California SB 198 (2022): Climate Adaptation Grant Programs for Local and State Transportation in California

Through the passage of Senate Bill 198 on June 30, 2022, California created three programs focused on adapting surface transportation to climate change, both at the state and local level. The programs fund planning and project development and implementation efforts to identify and address vulnerabilities in the California transportation system and move toward building transportation resilience to climate impacts. They are administered by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), which generally oversees the state transportation system and planning, and the California Transportation Commission, which oversees programming and prioritization for transportation projects in the state.

The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) provided additional avenues for state spending on transportation resilience, both through the National Highway Performance Program, which increased the percentage of dollars allowed to be spent on protective features to 15%, and through a new resilience-focused program. The Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) program provides formula funding to states to plan and adapt their transportation systems to climate change. The three programs created by SB 198 provide structure to how California invests this new influx of resilience funding.

SB 198 first creates the Transportation Infrastructure Climate Adaptation Strategy Grant Program, which is administered by the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in consultation and coordination with other state and local agencies which have already developed climate adaptation plans. It is a competitive planning grant program which awards funding to local agencies to identify transportation climate vulnerabilities through climate adaptation planning, identify projects to adapt transportation to climate change, or incorporate climate adaptation into existing transportation plans. It can also fund technical assistance for vulnerable and under-resourced communities, and planning actions within the scope of existing local plans (e.g., climate-related plans, hazard mitigation plans, or general plans) that will help identify transportation capital projects to build resilience. The bill requires local agencies to seek public input from potentially impacted communities for any work carried out through the grant.

The bill next creates the State Transportation Infrastructure Climate Adaptation Program (STCAP) for the purpose of adapting state transportation infrastructure to climate change and developing the state’s Resilience Improvement Plan (as encouraged by PROTECT) and priority list for adaptation projects. STCAP is administered by Caltrans and utilizes 60% of California's PROTECT formula funding. In selecting projects for STCAP, Caltrans must consider a variety of factors, including: adaptation priority reports; risk of recurring damage to assets; benefits of the project to statewide mobility, economy, goods movement, and safety; the ability of the project to protect surrounding communities, the environment, and infrastructure; and if the project incorporates environmental equity and benefits underserved communities. Caltrans may also consider mitigation-related cobenefits (e.g., reduced emissions and vehicle miles traveled) as secondary factors. Projects identified for STCAP include upgrading highway materials from wood to steel to increase asset wildfire resilience and introducing shade structures along transit routes to protect commuters from extreme heat.

SB 198 also establishes the Local Transportation Infrastructure Climate Adaptation Project Program (LTCAP) in order to adapt local transportation infrastructure to climate change through project development and implementation. Administered by the California Transportation Commission (CTC), LTCAP utilizes 40% of California's PROTECT formula funds and also receives funding from California's general fund. Projects eligible for LTCAP must increase climate resilience, be consistent with state and local climate adaptation reports and planning, include community engagement with related under-resourced and vulnerable communities, and incorporate environmental equity. Projects are additionally prioritized based on the factors laid out in STCAP. Identified projects include evacuation route resilience projects, slope stabilization, and upgrading floodgates.

 All three programs created by SB 198 require the consideration of equity to some extent in choosing and prioritizing projects. The Transportation Infrastructure Climate Adaptation Strategy Grant Program requires that equity is considered in the administration of the program. In choosing and prioritizing projects through STCAP, Caltrans must consider how a project incorporates environmental equity. LTCAP goes a step further and requires local agencies to both engage with potentially impacted vulnerable communities and incorporate environmental equity into projects in order for projects to be eligible for the grant.

The authorization for these programs and their requirements were added by Section 3 of Senate Bill 198 to the California Government Code as Chapter 6, Transportation Infrastructure: Climate Adaptation Grant Programs (Section 14560 - 14565).

Publication Date: June 30, 2022

Related Organizations:

  • State of California

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  • Funding program
  • Laws

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