California Transportation Commission hears STIP proposals that exceed fund capacity; staff to reconcile ahead of March adoption

The California Transportation Commission held a South informational hearing on the proposed 2026 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), where state and regional staff outlined proposals that together exceed the fund estimate and will require reconciliation before the commission’s March adoption vote.

Commissioner Zahira Mann opened the hearing and reminded attendees that state law requires two public hearings before the STIP is adopted. Sheila Innes, acting STIP manager, said the 2026 fund estimate identified about $952,000,000 in capacity for new STIP programming and that total RTIP and ITIP proposals in the hearing book were roughly $951,650,000 but that programming for the first three years exceeds available capacity by approximately $333,000,000.

"Because total proposals exceed the available capacity, staff will be unable to recommend all projects," Innes said, urging regions to work with staff on priorities. She added staff recommendations will be posted no later than 20 days before the adoption meeting and noted the staff packet released Feb. 27, 2026 will reflect those recommendations.

Caltrans and regional agencies each presented their RTIP or ITIP submissions and explained how proposed projects align with state priorities such as safety, equity, and active transportation. Caltrans’ financial programming chief, James Anderson, described a $176.6 million ITIP request that is roughly $7.6 million above its target and emphasized that nearly 87% of new ITIP programming would support rail and active-transportation investments.

Multiple regional agencies outlined their priorities and projects that would rely on STIP funding, from managed lanes and highway improvements to active-transportation connections and rail resiliency work. Jennifer Bergner of the Orange County Transportation Authority highlighted the replacement of the Pacific Coast Highway coastal rail bridge and the OC Loop project. Mark Yamarone of Los Angeles Metro described requests for mobility hubs, protected bike lanes, battery-electric buses and right-of-way funds for the East Side Transit Corridor Phase 2A.

Commission staff and the executive director said they will work one-on-one with regions to reconcile overprogramming, delay projects if necessary, and identify projects that can be shifted to later STIP years. Executive Director Taylor framed the task as "a jigsaw puzzle" that requires close collaboration among Caltrans, regional agencies, and commission staff.

The hearing concluded after a public comment period in which residents and advocates urged more active-transportation investment and raised environmental justice concerns about some highway expansion proposals. The commission will consider STIP adoption at its next regular meeting in March after staff releases final recommendations on Feb. 27, 2026.