Transportation: Class III bikeways: bicycle facilities: Bikeway Quick-Build Project Pilot Program.

(1) Existing law establishes the Active Transportation Program in the Department of Transportation for the purpose of encouraging increased use of active modes of transportation, such as biking and walking, with specified available funds to be allocated to eligible projects by the California Transportation Commission and regional transportation agencies through the adoption of a program of projects. Existing law requires the commission to develop guidelines regarding, among other topics, project eligibility and project selection for the program of projects, as provided. Existing law establishes 4 classifications of bikeways and defines a "Class III bikeway" as a bikeway that provides a right-of-way on-street or off-street, designated by signs or permanent markings and shared with pedestrians and motorists. This bill would prohibit, on and after January 1, 2026, the commission from adding a project that creates a Class III bikeway or adds a specific road marking used to inform road users that bicyclists might occupy the travel lane to the program of projects, unless the bikeway or road marking is on a highway with a design speed limit of 25 miles per hour or less or the project will implement improvements to reduce the design speed limit to 25 miles per hour or less. (2) Existing law creates the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program to address deferred maintenance on the state highway system and the local street and road system. Existing law requires funds made available by the program to be used for projects that include, but are not limited to, road maintenance, safety projects, railroad grade separations, traffic control devices, and complete streets components. Existing law requires the department and cities and counties receiving funds under the program to incorporate complete streets elements into projects funded by the program, to the extent beneficial, cost effective, and practicable in the context of facility type, right-of-way, project scope, and quality of nearby alternative facilities. This bill would delete the factor relating to quality of nearby alternative facilities when the department and cities and counties are considering the benefit, cost effectiveness, and practicality of incorporating complete streets elements into projects funded by the program. The bill would require, where feasible, a bicycle facility that is identified for a street in an adopted bicycle plan or active transportation plan to be included in a project funded by the program that includes that street. If a planned bicycle facility is not constructed or if the bicycle facility that is constructed deviates from the adopted bicycle plan or the adopted active transportation plan, the bill would require the city, the county, or the department, as applicable, to document and publish the justification for the deviation. (3) Existing law requires the department to improve and maintain the state highways. This bill would establish the Bikeway Quick-Build Project Pilot Program within the department's maintenance program to expedite development and implementation of bikeways on the state highway system. The bill would require the department to develop guidelines for implementing bikeway quick-build projects. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2027, to identify and implement one bikeway quick-build project in each district.