Court Opinion

ID: 9881127
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-29 18:04:06.502362+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:59:09.923259
License: Public Domain

Filed 9/29/23 Friends of the Green Bridge v. Dept. of Transportation CA1/1
                  NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for
publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or
ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

          IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

                                      FIRST APPELLATE DISTRICT

                                                   DIVISION ONE

 FRIENDS OF THE GREEN
 BRIDGE, et al.,                                                        A163405
           Plaintiffs and Appellants,
                                                                        (Marin County Sup. Ct.
 v.                                                                     No. CIV 1802702)
 CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
 TRANSPORTATION,
           Defendant and Respondent.

         In this environmental dispute, Friends of the Green Bridge and Robert
A. Johnson (collectively, Friends) challenge the final environmental impact
report (FEIR) for the Lagunitas Creek Bridge Project in Marin County
prepared by lead agency and respondent California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans).1 Friends assert that the FEIR was deficient
because it failed to consider the possibility of a retrofit among its range of
reasonable alternatives. Friends further contend that Caltrans violated

         1 Caltrans is the lead agency for the project under both the California

Environmental Quality Act (Pub. Resources Code, § 21000 et seq. (CEQA))
and the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.
(NEPA)). All statutory references are to the Public Resources Code unless
otherwise specified. We refer to CEQA’s implementing regulations (Cal. Code
Regs., tit. 14, § 15000 et seq.) as “Guidelines” per common practice.   .

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CEQA by failing to recirculate the draft environmental impact report (DEIR)
prior to certification given that the FEIR contained significant new
information. The trial court thoroughly and thoughtfully considered and
rejected both of these arguments. As we agree with the trial court’s analyses
and conclusions, we affirm.
             I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
A.    The Lagunitas Creek Bridge Project
      The Lagunitas Creek Bridge, locally called the Green Bridge, is located
on State Route (SR) 1 in Marin County, just south of Point Reyes Station and
north of the intersection with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, approximately
four-tenths of a mile east of the San Andreas fault. It serves as a vital
connection between communities north and south of Point Reyes Station for
residents, tourists, delivery trucks, emergency responders, transit providers,
pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians. The bridge, which was built in 1929,
is a three-span structure with a total length of 152 feet. It has two 26-foot
reinforced concrete approach spans and a 100-foot riveted steel pony truss
center span.
      Lagunitas Creek originates on Mount Tamalpais in Marin County and
flows approximately 22 miles into Tomales Bay. The Lagunitas Creek
watershed is the largest sub-watershed draining into Tomales Bay.
Environmentally sensitive habitat areas existing within the project footprint
include wetlands, waters, riparian vegetation, and uplands that support a
number of special-status or rare species, including coho salmon and
steelhead.
      The project was deemed necessary because the existing bridge does not
meet current safety and seismic design standards. Indeed, deficiencies in the
bridge would likely cause it to fail during a strong seismic event. Moreover,

                                       2
the existing bridge and shoulders along SR 1 fail to provide continuous
shared access for pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians.
B.    The Environmental Review Process
      After an inspection of the Lagunitas Creek bridge in 2008, Caltrans
initially recommended certain measures to retrofit the bridge, such as filling
the cracks on the deck to extend its life and strengthening the steel truss.
However, by 2010, a life cycle cost analysis was completed for the bridge
determining that it had, at most, a 20-year remaining life. Given this fact—
along with the conclusion that any sort of seismic retrofit work would add
additional dead load to the structure, which already had a low live load
carrying capacity2—Caltrans concluded that retrofitting the bridge was not a
viable option. A bridge inspection report in 2014 noted the bridge was
“fracture critical” because it is a truss bridge with low redundancy.3
      In March 2015, Caltrans submitted a Notice of Preparation to the
California State Clearinghouse with respect to the bridge project. Public
notice regarding the project was posted, published, and sent to numerous
governmental agencies and members of the public. The notices indicated
that the intent of the project is to ensure that the crossing of Lagunitas Creek
on SR 1 in Point Reyes Station meets seismic safety standards and addresses
the need for accommodating all users of the bridge. The proposed plan was to
replace the current bridge with a new bridge in one of four feasible types

      2 The structural elements supporting a bridge must be sufficient to

support not only the weight of the bridge itself (dead load) but also the
temporary weight of the traffic crossing the bridge (live load).
       3 Fracture critical components are “those steel members that are under

tension and the failure of which (through corrosion or cracking) could result
in collapsing a portion of or the entire bridge.” When a bridge lacks
redundancy, if any key connection is compromised, the bridge could fail
during an earthquake or heavy traffic loads.

                                       3
meeting current Caltrans standards. However, Caltrans invited the public to
participate in the upcoming scoping process which would include a discussion
of the “range of alternatives to be considered.” And the public was
encouraged to “review preliminary design concepts” and provide comments,
“particularly on the range of alternatives, resources, and impacts that should
be considered” during the environmental review process.
      1.    Scoping Meetings
      At the initial public scoping meeting in March 2015, Caltrans reported
that a structural assessment of the bridge disclosed that the steel portions of
the bridge were deteriorating, reducing its design strength, and that the
bridge did not meet current standards for earthquake resistance. Caltrans
presented an overview of the proposed replacement project, along with
various project alternatives. With respect to a possible retrofit of the existing
bridge, Caltrans raised the following concerns: (1) retrofitting would require
the addition of significant amounts of steel to strengthen the existing
structure, decreasing the weight capacity of the bridge which was already
less than the modern standard; (2) steel bridges are susceptible to fatigue
which gives them a finite lifespan, making retrofitting not cost-effective at a
certain point; and (3) since the depth and type of piles used for supporting the
bridge was not documented, it was impossible to determine the ability of the
current foundation to withstand seismic activity. In connection with this
discussion, Caltrans presented images of the bridge which showed cracked
concrete and corroded metal components. It also explained that keeping the
current bridge design was problematic in that it did not meet modern bridge
design standards with respect to lane width, shoulders, sidewalk width, and
curb ramps for individuals with disabilities. Caltrans sought public
involvement in the project, requesting, among other things, suggestions for

                                        4
new viable alternatives and ways in which the existing alternatives could be
improved.
      The comment period for the scoping process was extended from April 17
to June 20, 2015, and resulted in 78 comments. Responders included
regulatory agencies, businesses, private organizations, nonprofit groups, and
members of the public. Common themes among the comments included:
keeping the construction period short to minimize impacts; continuing to
investigate a retrofit alternative; maintaining the current character of the
bridge; minimizing construction and design impacts on sensitive habitats and
the species they support; minimizing impacts on adjacent property owners;
conducting traffic safety analyses; and planning with sea level rise in mind.
      One community member with bridge seismic design experience—
Alistair Lizaranzu—commented in an April 2015 letter that, after reviewing
the as-built drawings for the bridge and conducting a brief site visit, he saw
“little information which would exclude a number of retrofit options.”
Moreover, in his experience, “only in exceptional cases did a trouble bridge
merit a Replacement option over a Retrofit option.” After Caltrans arranged
for a bridge engineer to speak with Lizaranzu, he sent a follow-up letter in
June 2015 indicating that he had provided several examples of procedures
typically used in Caltrans retrofit projects and reiterating that he believed a
retrofit option “should be very carefully considered[] and could perhaps be
implemented.” However, he acknowledged that whether a retrofit could be
successful depended “almost entirely” on the “very tricky issue” of the
existing pier connection to the existing piles as well as whether various
interventions could be used effectively to limit forces transferred to the piers.
Lizaranzu additionally noted his primary concern with respect to the project

                                        5
was its possible impacts on the health and wellbeing of the salmon and
steelhead in the creek.
      Given the interest in a retrofit option expressed during the scoping
period, a Caltrans bridge engineer prepared a memorandum in August 2015
to provide a reader-friendly review regarding existing conditions on the
bridge and the feasibility of retrofit rather than replacement.4 The
memorandum noted that commentors supporting a retrofit of the bridge were
interested in reducing traffic delays, maintaining the existing scale and rural
aesthetic of the bridge, shortening construction times to reduce economic
impacts, and eliminating the need for property acquisition tied to creation of
a temporary bridge. The memorandum goes on to explain the deficiencies in
each element of the bridge (abutments, t-beam spans, piers, pier piles, and
steel truss span) and the type of retrofit each would likely require.
      For example, with respect to the steel truss span, visual inspections of
the trusses and floor beams had found a range of 1/8 to 1/2 inch of rust pack
between a number of steel component surfaces and the connections between
several components of the steel truss. Many rivets also showed signs of
corrosion. Moreover, steel begins to fatigue and crack over time, and an
ultrasound or radiographic inspection might find cracking or significant
corrosion between steel components.5 In addition, the existing concrete deck
is weathered and cracked, and maintenance records showed significant rust

      4 The memorandum stated it was not a technical engineering document

but was intended to acquaint members of the public interested in the
proposed project with the issues involved in the retrofit of an old steel truss
bridge. It also noted that Caltrans intended to continue its technical
assessment of a retrofit alternative for the bridge project.
      5 Indeed, as discussed further below, a subsequent inspection using

ultrasonic testing confirmed these preliminary concerns based on visual
inspection.

