State transportation improvement program: bicycle highway pilot program.

Assembly Member Bennett's proposal for a branded network of bicycle highways would establish dedicated cycling corridors in two major California metropolitan areas, creating a pilot program to test the viability of high-speed bicycle routes for longer-distance travel. The California Department of Transportation would develop these networks with intermittent access points to support bicycle trips of five miles or more at speeds up to 25 miles per hour.

The Department must prepare site selections by January 2030 based on three primary criteria: regional support, connectivity to existing bike routes, and potential active transportation benefits. These proposed locations would be incorporated into the state's Interregional Transportation Improvement Program, making them eligible for established transportation funding mechanisms. The bicycle highways would be restricted to cyclist use only, with a design focused on supporting sustained higher-speed travel between destinations.

By July 2031, the Department must submit a report to legislative policy committees detailing the pilot program's status and recommendations for potential expansion of the bicycle highway network. The program includes a sunset provision, with the authorizing statute becoming inoperative in July 2035 and repealing in January 2036, allowing for evaluation of the pilot's outcomes before any permanent implementation decisions.