A city (or county) is not an accident but the result of coherent visions and aims

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Circulation Element 
Introduction
The circulation element is not simply a transportation plan, but rather a strategy addressing infrastructure needs for the 
circulation of people, goods, energy, water, sewage, storm drainage, and communications. By 
statute
, the circulation element 
must correlate directly with the 
land use
 element, but also has direct relationships with other elements. The provisions of a 
circulation element affect a community’s physical, social, and 
economic
 environment, as well as its 
health
. The passage of SB 
1000 in 2016 requires local governments to address 
environmental justice
 considerations related to circulation--such as access 
to transportation systems, air quality related to transportation, delivery routes and transit options for nutritional food access, 
and promotion of physical activity—upon the next revision of two or more elements in their general plan after January 1, 2018. 
Government Code Section 65302 (b)
 
(1)  A circulation element consisting of the general location and extent of existing and proposed major thoroughfares, 
transportation routes, terminals, any military airports and ports, and other local public utilities and facilities, all 
correlated with the land use element of the plan.
(2)  (A) Commencing January 1, 2011, upon any substantive revision of the circulation element, the legislative body 
shall modify the circulation element to plan for a balanced, multimodal transportation network that meets the 
needs of all users of streets, roads, and highways for safe and convenient travel in a manner that is suitable to the 
rural, suburban, or urban context of the general plan.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, “users of streets, roads, and highways” mean bicyclists, children, persons with disabilities, 
motorists, movers of commercial goods, pedestrians, users of public transportation, and seniors.
Transportation systems are essential to any city or county and its economy, and can be designed to enhance opportunity 
and improve equity. However, the implementation and maintenance of infrastructure and resources is costly, impacts the 
environment, and affects human health. Transportation planning in California is rapidly changing, driven by a number of 
key factors:
• An increasing focus on access to destinations (connectivity) rather than just mobility, and transportation solutions involving 
proximity that better accomplish livability and environmental goals
• Constrained local government budgets 
• A mismatch of anticipated revenue and future maintenance obligations under current policies
• An increasing focus on greenhouse gas emissions reduction and an ongoing focus on air quality

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• 
An increasing recognition that we cannot “build our way out of congestion,”
 in part because 
new capacity encourages more 
driving
, but that congestion can be addressed with roadway pricing measures
• An increasing recognition of the transportation network’s effect on 
land use
, and in turn the effect of more disperse land use 
on the 
environment
 and human 
health
 
• Demographic and social trends creating increased demand for infill and walkable neighborhoods
• Emerging transportation solutions such as carshare, rideshare, and bikeshare services, which can reduce automobile 
dependence 
• Enhanced technology and information such as Nextbus and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) making navigation of 
multiple transportation systems more simple and convenient and in some cases influencing transportation choices.
• Introduction of emerging technologies such as partially or fully autonomous vehicles with potential to sharply increase VMT 
and alter land use scenarios
Further, recent legislation has driven change in the way local governments approach transportation and the types of solutions 
available:
• 
The Complete Streets Act
• 
Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32)
• 
SB 32
• The 
Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (SB 375)
 and the completion of Sustainable Communities 
Strategies
• 
CEQA Streamlining for infill projects (SB 226) 
• 
Shift in CEQA transportation metric away from LOS to VMT (SB 743)
Many California communities are substantially revising their circulation elements to respond to and take advantage of this new 
legislation. 
C O R R E L A T I O N S   A M O N G   E L E M E N T S
n 
Identified in statute     
n 
Closely related to statutory requirements
 
Land Use
Housing
Conservation
Open Space
Noise
Safety
EJ
Circulation
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

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Completeness Checklist
Local agency staff can use the following checklist to help ensure that the draft circulation element addresses all required issues. 
Please note that use of this checklist is purely advisory, and only contains issues that are legally required in 
Government Code 
section 65302(b)
. Circulation elements may address additional issues at the discretion of the local government. Because general 
plan formats may vary, this checklist suggests identifying where the particular government code provision is satisfied
Statutory Citation
Brief Description of Requirement
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(1)
Existing and proposed major thoroughfares
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(1)
Existing and proposed transportation routes
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(2)
• Public transportation
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(2)
• Bicycle
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(2)
• Pedestrian
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(2)
• Automobile
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(2)
• Commercial goods 
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(1)
Existing and proposed terminals
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(1)
Military airports and ports
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(1)
Other local public utilities and facilities
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(2)
Needs of children, persons with disabilities, and seniors?
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(1); Fed. of Hillside & Canyon Assns. v. 
City of Los Angeles (2004) 126 Cal. App. 4th 1180, 1196
Identified funding for infrastructure identified in circulation element?
Gov. Code, § 65302(b)(1)
Circulation element is correlated with the land use element?
Required Contents
The circulation element must, consistent with Government Code Section
 65302 (b)
, include the location and extent of existing 
and proposed
• Major thoroughfares
• Transportation routes
• Terminals
• Military airports and ports
• Public utilities and facilities
Statutory Requirements 
The 
Government Code
 requires that any revision of circulation elements after Jan 1, 2011 must plan for a “balanced, 
multimodal transportation network that meets the needs of all users of streets, roads, and highways for safe and convenient 
travel in a manner that is suitable to the rural, suburban, or urban context of the general plan.” Users are defined in 

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