Category: SB 375

Categories
California Policy Education/Webinars GHG Reduction Metropolitan Planning SB 375

UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies to Host Former Graduate Student Lauren Michele for Winter Seminar



 

 

 

 

Time: February 10,2012 , 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Location: 1065 Kemper Hall, UC Davis

Speaker:  Ms. Lauren Michele, Principal/Founder of Policy in Motion

Title: Policy in Motion: Transportation Planning in California after AB 32

Follow these steps to view a seminar remotely live:

  • On Friday at 1:30 p.m., log into this web site
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  • Enter your name and Enter Room.
  • Wait a few moments to be accepted into the meeting room. Your name will appear as a guest as long as you are logged into the seminar.

 

Abstract: While state and federal actions have been taken to set new requirements for vehicle efficiency and fuels, tackling travel behavior policies that reduce vehicle-miles-traveled and improve transportation network management is needed if California is to reduce its transportation sector’s 38 percent contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. California’s unique democracy and global economy is unparallel to any other union. The State is setting new policy directions for sustainable living through transportation planning, but outdated regulatory frameworks must be aligned with supporting paradigm shifts if California is to move forward in a truly unified vision for people-oriented development and transportation. In a time where both state and federal efforts are pointing toward sustainable planning, Lauren Michele covers five key topics that are necessary for policymakers and practitioners to understand in order to implement sustainable transportation solutions at all levels of government:

  • The Four Circles of GHG Reduction Strategies from Travel Behavior:
    categorizes the existing literature on GHG reduction ranges from land use and transportation strategies into four major themes
  • Planning Theory and Frameworks in California: analyzes how environmental review frameworks, funding structures, and the land use/ transportation planning process work at the local, regional, state, and federal levels
  • Implementing SACOG’s Blueprint and Metropolitan Transportation Plan: reveals what aspects of California government need policy reform in order to successfully implement SB 375’s ”Sustainable Communities Strategies” through an analysis of SACOG’s Blueprint process, successes, and challenges
  • Recommendations for New Policy Frameworks in California: contains suggestions for statute changes, agency actions, and framework reforms that support AB 32, SB 375, AB 857, and SB 391 objectives
  • Creating a Federal Framework for Integrated Planning: provides recommended language for evolving federal climate/energy bills and the transportation reauthorization to support GHG reduction through the planning process

Biographical Sketch: Since the passage of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act in 2006 (AB 32), Lauren Michele – Principal/Owner/Author of Policy in Motion, has worked with government agencies and varied stakeholders from the local to federal level on crafting and implementing transportation plans and regulatory frameworks which work toward community sustainability and people-oriented development. A graduate of ITS-Davis and analyst with the Institute’s Urban Land Use and Transportation Center, Ms. Michele’s background extends from working as a local transportation planner in California’s capital city to a federal climate policy analyst in Washington D.C. Her research and strategic analyses have been shared with the Federal Highway Administration; State of California Department of Transportation, Air Resources Board, Energy Commission, Strategic Growth Council, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, Assembly and Senate; as well as regional and local transportation planning agencies developing integrated land use and transportation sustainability plans pursuant to Senate Bill 375 (Steinberg, 2008). Her recent book, ‘Policy in Motion: Transportation Planning in California after AB 32 was released on August 10th of 2011, including a foreword by Dr. Daniel Sperling. ”This book examines California’s transportation planning initiatives since AB 32, with a nuanced eye toward the State’s particular rules, laws, politics, and institutions. Lauren Michele provides insights and lessons for policymakers and practitioners-in California and elsewhere-as they strive to create more sustainable communities and transportation systems.”– Dr. Daniel Sperling; Director/Professor, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.