                                        6
buildup between the top flanges of the floor beams and concrete deck.
Finally, the steel railing, at only several inches wide, “is completely
ineffective against today’s vehicular impact loading requirements.”
      Under these circumstances, each piece would need to be inspected to
determine whether the steel cross section thickness had been reduced or was
cracked, and then any deficient parts would need to be repaired or replaced
for the loads they are meant to carry. This process would be even more
complicated if steel plates were added to strengthen existing steel bridge
components for seismic retrofit or increased traffic load capacity. There are
also issues with replacing rusted rivets (which are no longer used) with
larger, high-strength bolts. Moreover, the bridge would need to be closed or,
at the least, limited to one-way traffic during this process. In addition, the
concrete deck and floor beams would likely need to be completely replaced,
during which time the bridge would be closed to traffic. Finally, replacement
of the bridge safety rail with a rail meeting current safety standards would
result in 10-foot lanes and no shoulders, rendering the retrofitted bridge
functionally obsolete.
      Another issue with the retrofit option raised in the memorandum is
that the as-built plans do not document the depth, type, and capacity of the
piles supporting the piers. Since “no feasible way exists to structurally assess
the tensile, compressive, and lateral capacities of the piles without
compromising portions of the bridge,” retrofitting would likely involve
“driv[ing] new piles of known capacity around the existing piers, which could
then support a retrofitted pier.”
      After the initial scoping meeting, Caltrans began developing a range of
possible alternatives for the project, including both replacement and retrofit
options. It considered two construction methods—conventional and

                                        7
accelerated bridge construction (ABC). “Use of ABC would shorten the
construction duration to under 1 year, versus three years for conventional
construction. [Caltrans] determined that, due to lack of redundancy [in the
bridge] the retrofit alternative can only be developed with the conventional
construction method.”
      Caltrans then held an additional informational meeting in October
2015 to respond to public comments. It noted that the purpose of the
proposed project was “to provide a safe, seismically-stable crossing over
Lagunitas Creek on Route 1 in Marin County.” As Caltrans explained, the
current bridge is seismically inadequate because: the piles are of unknown
depth, which may have insufficient lateral and vertical support under
earthquake loading; pier to substructure connections are inadequate for large
seismic displacements; since there are no redundant structural elements, if
any key connection is compromised the bridge could fail during an
earthquake or heavy traffic loads; and possible large horizontal
displacements of the steel trusses in an earthquake could cause them to fail.
In addition to these seismic deficiencies, Caltrans described safety issues
with respect to the current bridge, including travel lane width, lack of
shoulders, and inadequate safety barriers. The presentation also contained a
visual explanation of existing bridge deficiencies, including many of the
problems described in the retrofit feasibility memorandum discussed above.
      2.    SWG Meetings and Additional Studies
      Thereafter, under the theory that “public forums do not allow for
efficient communication and collaboration,” Caltrans established a
Stakeholders Working Group (SWG) so that “project details could be
conveyed and input could be meaningfully incorporated.” Caltrans worked
with a former Marin County supervisor to identify representatives from the

                                       8
community to include in the group. It requested that the representatives be
known and trusted spokespersons for existing community groups that
represent the range of community interests, including business and tourism,
farming and property ownership, safety and public services, community
aesthetics, and environmental interests. Three SWG meetings were held
from January to April 2016. Information discussed at the SWG meetings was
condensed into two newsletters (March and June 2016) and distributed to the
public.
      Structure Maintenance & Investigations (SMI) convened a strategy
meeting in August 2016 to consider retrofit versus replacement of the bridge.
After detailing the deficiencies in the current bridge and considering
planning studies for retrofit and replacement which had been developed for
comparison purposes, the group unanimously recommended replacement.
The fact sheet issued in connection with the meeting indicated that the
estimated cost for the replacement alternative was $6.425 million, while the
estimated cost for the retrofit alternative was $8.861 million. Both estimates
included construction of a temporary bridge.
      An additional report regarding corrosion of the existing bridge was
completed in December 2016 using non-destructive ultrasonic testing and dry
film thickness gauges, which use a magnetic principle to measure the
thickness of coating on ferrous metals. While some of the representative
locations tested showed more minor corrosion, the locations of faying surfaces
where water appears to catch showed section losses exceeding 30 percent of
designed member thickness. “In some cases, sufficient corrosion was present
that member thickness was unmeasurable with [ultrasonic testing].” Based
on a visual inspection, approximately four percent of bridge rivets appeared
corroded.

                                       9
      In March 2017, Caltrans completed an additional seismic evaluation of
the existing bridge, including a discussion regarding how it could be
retrofitted to the performance level of “ ‘no collapse.’ ” With respect to the 13-
pile group deep foundations supporting each of the two piers, the analysis
assumed 12-inch diameter circular timber piles because that was the
standard pile type used when the bridge was constructed and there were no
records detailing the type, length, and capacity of the existing piles.
According to the report, both longitudinal and transverse seismic events
would result in: shearing of anchor bolts connecting the superstructure to the
substructure; brittle failure of the abutment columns causing them to
collapse; insufficient flexural capacity leading to large diagonal cracking in
the unreinforced concrete piers which could result in brittle failure of the
piers; failure of the pile to pile cap connection and plunging of the piles in
liquefiable soil, which could lead to failure of the piers; and overstressing of
the fracture critical truss members, which could cause failure of the truss.
      Based on the findings in the seismic evaluation, a retrofit alternative
would require replacement of the existing bearings, bridge deck, top flanges
on all floor beams, gusset plates, expansion joints, guard rail, top and bottom
plates of the top chords, bottom braces, all damaged rivets, and existing
abutments, along with the construction of cast in steel shell (CISS) piles
around the existing piles, new bent caps, a new concrete slab, and bridge
rails. The CISS piles could be constructed with a one-lane closure.
Construction of the bent caps and abutments would require in-creek
falsework, and jacking and temporary support would be needed to replace the
existing pier and abutment bearings. After reviewing the December 2016
corrosion report and the March 2017 seismic evaluation, SMI prepared

                                        10
another fact sheet dated March 29, 2017, stating that its replacement
recommendation had not changed.
      Caltrans published an Alternatives Analysis Report (AAR) in April
2017 in response to the SWG’s request for a screening of the full range of
alternatives for possible inclusion in the upcoming environmental impact
report (EIR). The AAR documented the alternatives analysis that had been
conducted to that point and indicated that “[t]he alternatives development,
refinement and analysis [would] continue throughout the environmental
process, leading to selection of the preferred alternative.” It also stated that
“project alternatives are continually being refined to avoid and minimize
impacts and reflect community context.” For example, the concrete bridge
alternative could incorporate a faux truss that could mimic the appearance of
the existing bridge truss.
      The ARR noted that a retrofit would require a three-year construction
period,6 rebuilding or removing and refurbishing many elements of the
bridge, building a temporary detour bridge, and extensive in-creek support
work that would require diverting creek waters. In addition, there would be
no sidewalk improvements for bicycle or equestrian users or for individuals
with disabilities. And, while the “look and scale” of the retrofitted bridge
would be similar, the retrofit would result in several elements being enlarged
to meet seismic requirements. “For example, the steel members would be
thicker[,] and the piers and abutment foundations would be enlarged, while

      6 The long construction period is required due to “short allowable

periods for in-water work (June to October) in order to minimize impacts on
protected wildlife species, and because construction of a detour bridge would
be required.” Thus, for example, in the case of bridge replacement, one
season would be needed to build the temporary bridge, a second season would
be required for demolition of the existing bridge, and a third season would be
used to build the new bridge and remove the temporary bridge.

