Long Beach is set to receive $6.7 million for new sidewalks and pedestrian improvements in the downtown area as part of more than $540 million in statewide transportation and infrastructure investments announced Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The funding, approved by the California Transportation Commission during Infrastructure Week, is intended to improve safety, accessibility and connectivity for pedestrians in downtown Long Beach.
State officials said the broader package will support highway repairs, bridge upgrades, school safety improvements and transit projects across California.
“California is undertaking one of the largest transportation modernization efforts in the nation — repairing aging roads and bridges, building world-class transit and freight, expanding public transit, and leading the technological future,” Newsom said in a statement. “Investments like these drive our economic growth and create thousands of good-paying jobs.”
According to the governor’s office, the statewide funding package includes support from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Senate Bill 1 transportation revenues and other state and federal transportation programs.
Officials said the investments are expected to improve mobility, modernize aging infrastructure and create nearly 6,000 jobs statewide.
Among the other projects highlighted were $117.8 million in Bay Bridge safety upgrades, $70 million for weather-related highway repairs statewide and $53 million for a new train control system for Bay Area Rapid Transit, the San Francisco Bay Area’s rail system, ahead of the World Cup.