California Approves Nearly $1B for Statewide Traffic Safety, Transit and Climate Projects

Caltrans funding package blends federal IIJA dollars with Senate Bill 1 investments to advance transportation upgrades across 20 districts

Feb. 4, 2026

2 min read

Key Highlights

California approved $988.7 million in transportation funding combining IIJA federal dollars and Senate Bill 1 revenues.
Investments target highway safety, freight mobility, wildlife crossings and transit improvements across 20 Caltrans districts.
Signature projects include upgrades on I-10, the Ramona Expressway and the state’s first wildlife crossing over U.S. 101.

A welcome to California sign along a highway. — Caltrans has allocated nearly $1 billion for various traffic safety initiatives across the state of California.

California will invest nearly $1 billion to further traffic safety initiatives across the state — including improved highway safety, expanded transit capabilities and climate action goals.

The California Transportation Commission (Caltrans) approved $988.7 million, including $184 million in federal funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and another $336 million from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, according to an agency press release.

KTLA 5 reports that Senate Bill 1 serves as California’s primary source of transportation funding.

Funding will be allocated towards projects including:

$96 million to improve travel times and safety enhancements between Ventura County and Goleta by installing HOV lanes and pedestrian and bike paths,
$73 million for improvements to semi-truck operations and safety on Interstate 10 in San Bernadino County,
$63 million for a new bridge, bike lanes and a wildlife crossing as part of the Ramona Expressway upgrade in Riverside County
$18.8 million for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over U.S. Route 101 in partnership with the California Natural Resources Agency,
And another $98 million for various transit improvement projects across the state.

The press release states that the wildlife crossing is the first of its kind in California, designed to reduce vehicle-wildlife collisions and connect habitats.

IIJA is expected to bring in nearly $54 billion in federal funding to California for infrastructure upgrades, the press release states, while Senate Bill 1 continues to support transportation investment through its $5 billion annual allocation to state and local agencies since 2017.

Funded projects span 20 Caltrans districts, according to KLTA 5.

Sources: Caltrans, KTLA 5