The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation convened on March 26, 2025, to address critical funding issues impacting California's transportation and climate initiatives. The meeting featured a series of testimonies from various stakeholders advocating for increased investment in active transportation and public transit.

The session began with Jeanne Wardwaller representing Greenlining and Transform, who expressed concern over the lack of proposed investments to restore cuts to the Active Transportation Program (ATP). She highlighted a significant reduction of $400 million last year, which resulted in only 12 projects being funded out of over 300 applications. Wardwaller urged the committee to explore funding options from the state highway account and flexible federal funding to mitigate the impacts on highway maintenance and support disadvantaged communities.

Laura Tolkoff, Transportation Policy Director for SPUR, followed with a stark warning about the fiscal pressures facing public transit operators in California. She noted that major transit agencies in the Bay Area are grappling with operating deficits of 25% to 40%, which could lead to irreversible damage to the state's economic competitiveness. Tolkoff called for support of budget requests aimed at stabilizing and growing revenue for public transit.

Mark Fokcovich from Streets for All echoed the concerns regarding the ATP and public transit funding, emphasizing the urgency of addressing structural deficits that threaten service continuity. He warned of a potential "fiscal cliff" where reduced ridership leads to decreased funding, creating a vicious cycle of service cuts.

Kendra Ramsey, Executive Director of the California Bicycle Coalition, reiterated the need for restoring ATP funding, linking it to public health and safety crises for pedestrians and cyclists. She emphasized that the ATP is crucial for funding active transportation projects that benefit disadvantaged communities.

Michael Pimentel from the California Transit Association highlighted the importance of a proposed $1 billion for the Transit Intercity Rail Capital Program, urging the committee to ensure these funds are allocated effectively to support public transit recovery.

Other speakers, including Karen Lang and Ryan Souza, supported the calls for increased funding for public transit and active transportation initiatives. They stressed the importance of these programs in providing employment opportunities and addressing environmental concerns.

The meeting concluded with a consensus on the need for immediate action to restore funding to the ATP and support public transit agencies facing significant financial challenges. The committee members acknowledged the critical nature of these discussions and the potential long-term impacts on California's transportation infrastructure and climate goals.