Existing law authorizes the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) to develop, in cooperation with local and regional transportation entities, the full potential of all resources and opportunities that are now, and may become, available to the State and to regional and local agencies for meeting California’s transportation needs.
The urban heat effect and climate change means that urban areas are much hotter than surrounding areas and will continue to become hotter, leading to more smog, wildfires, poor air quality, respiratory illness, heart-related illness, and hospital visits.
Lack of shade is an issue of equity and climate justice in disadvantaged communities, in communities of color, and for low-income transit riders, as they are disproportionately exposed to rain, sun, and excessive heat caused by rising temperatures, exacerbated by the heat-island effects of pavement, and borne out by the scarcity of shade in cities and counties throughout California.
This bill would require CalTrans to develop guidelines for data sharing, documentation, public access, quality control, and promotion of open-source and accessible platforms and decision support tools related to street furniture data. The bill would define “street furniture” as objects and pieces of equipment installed along a street or road to provide amenities for pedestrians, including, but not limited to, bus shelters.
The bill would also require CalTrans, in consultation with the Office of Planning and Research, to use the California Minimum General Transit Feed Specification guidelines to integrate statewide and publicly accessible street furniture data on a statewide integrated data platform on a specified schedule.
Committee Location: Double-referred to the Transportation and Privacy and Consumer Protection committees. Set for a hearing on March 13, 2:30pm in the Transportation Committee.
Full bill text and related info.
