Reconnecting Communities: Highways to Boulevards
Converting underutilized highways to restore community connectivity
San Francisco Embarcadero Freeway in 1989
San Francisco Embarcadero Freeway in 2015
In response to the adoption of Streets & Highways Code 104.3, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is launching the Reconnecting Communities: Highways to Boulevards (RC:H2B) Pilot Program. $149 million was established in the FY 22/23 State Budget to plan for and fund the conversion of key underutilized highways in the State into multi-modal corridors to reconnect communities divided by transportation infrastructure. These legacy impacts will be addressed through community-based transportation planning, design, demolition, and/or reconstruction of city streets, parks, or other infrastructure.
Goals
- Restore community connectivity through the removal, retrofit, mitigation, or replacement of eligible transportation infrastructure facilities that create barriers to mobility, access, or economic development.
- Provide matching funding for potential federal grant funds.
- Advance health and equity outcomes for underserved communities by removing health, safety, and access barriers associated with transportation infrastructure within communities.
- Improve access to opportunity by improving travel options and reducing combined household transportation and housing costs for underserved communities.
- Create opportunities for implementation of affordable housing and furthering the advancement of fair housing.
- Prevent or minimize direct and indirect displacement effects from project implementation.
- Advance community-based or community-driven transportation planning.
Caltrans will host three stakeholder workshops focused on soliciting input from the local agencies and stakeholders to participate in the development of the RC:H2B Program Guidelines.
- Program Guidelines Workshop #1 (held on 11/28/2022)
- Program Guidelines Workshop #2 (held on 12/19/2022)
- Program Guidelines Workshop #3
Due to the interest in the program, the RC:H2B Team will host a third Program Guidelines Workshop.- Tentatively scheduled for Late February/Early March 2023
Check back here for continual workshop information and/or join the RC:H2B Mailing List to receive timely updates and notifications. Sign up for the RC:H2B Mailing List.
Application forms will be available Late Spring/Early Summer 2023.
RC:H2B Program Milestones
The following is the projected timeline for the RC:H2B Program
| Draft Milestone Schedule | Date & Time |
|---|---|
| Program Guidelines Workshop #1 | November 28, 2022, from 1pm to 2:30pm |
| Program Guidelines Workshop #2 | December 19, 2022, from 1:30pm to 3:00pm |
| Program Guidelines Workshop #3 | Late February/Early March 2023 |
| Call for Projects | Late Spring/Early Summer 2023 |
| Application Workshops | Summer 2023 |
| Project Application Deadline | Late Summer/Early Fall 2023 |
| Project Award Notification | Late 2023/Early 2024 |
Stay Informed
Sign up for the Reconnecting Communities: Highways to Boulevards Mailing List
For more information, please contact: CRCP@dot.ca.gov