's start to be seen as an important piece of cultural heritage and of value to all residents of Redding and the region. The grant amount request is approximately $4 million. 
• The Redding Cultural Trail Overlook project will create a high-quality park asset and trail connection featuring beautiful Native designs. The project addresses consistent, repeated public concerns about cleaning and maintaining this beloved area and will improve conditions of Redding's most essential all ages and abilities walk/bike connections between the north and south areas of the City. The project will also deliver on the requests and long-standing hope of local Native community members for a Redding Cultural Trail asset that celebrates local Native people and their culture, defined at the project's start to be set in as an important piece of cultural heritage and of value to all residents of Redding and the region. The grant amount request is approximately $1.24 million.
• Revitalization of two park sites in the City of Shasta Lake, creating clean, functional outdoor spaces for the community to gather and access recreation opportunities. Infrastructure projects at Site A include a new covered picnic pavilion and replacement of two pit toilets with flush restroom facilities at the City's largest park. Site B includes 2.5 acres of new park space to be developed in an underserved community. The new park will include a multi-use path, a community inspired art installation with native plants, a shaded picnic pavilion, and restroom facilities to serve the new park space. The project will leverage $1,623,000 of American Rescue Plan Act Funding to be used towards development of the new park space with a skatepark facility and multi-use path. Non infrastructure projects include a volunteer park clean-up event with 100 anticipated participants. The grant amount request is approximately $1.75 million.

District: 3 - Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties
Contact: Kevin Murphy 
Phone: (530) 812-7282

• City of Chico: A grant of $2.9 million to restore, improve, and beautify public spaces in the underserved community of South Chico to include the restoration and repaving of the Chico-Durham Bike Path and sidewalks to improve public walking and recreation spaces. 
• City of Colusa: A grant of $381,200 to provide impactful improvements at four of Colusa’s five city parks. These improvements will address public access to clean water, clean restrooms, and clean spaces. 
• City of Marysville: A $2.9 million project to add new recreation features, renovate a dilapidated path, and add amenities to enhance the function and beauty of Ellis Lake Park. Six new recreation features will include three play pockets for children, an event island, fishing areas, park and trail signage, and public art and sculptures. 
• City of Willows: A $4 million project to upgrade, enhance, and improve access to Sycamore Park by adding sidewalks on the north and east sides of the park and greater access on the west side. The project will also provide new lighting and the installation of solar facilities. 
• County of Yuba: A $2.2 million project to transform Friendship Park into a community center by providing local art exhibits, shade structures, playground & recreational equipment, walkways, bike paths, fences, lights, and trash facilities. 

District: 4 - Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties
Contact:
Phone:

District: 5 - Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties
Contact: Kevin Drabinski or Jim Shivers
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237

• The City of Guadalupe Transit Hub Renovation project involves upgrading the City's Amtrak station to a multimodal transit hub. Project includes implementing a public restroom, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, bicycle amenities, pervious pavers, improved signage, and site beautification upgrades. The site was originally designed for an average of 23 daily train passengers but now must accommodate an additional 140 passengers per day that ride the City's fixed route bus system. The site is located adjacent to both the railroad and Highway 1 and is on a very popular bicycle touring route. The grant amount request is approximately $816,000.

District: 6 - Kings, Tulare, Fresno, Madera and Kern counties
Contact: Tami Cox
Phone: (559) 488-4082

• The City of Corcoran's Community Beautification and Cleanup project will implement elements to enhance the beauty and usability of the Whitley Ave gateway corridor and will create inviting green spaces, provide shade, and lessen the urban heat island effect. Amplify the city’s efforts to remove litter and install trash and recycling receptacles to maintain a clean public space. Street lighting and ADA-compliant curb ramps improvements will enhance active transportation infrastructure, beautify an existing public space, boost pedestrian nighttime safety, and ensure underserved residents have access to litter-free public spaces along this critical corridor. 
• Dinuba's Entertainment Plaza Renovation & Beautification project includes urban greening, volunteer litter cleanup, and multicultural features. The installation of shade structures and shade trees will provide comfort and protection during extreme heat waves, mitigating the heat island effect. Benches and picnic tables will create more gathering spaces and install public art murals, encouraging social interactions.
• Improving the 2nd Street corridor will benefit Selma's underserved community by enhancing walkability, safety, and accessibility. Installing pedestrian-scale light fixtures, thematic crosswalks, upgraded sidewalks, planting additional shade trees, and incorporating public art, will create a more inviting environment. 

District: 7 - Los Angeles and Ventura counties
Contact:
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District: 8
Contact: Michael Martinez
Phone: (213) 503-0161

• Hacienda Avenue Green Corridor Rehabilitation and Beautification Project is a 1.5-mile public pathway centrally located within the severely disadvantaged and underserved are in the City of Desert Hot Springs in Riverside County. Project includes a mixed-use bicycle/pedestrian path, artist-inspired art sculptures, trash receptacles along the corridor and the four bus stops, shade structures and seating along the pathways, native,
  drought-tolerant plants, and interpretive educational gardens. The grant amount is $3.06 million.
• The Desert Hot Springs Corporate Yard Park Green Development Project will transform the existing dilapidated corporate yard located in one of the City’s most underserved communities. The project will convert 7.6-acres of the 10-acre corporate yard project site into a much-needed community park with new football and baseball fields, motion sensor streetlights, pedestrian sidewalks, and restrooms, while also converting litter strewn areas with native/drought-resistant vegetation and tree planting. The grant amount is $5.54 million.
• Omnitrans Bus Bench Artwork Beautification Project is set to transform unsightly bus stop benches by hiring local artists to paint unique art designs on 45 existing Omnitrans-owned concrete bus benches throughout Omnitrans service areas in San Bernardino County. The project will also conduct a community cleanup day and outreach event at an Omnitrans transit center/bus stops within the project area. The grant amount is $88,000.
• Joshua Tree Park Improvements at Sunburst Park and Community Park Project is a multi-benefit project that will clean up, beautify, and improve existing outdated playgrounds and park features to make them more accessible, beautiful, and safe at Sunburst Park and the Community Park Playground. Improvements include new paving, accessible pathways, shade structures, trash receptacles, pump track, and lighting. The grant amount is $3.77 million.

