The city of Chico is being sued over the planned expansion of Bruce Road from two to four lanes between Highway 32 and Skyway.
The nonprofit Northern California Environmental Defense Center is asking a local court to send the $30 million project back to the city for further environmental review.
Attorney Richard Harriman represents the environmental group. He says the nonprofit is suing in part because the project comes at a pivotal point in addressing climate change.
“Which is whether or not we’re going to continue to focus on providing wide freeways and streets for single-person occupancy vehicles, using burning fossil fuel in order to get to work to home and home to retail, and so on and so forth,” Harriman said.
The city declined to comment on the lawsuit, which was filed earlier this month. And it’s unclear whether pending litigation could delay the Bruce Road project.
Brendan Vieg, the city’s community development director for planning and housing, previously defended the project during an administrative challenge that came before the City Council last month.
Vieg said the project includes a bike and pedestrian path and pullouts for bus stops. He also claimed that widening Bruce Road will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by shortening vehicle idling times and easing traffic congestion.
The bulk of the project’s cost will be funded through a state-approved $22 million grant that the city says will benefit hundreds of planned affordable housing units.