Sacramento, CA — A bill aimed at permanently streamlining the approval process for public transportation, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure projects in California cleared a key legislative hurdle this week.
The Senate Environmental Quality Committee voted 8-0 to advance SB 71, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), setting the stage for the bill to be heard next in the Senate Transportation Committee.
SB 71 builds on a 2020 law—SB 288, also authored by Wiener—which created targeted exemptions from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for sustainable transportation projects like bike lanes, bus rapid transit, and light rail upgrades. Since then, nearly 100 projects across California have benefited from the exemption, including 28 in San Francisco, leading to faster, more cost-effective completion.
Without legislative action, the current CEQA streamlining provision is set to expire in 2029. Wiener’s bill would remove that sunset clause, making the streamlining permanent while expanding eligible projects to include bus shelters, lighting, ferry terminals, and infrastructure maintenance.
“Public transportation is critical to California’s future, and we need every tool in the toolbox to continue to expand and improve it,” said Senator Wiener. “This successful CEQA exemption is a model of what we can accomplish by paring back needless process and red tape, and it’s important that we continue building on it.”
Supporters of the bill argue that California’s ambitious climate goals—which target transportation as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions—depend on removing bureaucratic hurdles that slow down sustainable infrastructure projects.
Delays caused by CEQA challenges have had deadly consequences in the past. A lawsuit exploiting CEQA once stalled San Francisco’s bicycle plan for four years, halting the construction of 34 miles of bike lanes. During that time, nine people were killed and over 2,000 injured while cycling in the city.
Since SB 288 took effect, the streamlined process has enabled projects like the Geary Boulevard Improvement Project in San Francisco, which saw 18% faster bus travel times, a 37% improvement in transit reliability, and an 81% reduction in excessive speeding by private vehicles.
SB 71 not only makes the CEQA exemption permanent but also expands it to cover bus shelters and lighting, shuttle and ferry services and terminals, transit infrastructure maintenance, and transit Comprehensive Operational Analyses (COAs)
The bill also adjusts cost thresholds for inflation and clarifies when project costs should be calculated to determine eligibility for the exemption.
Importantly, SB 71 preserves safeguards designed to protect vulnerable populations and the environment.
Projects seeking exemption must:
• Be located within an existing public right-of-way
• Not add new auto capacity
• Avoid demolishing affordable housing
• Utilize a skilled and trained workforce or have a project labor agreement
“Since 2021, this CEQA exemption has helped 92 projects get built more quickly and cost-effectively. That’s 92 projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve access to opportunity—and it didn’t cost the state a penny,” said Laura Tolkoff, Transportation Policy Director at SPUR, a co-sponsor of the bill. “SB 71 is a win-win.”
SB 71 is sponsored by the California Transit Association, SPUR, and the Bay Area Council. Supporters describe the legislation as essential to building sustainable transportation systems, reducing car dependence, and meeting California’s climate goals.
If passed, SB 71 could accelerate the delivery of projects that expand public transit access, improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and reduce emissions—all while cutting costs and avoiding years-long legal battles over environmental reviews.
The bill now moves to the Senate Transportation Committee for further consideration.
