California lawmakers recently passed Assembly Bill 2168, moving the state one step closer to safer streets for everyone. This important legislation now rests on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk awaiting his final signature. If signed, the bill would provide funding to help support transportation networks that protect your safety whether you walk, ride a bicycle or take public transit. By passing this bill, state leaders have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving daily travel across local communities.
This measure specifically targets California’s Active Transportation Program to ensure state funds deliver maximum safety benefits.
What will happen if the bill becomes law?
Although not yet signed in the recently announced list of bills, if Governor Newsom signs this bill, more funding will be available to help support several proposed improvements including:
- Projects to better connect bicycling and walking paths directly to public transit hubs.
- Regional infrastructure grants to align more effectively to stretch taxpayer dollars further.
- Local agencies that repeatedly delay approved safety projects will face strict accountability penalties.
These strategic updates will create smoother connections between infrastructure projects and hold local governments accountable for delivering timely safety upgrades.
What if the bill is not signed?
If the governor signs the bill, communities across California will gain modern bike lanes, protected crosswalks and reliable transit connections and reduce the risk of dangerous bicycle accidents. Conversely, if the governor vetoes the legislation or allows it to expire, California will continue to waste precious resources on fragmented projects. Unconnected bike paths and delayed safety upgrades leave cyclists and pedestrians vulnerable to preventable traffic collisions. Without these legal accountability measures, municipal agencies can continue to delay critical safety improvements without consequence.
State leaders deserve praise for recognizing that modern infrastructure must protect vulnerable road users. Now, Governor Newsom must take the final step by signing Assembly Bill 2168 into law to secure safer roadways for every Californian.
