California has announced nearly $5 billion in funding for transportation improvements and zero-emission projects statewide. The state’s investment is designed to strengthen key freight corridors and improve access for travelers of all types.
Of the total funding for the upgrades, $470 million comes through Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the state’s Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. The act created a long-term revenue stream for transportation in California by raising and annually indexing gasoline and diesel taxes, vehicle registration fees and zero-emission vehicle fees for inflation. Those revenues are distributed each year to state, regional and local agencies to repair aging infrastructure, expand public transit and improve roadway safety.
An additional $4.2 billion in support comes from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) enacted in 2021. California expects to receive nearly $42 billion in guaranteed federal transportation funding over a five-year period, according to state officials.
Together, these state and federal investments reinforce California’s effort to modernize its transportation system, enhance mobility and build infrastructure that serves both local communities and the broader regional economy.
The latest round of funding supports a mix of infrastructure upgrades and local transportation improvements across California. More than half of the allocation will provide 600 local and regional transportation agencies with their annual funding for repairing and enhancing statewide transportation needs. Projects approved under the state and federal programs include:
- $700 million for repairs and critical upgrades to the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles County.
- $140 million to add truck-climbing lanes and improve Interstate 80 in the Sierra Foothills, a major West Coast freight corridor.
- $97 million to replace the pedestrian bridge connecting neighborhoods south of the City College of San Francisco campus and for other improvements along Interstate 280.
- $6.3 million for new sidewalks, bike lanes and traffic controls in the cities of Santa Barbara and Santa Rosa.
- $10 million to construct a floating charging station for zero-emission ferries in San Francisco Bay.
- $9.7 million to purchase electric buses for use around the University of California, Los Angeles campus.
- $8 million to restore fire-damaged irrigation systems and landscaping near Lake Forest in Orange County.
According to state transportation officials, the upgrades are expected to reduce congestion and strengthen California’s infrastructure for a climate-conscious future. The California Department of Transportation and the California Transportation Commission emphasize that new funding will continue to prioritize multimodal travel and zero-emission infrastructure. These initiatives seek to improve air quality and safety while expanding access to reliable transportation options statewide.
The latest round of investments is also expected to support thousands of construction and engineering jobs across the state.
Photo by ITB495, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