District: 9 - Inyo, Kern and Mono counties
Contact: Christine Knadler
Phone: (760) 937-7217

In Inyo County, a $1.48 million Diaz Lake Beautification project will bring improvements to Diaz Lake facilities on the east side of the lake to include the following: 

• Improve the parking area with new asphalt, striping, a transit stop and shelter for dial-a ride access, and add new solar lighting at the restroom.
• Enable heat island reduction through planting drought-tolerant shade trees, also adding shade structures, a picnic area, and BBQ facilities.  
• Build a new ADA-compliant playground, sand volleyball court, and dog park.
• Install an aeration system in Diaz Lake to improve water quality for swimming, provide tule maintenance near swimming areas, install trash and recycling receptacles, add educational signage to promote proper waste disposal, and establish bi-annual community litter abatement events. 

District: 10 - Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties 
Contact: David Gower
Phone: (209) 693-3497

• In Calaveras County, the "Keep Calaveras Clean” beautification and education project will focus on litter cleanup and prevention, and improved walkability in the Murphys community. A new education and outreach program will share anti-graffiti/anti-littering tips through social media outreach and new signs along roads prone to litter.
• Modesto will install new wayfinding signs and community markers at popular downtown sites. Anti-litter signs and new tamper-resistant waste containers will bring attention to the city’s clean-up efforts. This project will also reinvigorate the city's mural culture by making improvements to Modesto’s "Mural Alley” to make the space more welcoming and accessible for the public to enjoy public art.
• Merced County’s O'Banion Park Renovation project will create an 18.5-acre green space for Dos Palos residents to exercise, relax, and socialize.

District: 11 - San Diego and Imperial counties
Contact:
Phone:

District: 12
Contact: Nathan Abler
Phone: (657) 650-5146

District 12 projects include:

• The Walnut Street Urban Greening project by the City of Santa Ana has the intent of improving sustainability and aesthetics of the area to promote active transportation and community events and gathering. The project is in one of the most densely populated areas in Orange County and the pathway for the neighborhood to access two schools with more than 4,300 students. The project will include various physical and environmentally friendly improvements. The project will provide multiple benefits to an underserved community including litter abatement, beautification, art displays, and reducing urban heat factor. The Walnut Street project was identified in response to a community call for open space, which does not exist in the area. The grant amount is $2.2 million for the entire project.
• The Medal of Honor Trail: Community Health Enhancements project by the City of Garden Grove will provide new infrastructure that will enhance public health, make cultural connections, contribute to community placemaking, and help bring that vision to life. The project will beautify existing community gathering areas and provide new infrastructure which will promote increased pedestrian/bicyclist traffic on the Trail. Specifically, this project will provide new trash receptacles, new benches, new bicycle racks, and more than 120,000 square feet of mulch at multiple locations throughout the Trail corridor, which will also prevent water runoff and flooding, as well as add longevity to the recently added 363 trees and landscaping. The project will install 22 new pieces of fitness equipment along the Trail to provide a more comfortable and inviting space, while enhancing its use and promoting public health initiatives. The grant amount is $441,000, with a total project cost of $691,000.

Three transit projects within Caltrans District 12, serving Orange County, received a total of $2.373 million in this round of local transit project grants.

Caltrans District 12 transit projects include:

• The Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center (SARTC) SARTC Painting & Wrought Iron Fencing project by the City of Santa Ana Public Works Agency will enhance its aesthetic appeal and overall functionality. The proposed project to repaint the exterior of the SARTC and repair or replace the wrought iron fencing aims to provide an appealing and pleasing commuting environment for the community and overall region. Additionally, the project will include ornamental wrought iron fencing replacement around the building as well as the refurbishment of the iconic Santa Ana signage in the courtyard. The grant amount is $1.475 million.
• SARTC Outdoor Water Fountain Renovation project by the City of Santa Ana Public Works Agency will enhance the main entrance of the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center (SARTC), welcoming commuters with an outdoor water fountain, paved walkways, and Spanish-style lighting. As the main decorative art installation of the SARTC's entrance, the outdoor water fountain intends to enhance the commuter experience by providing an aesthetically pleasing and tranquil environment. The proposed project to renovate the SARTC water fountain is one of many repair and facility improvement projects of an aging facility that has not seen any major renovations. Replacing worn out equipment will make better use of the fountain water and electricity; therefore, increasing efficiency in water usage and reducing resources that furthers green practices. With the highly anticipated completion of the OC Streetcar in 2024 and SARTC serving as the eastern terminus, traffic is expected to increase attracting new transit users. The water fountain replacement will assist in revitalizing the SARTC, highlighting the facility's unique character and improving the transit experience of our new and existing commuters. The grant amount is $500,000.
• The Santa Ana Bus Stop Improvements project by the City of Santa Ana will provide much needed bus stop amenities at a total of 37 Orange County Transportation Authority bus stops within the City of Santa Ana. Specifically, this project will provide one bus shelter, 34 benches, 28 trash bins, 2 trees and up to 5 spot sidewalk repairs. The shelter and benches will afford transit users the ability to comfortably sit while they wait for the bus to arrive. The trash bins will provide a place for trash to be placed instead of just being thrown on the ground. The grant amount is $398,000.