ACTION ALERT: Tell California that you support clean air projects in your region!

For decades, California has invested billions of dollars into constructing more highways with the goal of reducing traffic and making driving easier. But these investments have harmed us by exacerbating climate change, worsening air quality, displacing homes and families, and creating more traffic accidents. Despite all of the investments, traffic levels have only worsened, costing drivers up to $1,774 in gas fuel and up to nearly three and a half full days in lost time each year. While countless studies have shown that the only way to truly reduce traffic levels is to invest in alternative transportation modes, such as constructing new bike lanes and sidewalks, California plans to continue spending millions of dollars on new highways. Join us in calling state agencies to rethink this approach and invest in clean transportation solutions instead, which actually contribute to improving public health, safety, accessibility, and the economy, while helping reduce harmful emissions and congestion levels.

We have identified eight California regions who are looking to fund more highways while having a plethora of green transportation projects in their region still looking for funding. Do you live in one of these Counties?

• Imperial County
• Orange County
• Riverside County
• Kern County
• San Joaquin County
• San Mateo County
• Santa Clara County
• San Luis Obispo County

Even if you do not live in one of the identified regions, consider sending a quick message to make your voice heard that you support funding for more sustainable projects. Join us and other organizations in calling for the CTC to stop investing into projects that make our lives worse!

Tell California that you support clean air projects in your region!

Thank you for choosing to send a letter to the CTC calling for the investment of green transportation projects over highways. Your voice ensures that Commissioners continue to hear from people most impacted by these types of projects. Please see instructions below on how to submit a letter.

Letter Instructions:

Fill out the letter template below. Afterwards, submit the letter by email to Douglas.Remedios@catc.ca.gov.

Letter Template:

Honorable Clarissa Reyes Falcon

Chair, California Transportation Commission

1120 N Street MS 52

Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: Comments on the 2026 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)

Dear Chair Falcon and Members of the California Transportation Commission,

I am a resident of [Name of your County] and I urge the CTC to not spend STIP funding on highway widening projects in my county and to instead allocate additional resources to support any unfunded active transportation projects in the region.

As a resident of California, I breathe some of the dirtiest air in the entire nation. This leaves me and my family more susceptible to diseases such as asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer. I also struggle with some of the worst traffic and some of the highest transportation costs. These problems only are further exacerbated by our state choosing to fund highway expansion projects that only serve to further increase traffic and worsen our quality of life.

At the same time, projects exist in our state that would actually help reduce traffic yet continuously go unfunded. These projects would build more walking and biking improvements in my community and would allow people like me to be able to walk or bike to their destination without having to drive. Having the option not to drive would save my family gas money and help us become more physically healthy. Additionally, by freeing up more space on our roads, these projects would allow me to spend more time with my family instead of being stuck in traffic, and help improve our air quality.

[If you want, feel free to personalize your letter here. Use the bullet points below that most relate to your situation to help you guide your comments:

• I am/my family member is struggling with asthma, which is made worse by breathing polluted air. Improving air quality would help me/my family because…
• My work commute has me sitting in traffic, which is being made worse by highway projects in my region. I support measures that actually reduce traffic because…
• I am unable to afford/cannot drive a car, which has me relying on walking, biking, or using public transportation. I would like to see more of those services funded because….
• I would like my children to grow up breathing clean air and being safe on our streets. I support projects like safe routes to school because…
• I know somebody who has been in a car accident. I support active transportation projects, which improve road safety because…

I urge the CTC to consider funding more active transportation projects and to stop funding highway widening projects, especially in my region. [Check to see if you live in one of the 8 key counties listed below. If you do, please paste the paragraph related to your county here] Thank you for choosing to help improve my community with investments into greener projects over highways.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Resident of [County Name]

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Regional Talking Points (click to view)

Imperial County:

Imperial County is requesting to fund the Forrester Road Improvement Project, which proposes to turn Forrester Road from a 2-lane road into a 4-lane Expressway. I ask that the CTC replace the Forrester Road Improvement Project with the Holton Interurban Bikeway Project instead.

Orange County:

Orange County is planning to fund the I-5 Managed Lanes Project, which would add at least one HOV lane in each direction. This project will pull riders off the parallel Metrolink and Amtrak rail services, and undermine any progress the other active transportation, transit, and rail projects will have on improving air quality and reducing GHG emissions in the region. Instead, I ask that the funding be used to fund the Monroe Elementary and Edison Elementary SRTS Project, which would ensure that children are safe walking to and from school.

Riverside County:

Riverside County is including a request for $55M for the Route 15 Express Lanes project, which would build an additional 16 miles of express lanes. In their environmental documents, the developers admit that this project will increase GHG emissions once it has been built. Instead of funding the Express Lanes project, I ask the CTC to direct this funding toward active transportation projects instead, such as the City of Banning Downtown Active Transportation Improvement Project, Pedley Elementary School Pedestrian Improvements, Galena Street Improvement Project, and the Improvement of Trail Network Connectivity Project.  

Kern County:

Kern County is requesting $26M in their 2026 RTIP, most of which goes toward funding an additional truck climbing lane on State Route 58, which will induce traffic and increase air pollution in the region. At the same time, the City of Bakersfield has requested $25M in ATP funding to construct active transportation improvements along the Monitor Street corridor, which faces high collision rates despite its proximity to nine schools. For these reasons, I ask that the CTC direct Kern County to replace the Truck Climbing Lane Phase 2 project with the Monitor Street ATP project.

San Joaquin County:

San Joaquin County is proposing to fund two capacity-increasing projects, the State Route 99/120 Connector Project and the I-205 Managed Lanes Project. Instead of investing tax-payer dollars to projects that will increase collision rate and GHG emissions, San Joaquin County should invest in projects that improve safety, accessibility, and air quality. For these reasons, I ask that the CTC direct San Joaquin County to fund Main and Market Complete Streets Phase II, Downtown Walkability and Bikeability, East Lathrop Bicycle and Pedestrian Enhancements, and Boggs Tract Sustainable Transportation Improvements Projects instead.

San Mateo County:

The San Mateo 101 Managed Lanes Project North of I-380 is requesting $16.8M to build a managed lane in each direction along the U.S. 101. At the same time, San Mateo submitted 3 projects for the last cycle of ATP funding, and were unable to see any of them funded. I ask that the 101 Managed Lanes Project be replaced with the Kelly Avenue Complete Streets Project.

Santa Clara County:

The Santa Clara County RTIP proposes to fund the US 101 Express Lanes Project, which would add a second express lane in both directions. This region also saw not a single ATP project funded in their region last cycle, despite submitting five applications. In order to ensure that the region continues to progress steadily towards meeting its climate targets, I ask that the US 101 Express Lanes Project be substituted with the Milpitas Citywide Safe Routes to School Improvements Project and the Pruneridge Avenue Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements Project.

San Luis Obispo County:

San Luis Obispo County is proposing to fund multiple widening projects using its STIP funding, including the State Route 46 Antelope Grade Corridor Improvements Project, U.S. 101 NB Off-ramp and SR 46 East Project, and the U.S. 101/Prado Road Interchange Project. While I support the staff decision to cut funding for the U.S. 101 NB Off-ramp and SR 46 East Project, I ask that the funding from all of these highway projects go towards funding the SLOCOG Safe Routes for All Project instead, which would improve safety and connectivity in the region.