                                       11
the lanes would be narrowed to install protective railings needed for safety
purposes.” The ARR also states that the “primary difference” between the
alternatives as to the amount of sensitive habitat affected is whether a
temporary bridge would need to be built.
      Caltrans and the SWG developed screening criteria in order to choose
which alternatives would move forward for further consideration.
Specifically, they considered whether an alternative would: meet the project
purpose to achieve current safety and seismic requirements; be practical and
feasible; minimize community impacts (minimize property acquisition,
duration of construction, and degree of noise, dust, and visual blight during
construction); and minimize environmental impacts (small construction
footprint, least impact on water resources, minimize vegetation removal).
After applying these criteria to the retrofit alternative, considering the
“substantial deficiencies” in the structural integrity of the existing bridge,
and noting “the uncertainty regarding the extensiveness of the efforts that
would be necessary to complete the retrofit,” the SWG did not support the
retrofit alternative. First, unlike all of the replacement alternatives, the
retrofit alternative would not meet the project’s safety needs. Further, the
retrofit alternative “would prove to be an extensive effort, result in
comparatively higher environmental impacts than other alternatives under
consideration, and not provide improvements for multimodal connectivity
(such as pedestrians, bicyclists and equestrian users).”
      More generally, the SWG unanimously concluded that “the
conventional construction method requiring 3 years was not acceptable for
the community’s economic stability that greatly relies on tourism and
movement of goods via SR 1. Additionally, the 3-year construction period
would result in elongated impacts on the ecosystem and aesthetic values

                                       12
surrounding the bridge site.” It would also require construction of a
temporary bridge alongside the current bridge with its resulting
environmental impacts. The SWG recognized that the trade-off with the ABC
method is complete closure of the bridge for a two-to-three-week period, with
the most likely detour being approximately nine miles. Caltrans and the
SWG reviewed measures to mitigate the impacts from such a closure and the
SWG asked Caltrans to further explore whether and how any obstacles and
hardships associated with the bridge closure could be resolved. Applying all
of these considerations, three replacement alternatives requiring
conventional construction were not carried forward for further environmental
review, along with the retrofit alternative. Only one alternative with
conventional construction (Alternative 2b) was carried forward in the
environmental analysis “as a point of comparison against the alternatives
using the ABC construction method and to disclose the full range of potential
impacts associated with the project.”
      3.    Draft and Final EIRs and Related Documents
      Caltrans published the DEIR for the project in April 2017, reiterating
the project purpose—“to provide a safe and seismically stable crossing of
Lagunitas Creek on SR 1.”7 The proposed project “would replace the existing
152-foot-long, 34-foot-wide, three-span bridge with a new bridge that would
have 11-foot wide northbound and southbound lanes and five-foot-wide

      7 The DEIR describes the many seismic deficiencies of the bridge as

well as its failure to meet current safety standards. For example, with
respect to safety concerns, the DEIR states that the existing bridge “was
designed to carry trucks much smaller (e.g., 15-ton trucks) than present day
trucks (e.g., 36-ton trucks). Thus, the bridge is not adequate for all modern-
day truck loads. Although the bridge is only rated for smaller trucks, other
trucks are known to use SR 1. There are no bridge rail barriers and if a truck
was to drive into a truss, the structure may be compromised and fail.”

                                        13
shoulders on both sides. The new bridge would also accommodate one 6-foot-
wide sidewalk on the west side of the bridge with railings or barriers to
separate it from the shoulder and travel lanes. The sidewalk would
accommodate shared access by pedestrians, bicyclists[,] and equestrians.”
The proposed project would be placed on the same vertical and horizontal
alignments as the existing bridge as closely as bridge design and conditions
allow.
         The DEIR includes discussion of the following six alternatives: No-
Build Alternative (Alternative 1); Three-Span, Short Steel-Truss Bridge,
ABC, Longitudinal Move-In (Alternative 2a); Three-Span, Short Steel-Truss
Bridge, Conventional Construction with Detour Bridge (Alternative 2b);
Three-Span, Concrete Bridge, ABC, Longitudinal Move-In (Alternative 3a);
Full-Span, Steel-Truss Bridge, ABC, Longitudinal Move-In (Alternative 4a);
and Full-Span, Steel-Truss Bridge, ABC, Traverse Slide-In (Alternative 4b).
It also discusses the retrofit option at some length under the heading
“Alternatives Considered but Withdrawn for Further Consideration.”8
According to Caltrans, it might prepare additional environmental or
engineering studies in response to comments on the DEIR. The FEIR would
then include responses to comments and identify the preferred alternative.
         The 45-day public review period for the DEIR was extended an
additional two weeks to June 23, 2017. Caltrans held two public meetings to
discuss the DEIR on May 10 and June 15, 2017. It received 392 comments,
the majority of which were concerned about potential impacts on the nearby

         8 Other alternatives that were considered but not carried forward

included a new bridge on a new alignment, three of the four bridge
replacement options using conventional construction, and a suspension
bridge.

                                        14
animal hospital during construction. Many comments supported the no-build
alternative, with the retrofit alternative as second choice.
      On June 26, 2018, Caltrans issued an Addendum to the AAR in
response to continued interest in a retrofit alternative. The Addendum
expanded on the analysis of the retrofit alternative in the AAR, augmenting
its discussion of the work that would be involved in a retrofit, including some
possible alternatives for approaching a retrofit, and referencing a number of
additional studies (including those discussed above) with respect to the state
of the existing bridge. The Addendum reached the same conclusion as the
AAR—that the retrofit alternative should not be advanced for full
environmental review.
      The FEIR with respect to the project was certified on June 29, 2018.
Caltrans selected Alternative 3a—the three-span, concrete bridge, ABC,
longitudinal move-in—as the preferred choice. Alternative 3a was selected
primarily because: it is among the least environmentally impacting
alternatives in terms of ground disturbance and property impacts during
construction; it requires one of the smaller temporary construction easements
on private property; it can be built quickly (less than one year); it is the
narrowest among the alternatives; it does not detract from community
character; it has the design with the least distraction of views toward the
creek and of Point Reyes Station; it minimizes the duration and extent of
environmental impacts to the aquatic habitat of Lagunitas Creek; and it has
an open design that enhances line of sight for those turning onto SR 1 at the
Sir Francis Drake Boulevard section. In addition, the inclusion of an

                                        15
ornamental truss continues to be an option. The estimated construction cost
for the preferred alternative is $8 million.9
      Caltrans then adopted findings pursuant to section 21081. The
findings identified the following significant impacts from the project: BIO-1
(wetlands and water of the U.S.); BIO-2 (aquatic habitat); BIO-3
(environmentally sensitive habitat areas); BIO-4 (species of special concern),
and NOISE-1 (increased noise levels during construction). Enforceable
mitigation measures were adopted to avoid or substantially lessen those
significant impacts. Caltrans filed a Notice of Determination with respect to
the project on July 2, 2018.
C.    Court Challenge
      In August 2018, Friends commenced this mandamus action against
Caltrans alleging several violations of CEQA. After briefing and argument,
the trial court denied the petition for writ of mandate on June 15, 2021,
rejecting all of Friends’ claims. As is pertinent here, the court concluded that
inclusion of a retrofit alternative in the DEIR was not required because there
was no evidence such a retrofit would reduce adverse environmental impacts.
Moreover, a retrofit would not achieve compliance with current safety
standards. The court additionally found that there was a reasonable basis for
Caltrans’s selection of the alternatives it included in the EIR and that the
EIR’s discussion as to why a retrofit alternative was not advanced for further
environmental review adequately informed the public as to the bases for its
exclusion. With respect to recirculation, the court concluded that the
additions to the FEIR did not constitute significant new information. Thus,
recirculation was not required.