 

 

Categories
California Policy Livable Communities Metropolitan Planning Modeling/Tools NewsFlash SB 375 Sustainability

Policy in Motion and Fehr & Peers Submit Joint Comment Letter on Strategic Growth Council’s Strategic Plan

January 3, 2012

Chairman Ken Alex

Strategic Growth Council

1400 Tenth Street

Sacramento, CA  95814

 

Re:  Comments on the Strategic Growth Council’s Strategic Plan

Dear Chairman Alex and Members of the Council:

Policy in Motion and Fehr and Peers would like to recognize and appreciate the efforts of the strategic planning process undertaken by the Strategic Growth Council.  The draft Strategic Plan reflects a statewide shift toward planning and crafting policies which support sustainable communities in California.  As firms whose mission is to improve and grow efficient, prosperous and beautiful communities, the Principals of Policy in Motion and Fehr & Peers offer encouragement that the draft Plan support the Council’s priorities as stated in SB 732 (2008) and AB 857 (2001).

“Quality of Life” has become a key principle at federal, state, regional and local levels of government; however, efforts to define and measure “livability” are still highly variable and the need for performance based planning frameworks in conjunction with developing consistent quantification tools and modeling to capture policy impacts across the economic, environmental and equitable aspects of sustainability planning is greatly needed.  Additionally, the possible MAP-21 federal redesignation of Metropolitan Planning Organization size from 50,000 to 200,000 would greatly increase the need for resources and guidance on performance based and cost-effective infrastructure planning among California’s smaller MPOs – given the redesignation would impact 10 of California’s 18 MPOs which would no longer be subject to SB 375 (2008).  These regions would include four of the eight San Joaquin Valley MPOs, and the regions of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Shasta, Butte and Tahoe.

In light of the limited staff resources and diversity of important issues facing the Council, Policy in Motion and Fehr & Peers would like to recommend focus the draft Strategic Plan on initiatives which are cross-cutting and supportive in sustainability objectives by leveraging recent State investments with staff and technical resources across agencies and stakeholder groups.  Please consider the following comments pertaining to the development of the Five-Year Infrastructure Plan and coordinated investment strategies:

Strategy 1.4: Promote incorporation of SB 732’s objectives into the state’s Five-Year Infrastructure Plan.

“A work group created by the Executive Director and Key Staff will. . . make recommendations on how planning priorities and sustainability objectives can be more fully integrated into the development of the Five-Year Infrastructure Plan administered by the Department of Finance. Council Members will provide leadership to encourage their agencies’ cooperation, and may request an assessment of how infrastructure investments within their agencies and departments support state planning priorities.”

  • The Council and member agency involvement in developing the Five-Year Infrastructure Plan should include a transportation element oriented toward the implementation of the short term elements of the California Transportation Plan and coordinated across member agencies to integrate water, energy, public health, and other related infrastructure.
  • In facilitating the process for the Five-Year Infrastructure Plan and long range planning objectives under SB375, the Council should provide guidance, support and capacity building for MPOs and RTPAs on tools and resources, including the California Statewide Integrated Model (CalSIM) and other consistent tools for use across regions in Regional Transportation Plan development and evaluation.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.  We look forward to working with you as the Council works toward adoption of a final Strategic Plan.

 

Sincerely,

 

Lauren Michele

Principal/Owner

Policy in Motion

 

Gerard Walters

Principal, Chief Technical Officer

FEHR & PEERS

 

Jerry Walters is Fehr & Peers Chief Technical Officer and leader of the firm’s Cool Connections initiative on transportation strategies for sustainable climate, energy and health.  He has over thirty years experience in transportation planning and engineering, and has participated on committees responsible for defining best practices for integrated land use, transportation and climate change methods for the California Transportation Commission, Air Resources Board, Department of Housing and Community Development, Caltrans, and the American Public Transit Association.  He has also directed development of project evaluation methods and metrics for the US EPA and the Institute of Transportation Engineers.  Mr. Walters is a co-author of the 2008 book Growing Cooler – the Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change published by the ULI. He also led development of smart growth travel analysis methods for Sacramento Regional Blueprint study, San Joaquin Valley Growth Response study, and smart growth planning for the San Diego and San Luis Obispo regions, and sustainable development plan throughout the US.

