California May Tie Smart Growth To Transportation Spending

California often leads the nation, so a bill moving to the Governor's desk is fascinating, as it would tie transportation spending to projects that promote smart growth.

Or put this way, sprawl gets no state transportation subsidy, as an alliance of builders and environmentalists moves to put major incentives into the state's greenhouse gas emission reduction plans to make those plans pay off.

Imagine such an approach here: regional freeway extensions out into Sprawlville past 124th St. to the west, or along the I-94 corridor south from Milwaukee to the Illinois state line, would find their funding minimized or cut under the California model in favor of state transportation spending that increased mobility in cities, and added value to them.

States other than California will have to follow that model as gasoline gets more expensive and federal transportation dollars, the source of most state road-building dollars through gas taxes, continues to shrink.

Linking transportation planning and spending in order to have an impact on climate change.

Imagine such policy coordination at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, or at regional planning commissions around the state, or in the legislature and Governor's office.

If it can be done in California, why not here?