California Bill Aims to Modernize Coastal Development Rules in Urban Transit-Rich Cities - Streetsblog California

"California lawmakers are advancing a bill that could reframe how housing, transportation, and infrastructure projects are approved in urbanized coastal communities, seeking to balance environmental protections with the state's urgent housing and climate goals. Assembly Bill 1740 (AB 1740) - introduced by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-West Hollywood/Santa Monica) - would allow qualifying cities to bypass individual California Coastal Commission approvals for certain housing and transportation projects if they meet specific urban, multimodal criteria."

"Cities that qualify could approve multifamily housing, interior renovations, bicycle facilities, and other transportation improvements locally without seeking individual permits from the Coastal Commission. The bill would also exempt the installation of bike lanes along state highway rights-of-way, provided existing public coastal access is not eliminated. The intent is to modernize how the Coastal Act functions in densely developed, transit-rich communities - advancing state housing goals while still preserving the commission's authority over projects posing real threats to sensitive coastal environments."

Assembly Bill 1740 (AB 1740) would let qualifying coastal cities approve multifamily housing, bicycle facilities, and transportation improvements locally without individual Coastal Commission permits. The bill would create an "urban multimodal community" designation for cities that have at least one high-quality transit corridor or transit priority area, adopted plans targeting greenhouse gas reductions and improved road safety, and existing bicycle infrastructure. The proposal would also exempt bike lane installations along state highway rights-of-way if public coastal access remains. The intent is to modernize Coastal Act implementation in densely developed, transit-rich communities, advancing housing and climate goals while preserving commission authority over projects that threaten sensitive coastal environments.

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