Lauren Michele is the Principal and Founder of Policy in Motion, a Woman/ Disadvantaged Business Enterprise highlighting how transportation policy impacts community sustainability and “people-oriented development” — access to affordable living near quality jobs, food, schools and health services through livability planning.  Ms. Michele’s combined knowledge as a practicing transportation planning consultant, climate policy analyst, and University of California researcher has given her a foundation to build a business and author a book connecting federal and state legislative priorities with local and regional implementation.  She has worked on issues from local transportation planning to federal climate policy. Her recent book, “Policy in Motion: Transportation Planning in California after AB 32” was released August 10, 2011.

“People-oriented development is a concept that goes beyond traditional planning concepts of promoting high density development near transit stations; rather, POD focuses on what makes people happy and how to offer existing neighborhoods job growth, community schools, places of gathering, quality travel, resource management, and housing diversity.  In a state that drives 800 million miles a day and spends ten percent of household income on cars, planning for PODs today will blossom beautiful communities tomorrow.”

– Policy in Motion: Transportation Planning in California after AB 32

 

 

 

Categories
California Policy NewsFlash SB 375 State Policy Transportation Funding

SGC Planning Grant Workshop Schedule for Prop 84 Round 2 Program

Strategic Growth Council

Notice to Potential Applicants to Round 2 of the SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PLANNING GRANT AND INCENTIVE PROGRAM:

INVITATION TO ATTEND ROUND 2 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS

Important reminders:

  • Applications must be must submitted online by 5:00 PM, Wednesday, February 15, 2012.
  • Applications must include a signed resolution from the Board or Council of the submitting entity.
  • Technical assistance is available for all potential applicants. For technical assistance, phone or e mail: (916)322-3439; SGCsustainablecommunities@conservation.ca.gov

See the Solicitation, RFP, Guidelines with Instructions, and Errata at:

http://www.sgc.ca.gov/planning_grants.html

Specific workshop dates and locations are listed on page two of this notice.

To RSVP for Round 2 Technical Assistance workshops, contact Bruce Gwynne at the Department of Conservation Division of Land Resource Protection at:

(916) 322-3439 or via email to: SGCsustainablecommunities@conservation.ca.gov

_____________________________________________________________________________________

An important task of the Strategic Growth Council is to assist state and local entities in the planning of sustainable communities.  Find out more about the Strategic Growth Council at: http://www.sgc.ca.gov/

The Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentive Program awards financial assistance to cities, counties, Regional Transportation Planning Agencies, Joint Powers Authorities, Councils of Governments, and Metropolitan Planning Organizations for the development, update, adoption, and/or implementation of planning instruments. Find out more about the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentive Program at: http://www.sgc.ca.gov/planning_grants.html

WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT:

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PLANNING GRANT AND INCENTIVE PROGRAM – Round 2

Workshops will be conducted to provide technical assistance in preparing grant applications and vetting project proposals for eligibility and competiveness. Ongoing technical assistance is available by phone or e mail (see guidelines).

WORKSHOP LOCATIONS
 

Rohnert Park – January 6, 2012 (Friday)

10:00 AM – 12:00 noon

Sonoma State University

1801 E. Cotati Avenue

Rohnert Park, CA  94928

Environmental Tech Center

  

SACRAMENTO – January 20, 2012 (Friday)

10:00 AM – 12:00 noon

Cal EPA Coastal Room (2nd Floor)

1001 “I” Street

Sacramento, CA 95814
 

Los Angeles – January 10, 2012 (Tuesday)

10:00 AM – 12:00 noon

SCAG-Southern California Association of Governments            818 West 7th Street, 12th

Los Angeles, CA 90017-3435

  

CLOVIS – January 18, 2012 (Wednesday)

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

City Council Chambers

1033 Fifth Street

Clovis, CA  93612

 

Additional hosted webcast locations for the January 10, 2012, Southern California Workshop (from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon), at five SCAG Regional Offices, and three local offices in the SCAG region.  Arrangements are being made for additional webcast facilities at San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) offices. Please check back for details on the San Diego location.

