California Approves $1.1 Billion to Expand Zero-Emission Transit and Modernize Aging Infrastructure

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Dec. 8 announced that the California Transportation Commission approved $1.1 billion to accelerate deployment of zero-emission buses, expand charging infrastructure, and upgrade essential transportation systems across the state. The investment advances the Governor’s Build More, Faster – For All infrastructure agenda aimed at strengthening climate resilience and improving community mobility as California moves toward a clean transportation future.

The allocation supports a wide set of projects. The agency approved $53 million for 12 clean-energy locomotives to replace older diesel units in Southern California’s Metrolink system, a shift expected to cut emissions and modernize regional rail. Another $57 million will repair a storm-damaged section of State Route 1 near Lucia, while $9.5 million will help construct a mobility center in Santa Maria to serve regional clean-energy buses. Additional investments include $15 million to replace the historic Seventh Street Bridge in Modesto, $13 million to restore fire-damaged areas of State Route 38 in San Bernardino County, and $839,000 for new bike lanes and sidewalk upgrades in Orange Cove.

A significant portion of the current month’s allocation is backed by ongoing funding sources. Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, provided $463 million and continues to deliver roughly $5 billion per year for statewide transportation upgrades. Another $190 million comes from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, part of the nearly $42 billion California is expected to receive over five years to modernize highways, ports, airports, rail, and the electric vehicle charging network.

California’s EV infrastructure continues to expand rapidly, with more than 200,000 public charging stations now available statewide, in addition to an estimated 800,000 home chargers. State officials emphasized that deployment is increasingly targeted toward communities with limited access to clean transportation.

The investments build on the state’s broader climate progress. Greenhouse gas emissions have fallen 21 percent since 2000 while the economy grew 81 percent, and clean energy powered two-thirds of California’s grid in 2023. Battery storage has reached nearly 17,000 megawatts, marking a more than twentyfold increase since the start of the Governor Newsom administration. The latest funding round reinforces California’s push to build a resilient transportation network and advance its long-term clean energy and climate goals.