• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced another $1.7 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to prevent roadway deaths and protect pedestrians and cyclists on the Central Coast, according to an Oct. 31 statement from Carbajal’s office. “Part of revitalizing our infrastructure and improving our roads and highways is making sure that Central Coast residents are safe while using them, both as a passenger and as a pedestrian or bicyclist,” Carbajal said in the statement. “I’m proud to see another round of infrastructure funding coming to the Central Coast to help deliver on our goal of making traffic deaths a thing of the past.” Grants from the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program is giving $791,611 for the city of Santa Barbara and UC Santa Barbara to collect pedestrian and cycling count data, integrate it with crash data, and determine future road safety audits by identifying unsafe pedestrian and cycling hot spots. San Luis Obispo received $400,000 to conduct a comprehensive safety assessment—including a detailed analysis of the collision history, a roadway safety audit, expanded data collection, and stakeholder engagement. Goleta received $364,000 to implement a public safety dashboard to track and monitor safety projects, and a safe routes to school program to establish non-motorized transportation options for students residing in the Old Town neighborhood. The $164,000 allocated to Pismo Beach will be used to develop a comprehensive safety action plan.
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded 12 grants to California rail infrastructure projects totaling more than $279 million, according to an Oct. 29 statement from Padilla’s office. The grants are part of the DOT’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant program, which funds projects to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has nearly tripled funding for this program—with $5 billion available from 2022 to 2026. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering hundreds of millions of dollars to make rail transit more efficient and safer for Californians,” Padilla said in the statement. “Modernizing and building out our rail networks will help lower our carbon emissions, create good-paying jobs, and keep commuters and goods moving across the state. This announcement includes a crucial federal investment in the LOSSAN rail corridor, bolstering efficiency and climate resiliency against rising sea levels and erosion along the California coastline.”
• Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order designed to reduce electric costs for Californians, according to an Oct. 30 statement from Newsom’s office. The governor’s action encourages electric bill relief while maintaining the state’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality and 100 percent clean electricity by 2045. The action comes as millions of Californians received an average credit of $71 on their October electric bills from the California Climate Credit, provided by the state’s Cap-and-Trade Program. “We’re taking action to address rising electricity costs and save consumers money on their bills,” Newsom said in the statement. “California is proving that we can address affordability concerns as we continue our world-leading efforts to combat the climate crisis.” Californians have seen their electric bills rising in recent years. A major driver has been critical utility wildfire mitigation efforts that have accelerated to match the pace of the climate crisis, as well as several programs added over time. The executive order asks the California Public Utilities Commission to identify underperforming programs and return any unused energy program funds back to customers receiving electric and gas service from private utilities as one or more credits on their bills. It directs the California Air Resources Board to work with the Public Utilities Commission to determine ways to maximize the California Climate Credit—which is a twice annual credit that shows up on many Californians’ electric and gas bills in the spring and fall and is funded by the state’s Cap-and-Trade Program. Finally, it asks the Utilities Commission to evaluate electric ratepayer supported programs and make recommendations on additional ways to save consumers money.
This article appears in Nov 7-17, 2024.