Dear friend, We won! On Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Transportation Accountability Act, AB 2086. The new law, authored by Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo and sponsored by Transform and our partners at the Greenlining Institute, will require greater transparency from Caltrans on how it spends California’s transportation dollars. That will allow advocates like Transform to hold Caltrans’ feet to the fire and demand investments in green, equitable transportation rather than in expanding highways. Supporters like you directly powered our work to help this critical bill become law—THANK YOU! California’s transportation sector is responsible for 50% of our greenhouse gas emissions. As Transform’s Policy Director Zack Deutsch-Gross pointed out in a recent op-ed, projects California is currently completing with new federal funds will have a net negative effect on climate change. Building and widening highways just results in more driving—we know that, and we need policymakers to change our spending priorities now, and start investing seriously in transit, biking, and walking. That’s why this law was necessary, and why it’s so impactful. It will hold Caltrans accountable to how it spends taxpayer dollars, requiring it to analyze how investments advance climate and equity goals, and update the public through its online dashboard. |
|