 

  
–Imperial County Regional Office 

1405 N. Imperial Avenue, Suite 1

El Centro, CA 92243

 

 –Orange County Regional Office 

600 South Main Street, Suite 906

Orange, CA 92863

 
–Riverside County Regional Office 

3403 10th Street, Suite 805

Riverside, CA 92501

 

 –San Bernardino County Regional Office 

1170 West 3rd Street, Suite 140

San Bernardino, CA 92410

 
–Ventura County Regional Office 

950 County Square Drive, Suite 101

Ventura, CA 93003

 
–Palm Desert – 

CVAG – Coachella Valley

73-710 Fred Waring Dr.

Palm Desert, CA 92260

 

 –San Bernardino County – Hesperia 

Jerry Lewis High Desert Government Center

5900 Smoke Tree St., 1st Floor

Training Room B

Hesperia, CA 92345

 
–Palmdale – City Hall 

38250 Sierra Highway

Palmdale, CA 93550

 

 –San Diego – (pending confirmation) 

SANDAG

401 B Street, Suite 800

San Diego, CA 92101

 

 

Categories
California Policy Complete Streets GHG Reduction Metropolitan Planning SB 375 State Policy

San Diego and SB 375: Lessons from California’s First Sustainable Communities Strategy

On October 28th 2011, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) approved the first sustainable communities strategy (SCS) under Senate Bill 375.  A new report (pdf), San Diego and SB 375: Lessons from California’s First Sustainable Communities Strategy, co-authored by Eliot Rose, Autumn Bernstein, and Stuart Cohen raises several key issues for consideration in regional planning and current limitations of transportation funding structures.

SB 375 in itself is not a silver bullet for the creation of sustainable communities across California; however, as Regional Transportation Plans (RTPs) are being updated with Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCSs), long standing issues with federal and state regulatory barriers and local implementation challenges will become increasingly apparent.  Policy in Motion would like to emphasize the need to question the definition of “SB 375 Success” in terms of how the process in itself is laying the foundation for the State’s next evolution of legislation and reforms to funding structures, environmental review, and land use/transportation planning.  As in any process, success is a moving and growing target toward a greater vision, and continual progress along that journey is a necessary component requiring evaluation – meaning that no matter what a plan outlines today there needs to be a mechanism in place to monitor the impacts from the land use and transportation strategies laid out those plans, and some form of consistency in monitoring outcomes to ensure performance measurement objectives are being evaluated. State leadership providing clear guidance, expectations, resources, and communication will be integral for MPO success in the SB 375 journey.

For more information on the greater vision and challenge in fostering “people-oriented development” and sustainable communities, check out Lauren Michele’s recent book on Policy in Motion: Transportation Planning in California after AB 32

 

Categories
California Policy Local Government Metropolitan Planning NewsFlash SB 375

Sacramento APA and ASLA “Emerging Professionals” Groups Hosting Local Author December 1st

 

 

Interactive Program:

Transportation Planning in California after AB 32
The Sacramento Chapters of the American Planning Association Young Planner’s Group, together with the American Society of Landscape Architect’s Emerging Professional’s Group, is co-hosting an informative event exploring how recent transportation policy has transformed our professions. Lauren Michele, a young professional herself, principal, and owner of Policy in Motion will be the guest speaker.  Ms. Michele collaborates with government agencies and varied stakeholders at the local, state, and federal levels to craft and implement transportation plans and regulatory frameworks that work toward community sustainability and people-oriented development. She recently published a book, Policy in Motion: Transportation Planning in California after AB 32, examining California’s planning initiatives post-AB 32 and in light of SB 375 and explores policy, politics, and changes to state law that can help to achieve sustainable communities and transportation systems.Date/Time: Thursday, December 1, 5:30-7:30pm 

Location:    American Institute of Architects Central Valley 1400 ‘S’ Street Sacramento, CA

Agenda:

  • 5:30-6:00pm – Social with refreshments and book signing
  • 6:00-7:00pm – Interactive presentation by Lauren Michele
  • 7:00-7:30pm – Q&A/group discussion

Let us know you’re coming, please RSVP to Tracey Ferguson, YPG Chair at ypg@sacvalley-apa.org Cost: FREE EVENT

Policy in Motion: Transportation Planning in California after AB 32 will be available for purchase at the event for 20% off retail price.