      9 The costliest alternative, at $12.6 million, was Alternative 2b, the

only alternative using the 3-year conventional construction method.

                                       16
      This appeal followed.
                              II. DISCUSSION
A.    CEQA Overview and Standard of Review
      “An environmental impact report is an informational document,” the
purpose of which “is to provide public agencies and the public in general with
detailed information about the effect which a proposed project is likely to
have on the environment; to list ways in which the significant effects of such
a project might be minimized; and to indicate alternatives to such a project.”
(§ 21061.) As our Supreme Court has opined: “The purpose of an EIR is to
give the public and government agencies the information needed to make
informed decisions, thus protecting ‘ “not only the environment but also
informed self-government.” ’ [Citation.] The EIR is the heart of CEQA, and
the mitigation and alternatives discussion forms the core of the EIR.” (In re
Bay-Delta etc. (2008) 43 Cal.4th 1143, 1162 (Bay-Delta).)
      “A public agency must prepare an EIR or cause an EIR to be prepared
for any project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a
significant effect on the environment. [Citations.] The EIR must describe the
proposed project and its environmental setting, state the objectives sought to
be achieved, identify and analyze the significant effects on the environment,
state how those impacts can be mitigated or avoided, and identify
alternatives to the project, among other requirements.” (Federation of
Hillside & Canyon Assns. v. City of Los Angeles (2004) 126 Cal.App.4th 1180,
1197.) “The agency must notify the public of the draft EIR, make the draft
EIR and all documents referenced in it available for public review, and
respond to comments that raise significant environmental issues. [Citations.]
The agency also must consult with and obtain comments from other agencies
affected by the project and respond to their comments. [Citations.] It must

                                      17
prepare a final EIR including any revisions to the draft EIR, the comments
received from the public and other agencies, and responses to comments.”
(Ibid.)
      “Much of what goes into an EIR is left to the discretion of the agency
preparing it. The leading treatise summarizes: ‘The lead agency has
discretion to design the EIR and need not conduct every recommended test or
perform all required research. [Citations.] An EIR is not required to address
all of the variations of the issues presented. [Citation.] An analysis of every
permutation of the data is not required.’ ” (Tiburon Open Space Committee v.
County of Marin (2022) 78 Cal.App.5th 700, 726 (Tiburon Open Space); see
Laurel Heights Improvement Assn. v. Regents of University of California
(1998) 47 Cal.3d 376, 415 (Laurel Heights I) [“A project opponent . . . can
always imagine some additional study or analysis that might provide helpful
information. It is not for them to design the EIR. That further study . . .
might be helpful does not make it necessary.”].)
      “The scope of judicial scrutiny proceeds along two paths. ‘ “Section
21168.5 provides that a court’s inquiry in an action to set aside an agency’s
decision under CEQA ‘shall extend only to whether there was a prejudicial
abuse of discretion. Abuse of discretion is established if the agency has not
proceeded in a manner required by law or if the determination or decision is
not supported by substantial evidence.’ As a result of this standard, ‘[t]he
court does not pass upon the correctness of the EIR’s environmental
conclusions, but only upon its sufficiency as an informative document.’
[Citation.]” [Citation.] “We may not set aside an agency’s approval of an EIR
on the ground that an opposite conclusion would have been equally or more
reasonable.” [Citation.] [¶] “An appellate court’s review of the
administrative record for legal error and substantial evidence in a CEQA

                                       18
case, as in other mandamus cases, is the same as the trial court’s: The
appellate court reviews the agency’s action, not the trial court’s decision; in
that sense appellate judicial review under CEQA is de novo.” [Citation.]’ ”
(Tiburon Open Space, supra, 78 Cal.App.5th at p. 727.)
      “ ‘The agency is the finder of fact and a court must indulge all
reasonable inferences from the evidence that would support the agency’s
determinations and resolve all conflicts in the evidence in favor of the
agency’s decision. . . . “A court’s task is not to weigh conflicting evidence and
determine who has the better argument when the dispute is whether adverse
effects have been mitigated or could be better mitigated. We have neither the
resources nor scientific expertise to engage in such analysis, even if the
statutorily prescribed standard of review permitted us to do so.” [Citation.]
“[T]he relevant inquiry here is not whether the record establishes compliance
but whether the record contains evidence [the agency] failed to comply with
the requirements of its . . . regulatory program. In the absence of contrary
evidence, we presume regular performance of official duty. [Citation.]” ’
[Citation.] [¶]. . . In other words, ‘every court ‘presumes a public agency’s
decision to certify the EIR is correct, thereby imposing on a party challenging
it the burden of establishing otherwise.’ ” (Tiburon Open Space, supra, 78
Cal.App.5th at pp. 727–728.)
      “Legal error, in the form of failure to comply with CEQA, is reviewed
independently, but all factual determinations are reviewed according to the
substantial evidence standard.” (Tiburon Open Space supra, 78 Cal.App.5th
at p. 728.) Under CEQA, “substantial evidence” is defined as “enough
relevant information and reasonable inferences from this information that a
fair argument can be made to support a conclusion, even though other
conclusions might also be reached.” (Guidelines, § 15384, subd. (a).) “ ‘The

                                       19
substantial evidence standard is applied to conclusions, findings[,] and
determinations. It also applies to challenges to the scope of an EIR’s analysis
of a topic, the methodology used for studying an impact and the reliability or
accuracy of the data upon which the EIR relied because these types of
challenges involve factual questions.’ ” (Tiburon Open Space, supra, 78
Cal.App.5th at p. 728.)
B.    The EIR Included a Reasonable Range of Alternatives
      1.    Applicable Law
      “An EIR shall describe a range of reasonable alternatives to the project
. . . which would feasibly attain most of the basic objectives of the project but
would avoid or substantially lessen any of the significant effects of the
project[] and evaluate the comparative merits of the alternatives.”
(Guidelines, § 15126.6, subd. (a).) This requirement—that a lead agency
select “a reasonable range of potentially feasible alternatives”—is intended
to “foster informed decisionmaking and public participation.” (Ibid.; see
Laurel Heights I, supra, 47 Cal.3d at p. 404; California Oak Foundation v.
Regents of University of California (2010) 188 Cal.App.4th 227, 276.) A lead
agency must publicly disclose the reasoning underlying its selection of
alternatives. (Guidelines, § 15126.6, subd. (a).) However, “[t]here is no
ironclad rule governing the nature or scope of the alternatives to be discussed
other than the rule of reason,” which requires an EIR “to set forth only those
alternatives necessary to permit a reasoned choice.” (Id., § 15126.6, subds.
(a) & (f); see Citizens of Goleta Valley v. Board of Supervisors (1990) 52 Cal.3d
553, 566 [“CEQA establishes no categorical legal imperative as to the scope of
alternatives to be analyzed in an EIR. Each case must be evaluated on its
facts, which in turn must be reviewed in light of the statutory purpose.”].)

                                       20
      “An EIR need not consider every conceivable project alternative or
alternatives that are infeasible. [Citations.] Nor is it required to consider
specific alternatives proposed by members of the public or other outside
agencies. [Citation.] But it must consider ‘a reasonable range of
potentially feasible alternatives that will foster informed decisionmaking
and public participation.’ ” (Save Our Capitol! v. Department of General
Services (2023) 87 Cal.App.5th 655, 703.)
      CEQA defines “feasible” as “capable of being accomplished in a
successful manner within a reasonable period of time, taking into account
economic, environmental, social, and technological factors.” (§ 21061.1;
Guidelines, § 15364.) As stated above, however, “[a] ‘feasible’ alternative is
one that could accomplish ‘most of the basic objectives of the project but
would avoid or substantially lessen any of the significant effects.’
(Guidelines, § 15126.6, subd. (a), italics added.) We will uphold an agency’s
choice of alternatives unless they ‘are manifestly unreasonable and . . . do not
contribute to a reasonable range of alternatives.’ ” (Tiburon Open Space,
supra, 78 Cal.App.5th at p. 741.)
      2.    Analysis
      Friends argue that Caltrans’s failure to analyze a retrofit option in the
EIR violated CEQA’s mandate that the agency assemble a range of
alternatives sufficient to engender informed decision making. Specifically,
they assert: that a retrofit alternative is the “most obvious” alternative to
replacement; that it is clearly potentially feasible; that it satisfies basic
project objectives; that it could avoid or lessen significant environmental
effects; and that its exclusion compromised CEQA’s goal of informed
decisionmaking. We disagree.

