Two bills streamline building public transportation
This year, the California legislature is considering two bills to streamline building public transportation.
SB71 (Wiener) makes permanent the provisions of earlier bills that sped up sidewalks, bike lanes, and bus lanes within the existing right of way, by providing exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act. The bill follows earlier bills, SB288 in 2020 which started the exemption, SB922 in 2022 which extended the exemption through 2029. SPUR, which is co-sponsoring the legislation, recently published a report detailing 92 projects across the state that have benefited from these exemptions. A related bill, AB2503 in 2024, provided a CEQA exemption for rail electrification.
SB445 (Wiener) sets timelines for utilities and local governments to approve permits for sustainable transportation projects, and empowers lead agencies to be self-permitting and advance work should the timelines not be met. The permitting process is a frequent cause of delay for rail and transit projects.
Seamless Bay Area supports these bills, because California is infamous for taking too long and paying too much to expand and improve public transit and active transportation. Streamlining these projects improves our ability to increase safe and convenient sustainable transportation options to reduce carbon emissions and particulate pollution.