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Advocates urge restoration of active‑transportation funding and urgent support for transit amid fiscal shortfalls
Summary
Multiple public commenters and committee members urged the legislature to backfill a $400 million cut to the Active Transportation Program and to identify resources for public transit agencies facing deep operating deficits.
During public comment at the informational hearing, multiple advocates urged the legislature to restore funding cut from the Active Transportation Program (ATP) and to address looming transit operating shortfalls.
Jeanne Wardwaller representing Greenlining and a coalition of advocacy groups said the ATP cut of $400,000,000 last year left the program unable to fund hundreds of applications: "Over 90% of the projects have benefited disadvantaged communities," Wardwaller said, and the California Transportation Commission could only fund about a dozen projects out of more than 300 applications after the cut.
Speakers from SPUR and Streets for All emphasized that transit agencies face “existential shortfalls,” with large Bay Area operators reporting operating deficits on the order of 25 to 40 percent of budgets. Laura Tolkoff of SPUR asked the committee to support legislative budget proposals from Senator Areguin and Assemblymember Gonzalez and to explore longer‑term revenue stabilization for transit.
Kendra Ramsey of the California Bicycle Coalition and Sophie Everco of the Coalition for Clean Air reiterated calls to restore ATP funding and suggested the state explore using the State Highway Account or flexible federal funds to backfill ATP rather than tapping GGRF. Michael Pimentel of the California Transit Association underscored the same urgency for transit operators recovering from pandemic revenue declines.
Several public comments connected litter‑abatement funding and workforce programs (such as Back to Work) to the Clean California discussion. Rediff and Back to Work representatives said scaling back crews produces immediate job loss and urged preservation of prior workforce investments.
The committee did not vote on funding requests; members acknowledged the severity of transit and ATP shortfalls and signaled an interest in finding fiscally feasible approaches while balancing other budget pressures.