                                        21
      Preliminarily, that an alternative may be superficially “obvious” does
not mandate its inclusion in an agency’s range of alternatives. Nor does the
fact that members of the public desired a retrofit alternative undercut
Caltrans’s decision to exclude it from further environmental review.
Moreover, while we agree with Friends that a retrofit might be potentially
feasible in the general sense of the word—i.e., capable of being
accomplished—that does not mean it is potentially feasible for CEQA
purposes or that it should have been included among the EIR’s range of
alternatives as we discuss further below.
      As for whether a retrofit alternative would accomplish most of the basic
objectives of the project, we disagree with Friends that the administrative
record establishes that the only purpose of the project was to make the bridge
seismically stable, and that Caltrans tried to “slip in” additional objectives
related to safety late in the process to justify its decision to reject a retrofit
alternative. To the contrary, at least one of the initial public notices during
the scoping period stated that the intent of the project was to ensure that the
crossing of Lagunitas Creek on SR 1 in Point Reyes Station meets seismic
safety standards and addresses the need for accommodating all users of the
bridge. Moreover, at the first scoping meeting in March 2015, Caltrans
explained that keeping the current bridge design was problematic in that it
did not meet modern bridge design standards with respect to lane width,
shoulders, sidewalk width, and curb ramps for individuals with disabilities.
And these issues were reiterated at the second scoping meeting in October
2015, where the purpose of the project was declared to be “to provide a safe,
seismically-stable crossing over Lagunitas Creek on Route 1 in Marin
County.” (Italics added.) This purpose was carried forward into the FEIR,
and clearly includes more than safety solely from a seismic standpoint as

                                         22
Friends contend. For example, the AAR identified “meeting safety
standards” as one of the screening criteria for inclusion of alternatives in the
DEIR and noted, in determining not to advance a retrofit alternative, that it
was the only alternative that would not meet the project’s safety needs.
      Friends also fault Caltrans for failing to “perform the work” to remove
the uncertainty involved in a bridge retrofit before making its decision to
exclude a retrofit alternative from the EIR. However, substantial evidence
exists in the record that there is significant uncertainty in a retrofit option
that cannot be dispelled, especially with respect to the state of the existing
piles. The August 2015 memorandum discussing the retrofit alternative
noted that “no feasible way exists to structurally assess the tensile,
compressive, and lateral capacities of the piles without compromising
portions of the bridge.” And, as stated in the FEIR: “There are no available
construction plans documenting the piles from the original construction so
the piles supporting the bridge are of unknown type and depth. In addition,
their condition after 89 years of use and exposure to water is unknown
because they are buried and cannot be inspected.” Uncertainty is also
inherent in any project where elements must be taken apart and inspected
before the scope of the retrofit effort can be fully appreciated.
      Friends next contend that the “constant public pushback” requesting a
retrofit option shows that Caltrans’s approach prevented informed public
participation and decision making. And they ascribe nefarious motives to
Caltrans for its “unusual maneuvers” in continually providing “after the fact”
justifications for its exclusion of a retrofit option up and until the FEIR’s
certification in June 2018. We do not view the record this way. Rather, as
early as the August 2015 retrofit feasibility memorandum, Caltrans indicated
that it intended to continue its technical assessment of a retrofit alternative.

                                        23
Caltrans later stated it might prepare additional environmental or
engineering studies in response to comments on the DEIR. Given the
significant public interest in the retrofit option, we find it eminently
reasonable that Caltrans would continue to study the matter throughout the
environmental review process and in response to comments it received. And,
while the additional studies may not have supported the retrofit option some
members of the public hoped for, it cannot be said they did not contribute to
informed public participation and decisionmaking.
      In the end, Friends really seem to be arguing that there is some
objectively “true” or “legitimate” retrofit option out there which Caltrans has
not considered or discussed and which would lessen environmental impacts
while meeting project goals. But there is no evidence in the record that
suggests such a reduced-impact retrofit was possible, and substantial
evidence exists in the record supporting a conclusion that it was not. As
CEQA declares: “[I]t is the policy of the state that public agencies should not
approve projects as proposed if there are feasible alternatives . . . which
would substantially lessen the significant environmental effects of such
projects . . . . [T]he procedures required by this division are intended to
assist public agencies in systematically identifying . . . the feasible
alternatives . . . which will avoid or substantially lessen such significant
effects.” (§ 21002, italics added.)
      Thus, as stated above, the EIR need only describe a “range of
reasonable alternatives to the project . . . which would feasibly attain most of
the basic objectives of the project but would avoid or substantially lessen any
of the significant effects of the project.” (Guidelines, § 15126.6, subd. (a).)
And “feasible” for CEQA purposes means capable of successful
accomplishment “within a reasonable period of time, taking into account

                                         24
economic, environmental, social, and technological factors.” (§ 21061.1;
Guidelines, § 15364, italics added.) At bottom, Friends cannot establish
Caltrans erred in excluding a retrofit alternative from the EIR because
substantial evidence supports the conclusions that a retrofit would not lessen
environmental impacts and could not be completed in a reasonable amount of
time based on community constraints.
      As mentioned above, when determining which alternatives should be
analyzed in the DEIR, the SWG unanimously concluded that “the
conventional construction method requiring 3 years was not acceptable for
the community’s economic stability that greatly relies on tourism and
movement of goods via SR 1. Additionally, the 3-year construction period
would result in elongated impacts on the ecosystem and aesthetic values
surrounding the bridge site.” It would also require construction of a
temporary bridge alongside the current bridge with its resulting
environmental impacts. For these reasons, three replacement alternatives
requiring conventional construction were not carried forward for further
environmental review, along with the retrofit alternative which also required
conventional construction. One alternative with conventional construction
(Alternative 2b) was carried forward in the environmental analysis “as a
point of comparison against the alternatives using the ABC construction
method and to disclose the full range of potential impacts associated with the
project.” It was not unreasonable for Caltrans to use Alternative 2b as the
point of comparison rather than the retrofit option, as Alternative 2b met all
the project needs while a retrofit would not. And, as stated in the FEIR,
“[w]hile Alternative 2b is the only alternative evaluated with conventional
construction, the impacts would be comparable if conventional construction
were performed with any of the bridge types.”

                                      25
      Friends do not deny that a retrofit option was most similar to
Alternative 2b. Nor do they dispute that it would require a three-year
conventional construction period, including the installation and demolition of
a temporary bridge. And substantial evidence supports these conclusions. As
such, Caltrans would have been justified in deeming a retrofit option
infeasible because it could not be completed within a reasonable period of
time, considering both the uncertainties inherent in a retrofit and the
economic impacts a three-year construction period would have on the
community, which relies so heavily on tourism.
      Moreover, Friends’ cursory claims to the contrary notwithstanding,10 it
is clear that a retrofit alternative spanning three years and requiring
creation of a temporary bridge would increase rather than decrease
environmental impacts, which is why both the community and environmental
regulatory agencies “strongly oppose” conventional construction. Indeed,
most of the alternatives using conventional construction were removed from
consideration due to “[l]asting noise, air quality, and debris effects” and
“[p]rolonged disturbance of the sensitive habitats that support threatened
and endangered species associated with Lagunitas Creek.”
      As just one example, with respect to impacts on habitats for threatened
and endangered species, Alternative 2b’s impacts were deemed similar to
alternatives using ABC such as 2a and 3a, “except a larger amount of upland

      10 Friends argue, for example, that a retrofit would lessen noise impacts

because it would not require demolition of the bridge and vibratory pile
driving, but they ignore the facts that construction and demolition of the
temporary bridge would be necessary under a retrofit alternative; that pile
driving would be required to construct the temporary bridge; that a bridge
retrofit would also require the installation of new piles given the uncertainty
surrounding the existing piles; and that extensive in-water support of the
existing bridge would be required.

