Caltrans

The proposal to improve transbay transit with a contraflow bus lane on the Bay Bridge is gaining traction, as the SF Chronicle reported yesterday. The idea has been pushed by proponents at SPUR, AC Transit, and some BART board members for years as a relatively quick and inexpensive solution to move more people between SF and the East Bay. BART is already experiencing "crush loads" under the Bay, but a second transbay tube may not come for decades.

Caltrans has a new goal of tripling California's share of bicycling trips, and doubling that of walking and transit by 2020.

Although Governor Jerry Brown's proposed FY 2015 budget showed a decrease in the line item for the Active Transportation Program (ATP), Caltrans Budget Chief Steven Keck assured the California Transportation Commission at its meeting last week that the change was technical and the funding level would be the same as last year's.

Caltrans announced over the holiday weekend that it has allocated one of the remaining chunks of money from Prop 1B, the massive transportation bond act approved by California voters in 2006.

As part of its ongoing work to expand its focus beyond just highways, California's Department of Transportation, better known as Caltrans, recently created a new position -- the Assistant Director of Sustainability. Steven Cliff, the new hire, will oversee the integration of one of the department's newest goals: “Sustainability, Livability, and Economy.”

Governor Jerry Brown signed two bills on Saturday that will make it easier for California cities to build better bike infrastructure.

When visitors land on the front page of the Presidio Parkway's website, they see an animated pelican emerging from beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, gliding across green hills and blue skies. When the bird lands, you can "Meet Parker" with a click and learn all about the Presidio Parkway Pelican.

The "Protected Bikeways Act," A.B. 1193, passed the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee Thursday on a 10-0 vote, despite opposition from some quarters. The bill must still be approved by the full Senate and Governor Jerry Brown.