Bill > AB1740

This bill proposes to amend the California Coastal Act of 1976 to streamline permitting processes for certain urbanized coastal communities that prioritize multimodal transportation and climate action. Specifically, a city can designate itself as an "urban multimodal community" if it has a high-quality transit corridor, adopted plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and traffic fatalities, and maintains specific types of bicycle facilities (Class I, II, or IV). If a city achieves this designation, certain activities and developments within that community will no longer require a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission. These exemptions include changes to parking regulations, improvements to public rights-of-way that support multimodal transportation, temporary community events, renovations to existing buildings that don't significantly expand their footprint, and most housing development projects that meet specific location criteria. Additionally, the installation of bicycle facilities within state highway rights-of-way will be exempt from coastal development permits as long as public coastal access is not eliminated. The bill aims to modernize coastal governance by empowering these communities to manage routine activities locally, thereby reducing administrative burdens and costs without compromising environmental protections or public access to the coast.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1740