                                       26
area would be impacted and the additional piers in the water for the building
of a temporary detour bridge would have greater effects on the aquatic
species (tidewater goby, Chinook salmon, steelhead, coho salmon, green
sturgeon, [California red-legged frog], and [California freshwater shrimp]).
Grading, clearing, and advance tree removal of upland areas that are not
restored within 1 year of impact are considered permanent impacts. The
longer duration of construction could directly affect [California red-legged
frog] breeding and foraging activities within the project footprint and would
increase the potential for take of all of the aquatic species. The 3 years of
dewatering activities would increase the potential for take of threatened and
endangered aquatic species.” A review of Table S-3 comparing project
impacts shows a number of additional increased impacts for Alternative 2b
due to the three-year construction period and temporary detour bridge. It is
reasonable to assume that the environmental impacts with respect to a
retrofit would be at least as great as those ascribed to Alternative 2b and
could be even greater due to the additional in-water work required to support
the existing bridge during a retrofit effort.11
      In sum, substantial evidence supports Caltrans’s decision to withdraw
a retrofit alternative from further consideration. Under such circumstances,

      11 Watsonville Pilots Assn. v. City of Watsonville (2010) 183 Cal.App.4th

1059, cited by Friends, is distinguishable on this basis. There, the EIR for
the city’s general plan improperly rejected a reduced growth alternative
because it would not have achieved all of the project’s objectives. (Id. at pp.
1087–1088.) The appellate court concluded that the reduced growth
alternative should have been included because it would have “provided the
decision makers with information about how most of the project’s objectives
could be satisfied without the level of environmental impacts that would flow
from the project.” (Id. at p. 1090, italics added.) Here, in obvious contrast,
not only would a retrofit fail to achieve all of the project’s objectives, but it
would also fail to decrease the project’s environmental impacts.

                                        27
Caltrans’s selection of alternatives for analysis in the EIR was not manifestly
unreasonable, providing as it did a range of feasible replacement options for
consideration. Friends has failed to meet its burden of proving otherwise.
C.       Recirculation was not Required
         Friends also argue that Caltrans violated CEQA by failing to
recirculate the EIR for additional public review before certification, despite
adding “ ‘significant new information’ ” in the FEIR and Addendum that was
very important to the public. Friends accuse Caltrans of trying to “slip this
information into the record at the eleventh hour to justify its premature and
unsupported decision to exclude every seismic retrofit approach from the
EIR.” Under such circumstances, Friends allege, failure to recirculate the
EIR was a “clear” abuse of discretion. We are not persuaded.
         1.    Additional Background
         As mentioned above, the DEIR discussed and rejected the possibility of
a retrofit alternative for the bridge, determining it was not feasible.
Specifically, the DEIR explained:
         “Caltrans explored the possibility of retrofitting the existing bridge as
an alternative to bridge replacement. According to the Seismic Evaluation of
Lagunitas Creek Bridge (Caltrans 2017), many elements of the bridge are
extremely vulnerable to failure during a seismic event. See Section 1.2.2,
Project Need, for details about the current condition of the bridge. Caltrans
structural engineers explored the methods for retrofitting the bridge and
learned that retrofitting the bridge would require the following:
     •   As explained in Section 1.2.2, Project Need, there are existing bridge
         deficiencies associated with the piles, piers, and abutments, as well as
         the truss itself. Virtually each major structural element[] of the bridge

                                          28
  would require reinforcement, replacement, or refurbishing. This effort
  would be unpredictable and could have unforeseen delays.
• An extensive support structure would have to be built under the bridge
  to support the bridge during the dismantling and restoration process.
  Working on reinforcements to the piers and abutments would require
  removing the bridge deck and T -spans. The presence of thick rust in
  the truss would require removing gusset plates and thickening the steel
  members to meet current seismic requirements. Without truss
  members, the bridge deck could not be supported. The existing bridge
  does not have redundancy in the structure; therefore, as the bridge is
  dismantled to be retrofitted, the structure would have to rely on a
  massive temporary support structure built under and within Lagunitas
  Creek to avoid collapse.
• A support structure would be difficult to construct and remove within
  the limited allowable in-water work period mandated by the federal
  Endangered Species Act to protect threatened and endangered species.
  A creek water diversion would be necessary. Due to the amount of
  development on three corners of the bridge, a creek diversion would
  require relocating a business and/ or residence, large impacts on
  extensive riparian habitat, as well as substantial changes to
  Whitehouse Pool Park. As remarked previously, Section 4(f) requires
  that federally funded projects avoid parklands if there are feasible and
  prudent alternatives to do so. A creek water diversion has the potential
  for substantial impacts on protected species and their habitat due to
  destruction of habitat, large amounts of siltation from new water
  course, and a narrower channel that would change the water velocity.
  The regulatory agencies would resist permitting a project that would

                                  29
      result in substantial environmental impacts to protected aquatic
      species if other alternatives with less impact are equally feasible.
   • A temporary detour bridge would be necessary to safely maintain
      circulation during construction for the following reasons:
      –     There is not enough room on the bridge for both construction
            workers and moving vehicles, creating safety issues for drivers
            and workers during the retrofit.
      –     The temporary support structure would have to be strong enough
            to carry both the weight of the existing bridge and the weight of
            passing vehicles, which together are heavier than the
            requirements for the final retrofit bridge.
      –     The retrofit would require removing the bridge deck and truss
            elements, not only to replace or refurbish but also to access and
            strengthen the piers and abutments.

      “Finally, the retrofit would not resemble the existing bridge because
the steel members would be thicker, the piers and abutment foundations
would be enlarged, and the lanes would be narrower in order to accommodate
the required protective railings. Narrowing the lanes would not be in
compliance with Caltrans safety design standards. There would be no
improvements to sidewalks for bicycle, pedestrian, or equestrian users. The
current sidewalk conditions do not meet [federal disability] requirements,
and under the retrofit alternative, this lack of compliance would continue.
      “Because the retrofit alternative would be an extensive effort, would
result in comparatively much higher environmental impacts (including use of
park land and adverse effects on special status species) than other
alternatives under consideration, [and] would not provide improvements for
multimodal connectivity (such as pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrian

                                       30
users), this alternative was not carried forward into further environmental
review.”
      After issuing the DEIR, Caltrans received 392 comments (332 from
members of the public). One of the common requests in the comments was
that Caltrans review a range of retrofit alternatives or a “ ‘less intensive’ ”
retrofit alternative. In response, Caltrans released the Addendum to the
Alternative Analysis Report on June 26, 2018, which, among other things,
“refin[ed] the definition of and efforts associated with the retrofitting of the
bridge (including optional approaches to retrofit the bridge).” The
conclusions in the April 2017 Alternatives Analysis Report did not change.
Rather the Addendum supplied “some expanded details, clarifications, and
supporting data.”
      Although several different options exist for retrofitting both the
superstructure and the substructure, all retrofit approaches would “require a
similar level of effort and would result in similar environmental impacts.”
Specifically, all retrofit alternatives would require at least a three-year-long
construction period; have greater environmental impacts than the
replacement alternatives due to impacts in the creek channel from more
supports during construction; require installation of a safety barrier which
would narrow roadway width and eliminate the shoulder, making the
roadway substandard; and require “substantial effort (replace substantial
number steel truss members; contain and remove lead paint on all members
that are contacted in the replacement process).”
      After considering comments on the DEIR and releasing the Addendum,
Caltrans certified the FEIR in June 2018. The section in the FEIR describing
why the retrofit alternative was removed from further consideration provides
as follows:

