AB 2796: Active Transportation Program.

Existing law creates the Active Transportation Program in the Department of Transportation for the purpose of encouraging increased use of active modes of transportation, such as biking and walking, with specified available funds to be awarded to eligible projects by the California Transportation Commission and regional transportation agencies. Existing law requires the commission to award 50% and 10% of available funds to projects statewide and to projects in small urban and rural regions, respectively, with the remaining 40% of available funds to be awarded to projects by metropolitan planning organizations, with the funds available for distribution by each metropolitan planning organization based on its relative population. Existing law requires the California Transportation Commission to adopt the 2015 program of projects no later than January 31, 2016, with each subsequent program of projects to be adopted by April 1 of each odd-numbered year, and requires the commission to adopt guidelines for the program.

This bill would would, for a program cycle adopted on or after January 1, 2018, require a minimum of 5% of available funds in each of the 3 distribution categories to be awarded for planning and community engagement for active transportation in disadvantaged communities and a minimum of 10% of all available Active Transportation Program funds to be programmed for planning and noninfrastructure purposes, except as provided. provided, and would require at least 50 percent of that amount to be programmed for planning activities to develop comprehensive active transportation master plans. The bill would also require the guidelines adopted by the commission to authorize an implementing agency to expend its own funds in advance of an allocation of funds to the project by the commission and to subsequently be reimbursed for eligible expenditures if the agency, for a project programmed in a future fiscal year, receives commission approval in the form of a letter of no prejudice or the agency, for a project programmed in the current fiscal year, notifies the commission of its intent to expend its own funds in advance of an allocation, as prescribed.