Statewide Region Local News: Transportation


All Local Transportation News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: Incorporated communities in California must manage local resources and your tax dollars according to a plan.
The Central Role of Planning in California Government

General Plans, mandated by the state and carried out by local counties, cities, and other municipalities, serve as a locality’s ‘constitution'.

Image caption: California transportation history runs from railroads to today’s car culture.
California’s History of Transportation: From Railroads to Highways

The history of transportation in California has shaped the state, from the railroads to today’s highways, making the need for planning increasingly urgent. Here’s how it all happened, and where we stand today.

Image caption: Over two weekends last October, residents of Santa Cruz and Watsonville  participated in demonstration rides aboard an electric streetcar on rails.
The ‘Rail Trail’ Movement, Explained

Thousands of miles of railroad track, including some in Santa Cruz County, now sit idle. The fate of those largely abandoned tracks has become a burning controversy.

California Local Pin Marker From The Sacramento Bee...

05/14/2025
The California Highway Patrol is introducing "discreet" Dodge Durangos into their fleet of patrol vehicles.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/24/2025
Unions are pushing for shorter freight trains to make railways safer, but that could raise the cost of goods and delay passenger rail service. It also may not be legal.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

04/23/2025
You need a Real ID to fly, and the deadline to get one in California is May 7.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/22/2025
From higher costs to export worries, California’s agricultural and wine industries face many possible tariff effects. But some hope for opportunity.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/15/2025
Almost everyone gets nervous during a traffic stop, but people with disabilities also worry about whether an officer understands their condition or could misinterpret their symptoms.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/13/2025
The California DMV routinely allows dangerous drivers with horrifying histories to continue to operate on our roadways. Too often they go on to kill. Many keep driving even after they kill. Some go on to kill again.

California Local Pin Marker From Monterey Herald...

03/24/2025
Work on clearing a massive rockslide is progressing smoothly and one lane of Highway 140 into Yosemite National Park is expected to reopen within days.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/24/2025
For the last century, the money has gone to counties with large amounts of federal land that can’t be taxed. Congress failed to include it in the upcoming budget.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/24/2025
When California motorists fill their tanks, they are often paying the nation’s highest gas prices, an average of $4.65 a gallon currently and about $1.50 above the national average.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

03/20/2025
A major rockslide has closed the Highway 140 entrance to Yosemite National Park. Read on for details.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/19/2025
The ports of LA and Long Beach are the biggest sources of air pollution in the LA basin. Air quality officials have drafted new rules to help electrify the ports. But community groups representing 400,000 residents say they don’t go far enough or fast enough to clean up their dirty air.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/19/2025
The permit lays the groundwork toward a driverless taxi service. Tesla has said it will launch such a service in Austin, Texas in June.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/03/2025
Since 2016, the DMV has collected more than $8 million from nearly 5,300 car sales, according to a CalMatters analysis.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/03/2025
Oakland Democrat Buffy Wicks said lawmakers will soon see 20 bills to speed up housing construction, along with more on energy, water and transit.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

02/20/2025
California’s new Low Carbon Fuel Standard has been stalled because it lacks ”clarity.” The new standard, which offers incentives for cleaner fuels, is highly controversial because it would raise gas prices.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

02/19/2025
California lawmakers are rushing to fix last year’s controversial changes to the state’s lemon law, which critics say weakened protections for car buyers.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/14/2025
In a striking setback to reduce California’s air pollution but a win for trucking companies, state regulators have walked away from their ambitious plan to phase out diesel trucks less than a week before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.

California Local Pin Marker From Local News Matters...

01/03/2025
While cities in California continue to pass ordinances to combat illegal sideshows, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several laws that go into effect this year statewide to give municipalities more legal tools to address them. 

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

12/18/2024
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decree that by 2035 all new cars sold in California must be powered by batteries or other zero-emission systems has received a double dose of legal and political support.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

12/17/2024
The US EPA granted California’s waiver, which the incoming Trump administration is likely to try to overturn in the courts. The state’s zero-emission vehicle mandates have been the driving force behind California’s progress in cleaning up dangerous air pollutants.