                                        31
      “Caltrans considered the possibility of retrofitting the existing bridge as
an alternative to bridge replacement. A retrofit alternative is proposed when
the current structure has deficiencies that can be repaired without full
replacement. The seismic risk to the bridge is detailed in several studies
completed by Caltrans available on the project’s website
(http://www.dot.ca.gov/d4/lagunitascreekbridge/). According to the Seismic
Evaluation of Lagunitas Creek Bridge (Caltrans 2017a), many elements of
the bridge are vulnerable to failure during a seismic event. See Section 1.2.2,
Project Need, for details regarding the current condition of the bridge.
      “As explained in Section 1.2.2, there are existing bridge deficiencies
associated with the piles, piers, and abutments, and severe corrosion on the
steel truss itself, particularly on fracture-critical components.[] According to
the Investigation of Corrosion of Lagunitas Creek Bridge No. 27 0023, CA
Route 1 PM 28.1 (Caltrans Office of Structural Materials 2016), virtually
each major structural element of the bridge would require reinforcement,
replacement, or refurbishing. In addition to the prolonged time required to
replace these corroded components, this repair option is complex and would
require a substantial temporary support structure (to hold the superstructure
while dismantling, needed due to the lack of redundancy in the
superstructure) underneath the truss at the bottom connections and adjacent
nodes. A temporary support structure poses greater risks to the bridge
because the additional weight of the support structure would result in the
need for a larger substructure (pier and abutment retrofit) for the bridge.
Collectively, these would cause greater environmental impacts than the
comparable alternatives under evaluation. Furthermore, the lack of
redundancy in the bridge structure and the narrowness of the bridge prevent
both construction workers and motorists from being on the bridge while work

                                       32
is being performed on the truss. Due to these factors, a retrofit effort would
be unpredictable and could have unforeseen delays and is generally not a
prudent use of resources relative to the limited lifespan that can be achieved
through a retrofit effort.
      “In addition, Caltrans has determined that meeting its Highway Design
Manual ‘no collapse’ criteria for a retrofit of the Lagunitas Creek Bridge
would entail a substantially larger effort (in light of the higher than expected
corrosion findings throughout the steel truss members) than the replacement
Build Alternatives, involving at least 3 years of construction, and a detour
bridge that would increase the area and duration of environmental impacts.
      “Finally, in addition to the primary seismic concerns, the retrofit would
not meet the safety elements that the replacement alternatives would. As
noted previously, even without the seismic vulnerabilities, the current truss
is vulnerable to potential collapse if a vehicle were to have a collision with
either side of the truss. Under a retrofit scenario, a safety barrier is required
to be installed to deflect vehicles from colliding into the non-redundant truss
structure. This would reduce the travel way by 3 to 4 feet, which would
remove the 2-foot shoulders. Safety research has shown a high correlation
between narrow lanes and increased risk of accidents on rural two-lane
highways (FHWA 2000). Finally, it does not fulfill Caltrans’ Deputy
Directive 64-Rl Complete Streets–Integrating the Transportation System,
which states that the needs of users of all ages and abilities must be met,
[including] safe non-motorized accessibility elements. Therefore, this
alternative was not carried forward for further environmental review.”
(Italics omitted.)

                                       33
        2.   Applicable Law
        An EIR must be recirculated if “significant new information” is added
after issuance of the draft EIR and prior to certification of the final EIR.
(§ 21092.1; Guidelines, § 15088.5, subd. (a).) Recirculation requires making
the revised EIR available for public review and consulting with other
agencies again before certification. (Citizens for Positive Growth &
Preservation v. City of Sacramento (2019) 43 Cal.App.5th 609, 631;
Guidelines, § 15088.5, subd. (d).) “[N]ew information is ‘significant,’ within
the meaning of section 21092.1, only if as a result of the additional
information ‘the EIR is changed in a way that deprives the public of a
meaningful opportunity to comment upon a substantial adverse
environmental effect of the project or a feasible way to mitigate or avoid such
an effect.’ [Citations.] Recirculation is not mandated under section 21092.1
when the new information merely clarifies or amplifies the previously
circulated draft EIR, but is required when it reveals, for example, a new
substantial impact or a substantially increased impact on the environment.”
(East Oakland Stadium Alliance v. City of Oakland (2023) 89 Cal.App.5th
1226, 1265 (East Oakland Stadium Alliance), quoting Vineyard Area Citizens
for Responsible Growth, Inc. v. City of Rancho Cordova (2007) 40 Cal.4th 412,
447.)
        The Guidelines provide the following as examples of “significant new
information” requiring recirculation: “(1) A new significant environmental
impact would result from the project or from a new mitigation measure
proposed to be implemented. [¶] (2) A substantial increase in the severity
of an environmental impact would result unless mitigation measures are
adopted that reduce the impact to a level of insignificance. [¶] (3) A
feasible project alternative or mitigation measure considerably different

                                       34
from others previously analyzed would clearly lessen the significant
environmental impacts of the project, but the project’s proponents decline
to adopt it. [¶] (4) The draft EIR was so fundamentally and basically
inadequate and conclusory in nature that meaningful public review and
comment were precluded.” (Guidelines, § 15088.5, subd. (a).)
      “ ‘ “[T]he final EIR will almost always contain information not included
in the draft EIR” given the CEQA statutory requirements of circulation of the
draft EIR, public comment, and response to these comments prior to
certification of the final EIR. . . . “[R]ecirculation was intended to be an
exception, [not] the general rule.” ’ ” (Southwest Regional Council of
Carpenters v. City of Los Angeles (2022) 76 Cal.App.5th 1154, 1184.)
While the lead agency is not required to make an express finding regarding
recirculation of an EIR, the decision not to recirculate must be supported by
substantial evidence in the record. (Laurel Heights Improvement Assn. v.
Regents of University of California (1993) 6 Cal.4th 1112, 1133 (Laurel
Heights II); Guidelines, § 150885, subd. (e).) We presume the lead agency’s
decision is correct. Plaintiffs bear the burden of showing that no substantial
evidence supports the agency’s determination that the new information
disclosed in the final EIR was not significant new information. (Western
Placer Citizens for an Agricultural and Rural Environment v. County of
Placer (2006) 144 Cal.App.4th 890, 903.) We resolve reasonable doubts in
favor of the lead agency’s decision. (Laurel Heights II, at p. 1135.)
      3.    Recirculation was not Required
      As stated above, new information is generally significant for
recirculation purposes only if “ ‘as a result of the additional information “the
EIR is changed in a way that deprives the public of a meaningful opportunity
to comment upon a substantial adverse environmental effect of the project or

                                        35
a feasible way to mitigate or avoid such an effect.” ’ ” (East Oakland Stadium
Alliance, supra, 89 Cal.App.5th at p. 1266.) The bulk of the examples of
“significant new information” in the Guidelines similarly involve new
significant impacts, a substantial increase in severity of an environmental
impact, or a failure to adopt a new alternative or mitigation measure that
would lessen significant environmental impacts. (Guidelines, § 15088.5,
subd. (a).) Since Caltrans’s decision not to advance a retrofit alternative
does not fall within any of these categories, Friends are left with the
argument that, due to its failure to analyze a retrofit alternative, “[t]he draft
EIR was so fundamentally and basically inadequate and conclusory in
nature that meaningful public review and comment were precluded.”
(Guidelines, § 15088.5, subd. (a)(4).) Citing Sutter Sensible Planning, Inc.
v. Board of Supervisors (1981) 122 Cal.App.3d 813 (Sutter) and suggesting
we examine for ourselves the many changes made from the DEIR/ARR to
the FEIR/Addendum, Friends claim that the DEIR’s retrofit discussion
amounted to “conclusory statement[s] ‘unsupported by empirical or
experimental data, scientific authorities, or explanatory information of
any kind.’ ” (Id. at p. 820.) This is a hard mountain to climb, and Friends
fail to reach the summit.
      Our examination of the discussion of a possible retrofit alternative in
the DEIR/ARR discloses: many elements of the existing bridge are
vulnerable to seismic failure; virtually each major structural element of
the bridge would require reinforcement, replacement, or refurbishing; a
retrofit would be unpredictable; a significant support structure would be
needed under the bridge during the restoration process; a retrofit would
have greater environmental impacts; a support structure would be difficult
to remove within the limited allowable in-water work period mandated by

