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Lawmakers press administration to restore active transportation funding after prior cuts
Summary
Assembly members and agency witnesses debated cuts to the Active Transportation Program, lawmakers pressed for restoration and asked whether state highway account or federal funds could be used to replenish grants for bike, walk and safe‑routes projects.
Assembly members told the budget subcommittee they expect restoration of money cut from the Active Transportation Program (ATP) after a 2024 reduction left many project applicants unfunded.
The committee discussed ATP as a stand‑alone issue after Secretary Toks Omishakin and Legislative Analyst’s Office staff noted that the governor’s transportation package includes $1.1 billion for active transportation projects, reconnecting communities programs, and climate adaptation. LAO analyst Rachel Ehlers said the transportation budget “maintains the transportation package” but that the state’s multi‑year commitments limit flexibility to shift funds without disrupting locally contracted projects.
Assemblymember Conley, who led the committee’s ATP questioning, reminded members of last year’s cuts — an earlier proposed reduction of about $500 million that was mostly restored — and asked officials to quantify the program’s return on investment. Secretary Omishakin pointed to safety and equity gains, saying roughly 30% of traffic fatalities involve vulnerable road users and that ATP investments reduce those risks and support climate goals.
“We've seen the return on investment,” Omishakin said, citing benefits to safety, health, equity and local economic activity around active‑transportation investments. Department of Finance staff added anecdotal support, with Benjamin Pollock noting the program’s popularity among stakeholders and adding his personal observation of protected bike lanes in Sacramento.
Lawmakers pressed for options to restore funds. Assemblymember Conley asked whether the state highway account (SHA) could be used to backfill the ATP’s reductions. Secretary Omishakin cautioned that the SHA’s principal role is highway maintenance for more than 15,000 miles of state‑maintained roadways and that tapping it repeatedly risks deferring maintenance. Department of Finance staff noted the state had used SHA backfill in recent years—roughly $600 million previously—but called it a balancing act between maintenance and active‑transportation priorities.
Committee members also asked about directing federal flexible funds toward ATP projects. Omishakin said federal Highway Administration programs include flexible accounts that can be used for active transportation and that the administration would continue to pursue federal opportunities and reauthorization conversations.
Several public commenters and advocacy groups later urged the committee to restore the funding fully, noting ATP’s safety benefits and high oversubscription rates in recent grant cycles. The subcommittee requested more detailed data from agencies on projects that were not funded and options for near‑term restoration.
Ending: The subcommittee asked the administration and Department of Finance to provide detailed project lists, guidance on SHA trade‑offs, and an assessment of federal funding options to inform a budget response before the May Revision.