 

About the Author…. Since the passage of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act in 2006 (AB 32), Lauren Michele, Principal and Owner of Policy in Motion, has worked with government agencies and varied stakeholders from the local to federal level on crafting and implementing transportation plans and regulatory frameworks which work toward community sustainability and people-oriented development. A graduate of the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, Ms. Michele’s research and strategic analyses have been utilized by the Federal Highway Administration; State of California Department of Transportation, Air Resources Board, Energy Commission, Strategic Growth Council, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; as well as regional and local transportation planning agencies developing integrated land use and transportation sustainability plans.

Categories
California Policy GHG Reduction Local Government Metropolitan Planning NewsFlash SB 375 State Policy Transportation Funding

Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentive Program 2011 Request for Proposals

Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentive Program 2011 Request for Proposals

(This information is also online at http://sgc.ca.gov/planning_grants.html)

INTRODUCTION

On behalf of the Strategic Growth Council (SGC), the Department of Conservation manages competitive grants to cities, counties, and designated regional agencies to promote sustainable community planning and natural resource conservation. The grant program supports development, adoption, and implementation of various planning elements. The Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program offers a unique opportunity to improve and sustain the wise use of infrastructure and natural resources through a coordinated and collaborative approach.

2011 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Department of Conservation (DOC), Division of Land Resource Protection (DLRP), Planning Grant and Incentive Program has released the round two Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Request for Proposals (RFP) funded through the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Act of 2006 (Proposition 84). DOC has allocated approximately $18 million of Proposition 84 funds for round two. The funds awarded will support development, adoption, and implementation of Sustainable Community planning elements throughout the State, including, but not limited to, Climate Action Plans and General Plan amendments. The grants awarded from this solicitation will cover up to a three-year project period.  Grant requests for amounts from $100,000 to $1,000,000 will be considered.

APPLICATION PROCESS

DOC is utilizing the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST) system to facilitate the application and review process, and to conserve paper. All applicants submitting proposals for funding through this grant must submit a complete electronic application using the FAAST system, by 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, FEBRUARY 15, 2012. Late applications will not be accepted.

The application process through the FAAST system can be accessed through the link:  https://faast.waterboards.ca.gov

The 2011 RFP, which describes eligibility, program requirements, the application process, and the evaluation criteria, is posted on the SGC website at: http://www.sgc.ca.gov/meetings/20111102/pgip-guidelines-2011.pdf.

For technical questions about the State Water Board’s FAAST application, please contact FAAST staff by phone at (866) 434-1083, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., or by email at faast_admin@waterboards.ca.gov

For questions regarding this grant solicitation, please contact the DOC Planning Grant and Incentive Program staff by phone at (916) 322-3439, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., or by email: SGCSustainableCommunities@conservation.ca.gov.

RFP WORKSHOPS

The DOC Planning Grant and Incentive Program Staff will hold workshops around the state in early 2012, with dates, times and locations to be announced.

HISTORY OF THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PLANNING GRANT AND INCENTIVE PROGRAM

The SGC/DOC Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentive Program 2010 awarded projects can be reviewed at http://www.sgc.ca.gov/selected_apps_2010.html.

 

 

Categories
California Policy Education/Webinars GHG Reduction Metropolitan Planning Research SB 375 State Policy

SB 375, RTP & SCS Course on 11/9/11 with Bill Higgins, J.D. (Lauren Michele Guest Lecturer) :: UC Davis Extension

Regional Planning and Sustainable Communities Strategies: The Road So Far

SB 375 has been hailed as a new standard in planning for transportation, housing, land use and climate change mitigation. Get up-to-speed on this significant legislation with this “just the facts” approach to the implementation and application of the law, including how SB 375 was integrated into the Housing Element Law and CEQA, and the potential impacts this will have on local government and other state policy. Review the different strategies being developed by metropolitan planning organizations to achieve statewide greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and the implications they have for land use and resource management planning. Examine the availability of implementation resources; and how traffic, economic and demographic data will be used to measure strategy effectiveness.