                                       36
federal law and would require a creek water diversion with its attendant
impacts12; a temporary bridge and three-year construction period would be
required; retrofit would enlarge several of the bridge elements; necessary
protective rails would narrow the lanes, which would not comply with
current safety standards; and a retrofit would not include improvements
for multimodal connectivity.
      According to the FEIR/Addendum’s retrofit discussion: many
elements of the existing bridge are vulnerable to seismic failure; virtually
each major structural element of the bridge would require reinforcement,
replacement, or refurbishing; although several different options exist for
retrofitting both the superstructure and the substructure, all retrofit
approaches would “require a similar level of effort and would result in similar
environmental impacts”; a retrofit would be unpredictable; a significant
support structure would be needed under the bridge during the restoration
process; a retrofit is not a prudent use of resources due to the relative
lifespan of the bridge13; a temporary bridge and three-year construction
timeframe would be required; a retrofit would have greater environmental
impacts; required protective rails would narrow the lanes, which would
not comply with current safety standards; and a retrofit would not include
improvements for multimodal connectivity.
      As is readily apparent, while the FEIR/Addendum provided some
additional information and analysis regarding a retrofit, their discussion

      12 While this statement was not included in the FEIR, the Addendum

makes clear that its deletion did not change the EIR’s conclusions regarding
creek diversion.
      13 The limited lifespan of the bridge and the fact that a retrofit would

be more costly were discussed throughout the environmental review process
and thus were not new information.

                                       37
of the retrofit alternative was not significantly different from that in the
DEIR/ARR, and they reached the same conclusions. Any additional
information/analyses merely clarified, amplified, or made insignificant
modifications to an otherwise adequate EIR. (Guidelines, § 15088.5.) The
myriad claims asserted by Friends do not convince us otherwise.
      For example, Friends contend that Caltrans, for the first time, tied
the corrosion of the truss to the infeasibility of a retrofit in the FEIR. But
Caltrans highlighted the corrosion of the bridge truss from the first scoping
meeting in March 2015 as well as in the August 2015 retrofit feasibility
memorandum. The later corrosion study cited in the FEIR merely confirmed
Caltrans’s initial analysis based on visual inspection through the use of
ultrasonic testing.
      Friends also argue that the FEIR relied on the “speculative assertion”
that the steel truss might collapse if hit by a vehicle to explain the need for a
new safety barrier, which would make a retrofit problematic. But the fact
that the bridge truss was “fracture critical” due to its lack of redundancy was
discussed as early as 2014 in a bridge inspection report. And the August
2015 retrofit feasibility memorandum noted that the steel railing, at only
several inches wide, “is completely ineffective against today’s vehicular
impact loading requirements,” and that replacement of the bridge safety rail
with a rail meeting current safety standards would result in 10-foot lanes and
no shoulders, rendering the retrofitted bridge functionally obsolete. That
new protective railings would be required was then discussed at the October
2015 scoping meeting, in the March 2017 seismic evaluation, in the AAR, and
in the DEIR. Based on the known facts regarding the existing bridge and a
comparison with current safety standards, this was a reasonable
(nonspeculative) assumption.

                                       38
      Next, Friends again point to Caltrans’s failure to fully investigate
the condition of the bridge’s piles as evidence of the inadequacy of its
technical analysis of the retrofit alternative. But as we have already
determined, substantial evidence supports the conclusion that the actual
condition of the piles was unknowable. Friends also highlight the statement
in the Addendum that a retrofit of the bridge’s substructure could be
accomplished “by strengthening the existing piers and abutments, or drilling
new large diameter pilings to strengthen the existing abutments or piers,”
arguing that it “directly contradicted” Caltrans’s representation that it was
impossible to determine the condition of the existing foundation. This is just
untrue. The strategies discussed for retrofitting the piers and abutments
both require new piles (either constructed around the piers or drilled in and
around the abutments) precisely because the strength of the existing
foundation is unknown.
      Finally, Friends assert that the different strategies for a retrofit
discussed in the Addendum were critical new information. We disagree. The
Addendum does discuss various retrofit strategies but states that “retrofit
approaches that meet the ‘no collapse’ [design] criteria would all require a
similar level of effort and would result in similar environmental impacts,”
specifically a three-year construction period, rebuilding, removing, or
refurbishing many elements of the bridge, construction of a temporary bridge,
and extensive in-creek work. (Italics added.) Thus, these new retrofit
variations provide no basis for challenging Caltrans’s decision to remove a
retrofit alternative from further consideration.14

      14 In one paragraph at the end of their recirculation discussion, Friends

summarily assert that the FEIR includes previously undisclosed impacts to
essential fish habitat and protected species. They fail to support their
citations to the record with any argument as to why the identified passages

                                       39
      This case is easily distinguishable from Sutter, supra, 122 Cal.App.3d
813, cited by Friends. In Sutter, a draft EIR for a proposed tomato paste
processing plant failed to discuss adequately a number of significant project
impacts related to groundwater levels, traffic, and wastewater disposal. (Id.
at pp. 816–817.) The board of supervisors referred the final EIR back to the
Planning Department for a “redraft” after several board members deemed it
inadequate and unlikely to survive judicial review. (Id. at p. 821.) “The
revised final EIR ‘fundamentally’ reorganized the previous information and
provided a substantial amount of new information, including additional
details about the potential effects of the plant on the environment and
substituting some new data for information which had been repudiated by its
purported author.” (Laurel Heights II, supra, 6 Cal.4th at pp. 1127–1128
[explaining Sutter].)
      The Sutter court “determined that recirculation for public comment
would be an appropriate procedure to follow in the situation where
‘significant new information’ is added to an EIR after the close of the public
comment period, but prior to certification.” (Laurel Heights II, supra, 6
Cal.4th at p. 1128.) In doing so, the appellate court noted the importance
under CEQA of public comments and agency statements in response to
comments, stating: “ [T]he requirement of a detailed statement helps
[e]nsure the integrity of the process of decision by precluding stubborn
problems or serious criticism from being swept under the rug. A conclusory
statement ‘unsupported by empirical or experimental data, scientific
authorities, or explanatory information of any kind’ not only fails to

require recirculation and have therefore waived this claim. (Friends of the
Eel River v. Sonoma County Water Agency (2003) 108 Cal.App.4th 859, 877.)
Regardless, our review of the record shows no basis for recirculation on these
grounds.

                                       40
crystallize issues [citation] but ‘affords no basis for a comparison of the
problems involved with the proposed project and the difficulties involved in
the alternatives.’ ” (Sutter, supra, 122 Cal.App.3d at p. 820.) Thereafter, our
Supreme Court cited Sutter as a case in which the “draft EIR [was]
fundamentally and basically inadequate in many respects.” (Laurel Heights
II, supra, 6 Cal.4th at p. 1131.) Thus, Sutter was the type of proceeding
where recirculation was required because “the draft EIR was so
fundamentally and basically inadequate and conclusory in nature that public
comment on the draft was in effect meaningless.” (Id. at pp. 1130–1131.)
      Here, in contrast, Friends have resoundingly failed to establish that the
DEIR/ARR consisted of “conclusory statement[s] ‘unsupported by empirical
or experimental data, scientific authorities, or explanatory information of
any kind’ ” (Sutter, supra, 122 Cal.App.3d at p. 820) or was
“fundamentally and basically inadequate” (Laurel Heights II, supra, 6
Cal.4th at p. 1131). Nor do the FEIR/Addendum include significant new
information as defined by CEQA. Thus, recirculation was not required.
      We truly appreciate the attachment many members of the
community have to this historic bridge. However, safety and accessibility
are valid (and in this instance countervailing) governmental concerns.
Our independent review of the record reveals that Caltrans consistently
engaged and included the public in consideration of a retrofit option
throughout the environmental review process. And we have concluded that
substantial evidence supports Caltrans’s decision to remove a retrofit option
from further environmental review. Nothing more was required.

                                        41
                             III. DISPOSITION
      The judgment is affirmed. In the interests of justice, the parties shall
bear their own costs on appeal. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.278(a)(5).)

                                      42
                                          BOWEN, J.

WE CONCUR:

HUMES, P. J.

MARGULIES, J.

A163405N


 Judge of the Contra Costa County Superior Court, assigned by the Chief
Justice pursuant to article VI, section 6 of the California Constitution.

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