A bill that would fast-track approval of bicycle, rapid bus, light rail and pedestrian projects in California was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, the bill's sponsor announced Friday.
SACRAMENTO -- A bill that would fast-track approval of bicycle, rapid bus, light rail and pedestrian projects in California was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, the bill's sponsor announced Friday.
The bill by state senator Scott Wiener allows communities to get climate-friendly sustainable transportation projects by exempting them from the California Environmental Quality Act .signed into law our bill expediting approval of light rail, rapid bus, bike & pedestrian safety projects. SB 922 allows communities to get these sustainable transportation projects - critical for climate action, safety & mobility - on the ground faster.builds on previous legislation from Sen. Wiener to waive such infrastructure projects from environmental and litigation hurdles that could add years of delays to green transportation projects. While SB 288 sunsets on Jan. 1, 2023, SB 922 would extend the law for another seven years.
"Expanding public transit, bike and pedestrian infrastructure puts people to work and mitigates the worst impacts of climate change," said Wiener in a statement introducing the bill earlier this year."Our federal and state governments are making huge investments in infrastructure and we need to get these projects going much faster than we have in the past.
Wiener says the projects that apply for a CEQA waiver must now meet one of the following requirements:• Make it possible to run bus service on highways• Support parking policies that reduces drive-alone trips & congestionTo ensure that the exemption is not misapplied to projects with detrimental impacts, these projects must also:• Must not demolish affordable housing Assemblymember Laura Friedman is a co-author of SB 922, as is Senator Josh Becker .Thanks for reading CBS NEWS.
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