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Instructor(s):

Bill Higgins, J.D., serves as the executive director for the California Association of Councils of Government, a statewide membership organization of councils of government and transportation planning agencies. Previously, he was a senior staff attorney and legislative advocate for the League of California Cities where he represented the League on issues relating to housing, land use and eminent domain.

Lauren Michele, M.S., will be contributing as a guest lecturer on “SB 375 Lessons Learned” where she will be providing an overview of the challenges and successes California has seen during its multi-staged SB 375 process.  She will discuss this in the context of what has led up to SB 375, how legislative developments in other western states highlight California’s efforts, and why groundwork today sets the stage for future progress.

When:

Nov. 9: Wed., 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Where:

Sutter Square Galleria, 2901 K St, Sacramento, CA

Directions:

Map

Fee:

$290.00.

Special Discount fee:

10% discount for organizations enrolling three or more people at the same time in the same course. All registrations must be submitted at the same time and fees paid with one check, credit card or purchase order.
10% discount for BIA Member

Credit:

.6 CEU, 6 MCLE Hours, 6 AICP Hours

Section:

112LUP167

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Categories
California Policy GHG Reduction Local Government SB 375

The Blogs are Out! SANDAG Adopts 2050 RTP and Sustainable Communities Strategy

Marking the first of California’s MPOs to release an RTP Update in a post SB-375 world, the SANDAG Board of Directors adopted the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy on Friday.  The Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) is a new element of the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), as required by Senate Bill 375 (SB 375). SB 375 requires that Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) prepare a SCS as a new element of their RTPs, along with the traditional policy, action, and financial requirements.

Below is a summary and commentary from PublicCEO’s Dan Oney and NRDC’s Amanda Eakin.

 

 

SANDAG Adopts 2050 Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy

Written by  Dan Oney
October 31, 2011

On Friday, the SANDAG Board of Directors adopted the 2050 Regional Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy. The plans, which came after two years of research, revision, and public comment, represents the region’s balanced vision for the evolution of the San Diego area transportation system over the next 40 years.

“This RTP takes a balanced approach,” SANDAG Board Chair and Encinitas Deputy Mayor Jerome Stocks said. “It provides more transportation choices with an integrated system, it protects our environment, and it responsibly invests taxpayer funds.”

The 2050 RTP lays out a plan for investing an estimated $214 billion in local, state, and federal transportation funds expected to come into the region over the next 40 years.

The largest proportion of the funds will go toward transit, which will receive 36 percent of the funds in the first 10 years, with 34 percent going to highway improvements (largely for the addition of high occupancy vehicle lanes to existing freeway corridors), and 21 percent to local roads and streets. The percentage dedicated to transit will grow each decade, up to 44 percent from 2021 to 2030, 47 percent in the third decade, and 57 percent in the last decade of the plan.

Along with the 2050 RTP, the Board adopted the Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS). The SCS details how the region will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to state-mandated levels over time. The inclusion of the SCS is required by Senate Bill 375, and the San Diego region is the first in California to produce a regional transportation plan with an SCS.

The Board also adopted the Environmental Impact Report for the 2050 RTP and SCS. And the Board adopted the final Regional Housing Needs Assessment Plan.

The 2050 RTP calls for increasing transportation choices in the region through an integrated system, including vast improvements to transit and a transformed highway system that includes 130 miles of Express Lanes to accommodate carpooling, vanpooling, and transit. This new system also will:

  • Provide 156 new miles of trolley service
  • Expand and speed up COASTER service in the North Coast Corridor
  • Double transit service miles and increase frequency in key corridors
  • Dedicate $3.8 billion for regional and local bicycle and pedestrian projects
  • Create new carpool and telework incentive programs to reduce solo driving

The plan also preserves our natural resources and promotes smart growth. It will:

  • Meet state greenhouse gas reduction targets
  • Preserve more than half of our land as open space, parkland and habitat
  • Accommodate housing to meet projected population growth in San Diego County

And it maximizes investments to meet the funding challenges faced by the region as we work to accomplish our many goals. The plan:

  • Stimulates $4.4 billion annually in projected regional economic output
  • Creates 35,600 jobs per year in the San Diego region
  • Calls for equitable distribution of investments throughout the region

Amanda Eaken

San Diego Adopts Nation’s First Sustainable Communities Strategy

Written by Amanda Eaken

Posted October 28, 2011

Today the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) voted 14 – 1 to adopt the first Sustainable Communities Strategy to implement SB 375 in California. After hours of public testimony and debate, SANDAG Chairman Jerome Stocks summarized his thoughts on the day, and called for the vote.

