Highway 50 Settlement is Evidence California Can Stimulate Economy without Sacrificing Clean Air

The settlement demonstrates that the state’s most popular environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), can be used to bring parties together to negotiate better projects for Californians.

 

“We applaud the leadership of Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and all sides for coming together to create a solution that provides more public transit and less pollution,” said Kathryn Phillips, director of the California transportation and air initiative at Environmental Defense Fund.

 

“This shows that rather than exempting similar transportation projects from environmental review, California leaders should see the Highway 50 resolution as an example of how CEQA can produce better, smarter plans to grow our economy without going backwards on our environmental progress,” said Warner Chabot, CEO of the California League of Conservation Voters. “Lawmakers should take CEQA, which has nothing to do with solving the state budget crisis, off the table.”

 

During the past several weeks, the environmental concerns about Highway 50 and several other controversial transportation projects have been a leading cause of the budget stalemate, with GOP leaders asking that the projects be exempt from environmental review. The environmental groups are hopeful that a positive settlement of the Highway 50 case will demonstrate the economic and environmental importance of keeping California’s environmental laws intact for the good of all.

 

“We are pleased to see a resolution that keeps environmental review intact, helps improve air quality and reduces greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming,” said Phillips. “Environmental review delivers a better product that allows California to create a 21^st century transportation system.”

 

Earlier today, a lawsuit between state highway officials and local environmentalists was settled to allow the state to move forward with plans for carpool lanes on Highway 50 in Rancho Cordova. Under the settlement agreement, the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) will contribute $8 million to help the Sacramento Rapid Transit District fund a project to add a second track to the light rail system between Sacramento and Folsom. This project will increase the availability of green transit options and should significantly increase ridership. The project also will include improved pedestrian and bicycle access to the light transit system.