Sacramento, CA—On Monday, December 5th, Assemblymember Laura Friedman introduced Assembly Bills 6 and 7 to align transportation funding priorities with California’s sustainability and equity goals.
“We have a housing and climate crisis. While our transportation sector is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, it also has the greatest potential to be the solution through equitable, accessible and clean transportation options,” said Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Transportation. “These two bills aim to give our regions and the state the opportunity to take impactful steps towards achieving our climate goals outlined in SB 375.”
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who authored SB 375: The Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008, is a strong supporter of Assemblymember Friedman’s efforts to bring the environmental and equity lenses to transportation spending.
“SB 375 was a landmark bill that statutorily changed the conversation about how the state of California can achieve its climate goals through good housing and transportation planning at the regional level. It has been nearly 14 years since the paradigm shift began, and now it is time to find smart solutions to finally get our transportation planning on track with our state climate goals. I look forward to this partnership with Assemblymember Friedman.”
SB 375 was monumental legislation that used the long-range plans of California's 18 Metropolitan Planning Agencies (MPOs) to integrate transportation, land use, housing and air quality planning to help the state meet its aggressive climate goals, as recently revised by the California Air Resources Board.
Building on SB 375, AB 6 and AB 7 provide more specific focus to ensure MPO's have all the needed state cooperation and tools to make progress on the transportation sector’s profound impact on climate change now, not just in future years.
AB 6 and 7 are the next generation of the 2022 bills AB 2237 and AB 2438, respectively. AB 6 seeks regional transportation improvements, and AB 7 seeks to create stronger state-funding guidelines. Both bills will face their first committee votes in the spring of 2023.
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Laura Friedman represents the 43rd Assembly District, which encompasses the cities of Burbank, Glendale, and La Cañada Flintridge, as well as the communities of La Crescenta and Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, Beachwood Canyon, Los Feliz, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, and Silver Lake.