“We are the first in the state, the nation, and possibly the world to adopt a Sustainable Communities Strategy, and that does matter.”

Since this summer, NRDC has been working with SANDAG to recommend improvements to the plan, and we are pleased to see that some of our recommendations have been incorporated into the final plan, and grateful to staff for their willingness to work with us, particularly at this late date. In particular, we are pleased to see SANDAG commit to adopt an early action measure for active transportation by next summer, to develop a transit-oriented development policy to ensure its $53 billion investment in transit leads to strong ridership gains, and to develop a complete streets policy. We also appreciate SANDAG’s commitment to evaluating alternative land use scenarios through its upcoming Regional Comprehensive Plan.

But we need a clear commitment from SANDAG that these scenarios will be integratedland use and transportation scenarios which will re-assess SANDAG’s transportation network— as the Air Resources Board itself has recommended–in order to reverse the backsliding in the out years of the plan.

As co-sponsor and drafter of SB 375, NRDC never once imagined that a region would be considered to have met its targets if the GHG reductions were temporary and eroded over time. AB 32 calls for permanent reductions. SB 375 implements AB 32. We are pleased to hear Boardmember Heebner commend staff for their commitment to “address and reverse the backsliding”, as well as invite us all to keep SANDAG honest in the months and years to come.  We will honor this request and ensure that through the Regional Comprehensive Plan and next Regional Transportation Plan, that SANDAG finds a way to make sure these critical pollution reduction gains are permanent. We also hereby commit to working with SANDAG to secure the necessary transit funding to make this goal a reality.

Following quickly on the heels of adoption of this plan, the Southern California Association of Governments, SANDAG’s neighbor to the north, will consider a preferred scenario for their SB 375 plan next Thursday November 3rd at 10:30 am. Stay tuned.

 

 

Categories
California Policy GHG Reduction Metropolitan Planning SB 375 State Policy US DOT

California Interregional Blueprint Stakeholder Workshops Nov 4 (Sacramento) / Nov 8 (LA) – Register Now!

Join us for upcoming workshops in Sacramento, Los Angeles, and on the Web to help shape California’s future transportation system!

Caltrans is sponsoring workshops to gather early input from state, regional, and local agency staff and interest groups on the development of the California Interregional Blueprint. The California Interregional Blueprint will measure the effectiveness of the State’s and our regional partners’ plans to increase mobility, lower greenhouse gases, and create more sustainable communities.

Workshops will be hosted in Sacramento and Los Angeles, and feature informational presentations, large group discussions and interactive, real-time, electronic polling (allowing instant feedback).  Workshops will also be simulcast on the Internet, allowing both in-person and webcast participants to participate in interactive polling exercises. (Please note:  If you intend to participate via webcast, you will need a computer with a high-speed Internet connection and speakers.)

Register for the workshops by clicking on the button below:

After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email with directions to the workshop.   If you have questions, please contact Caroline Leary, Cambridge Systematics, at Cleary@camsys.com or via phone at (510) 879-4350 or 711 (TTY).  For physical accommodations or other assistance, please contact Caroline as soon as possible but no later than two working days prior to the workshop you plan to attend.

SACRAMENTO
Friday, November 4, 2011
9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Sacramento Convention Center, Room 202
1400 J Street
Sacramento, California 95814

LOS ANGELES
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Caltrans District 7 Office, Room 01.040 A, B, C
100 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, California 90012

 

 

Categories
California Policy GHG Reduction Metropolitan Planning NewsFlash SB 375

Abbott & Kindermann: Attorney General Comments on Draft EIR for First SB 375 Sustainable Communities Strategy



 

 

 

Attorney General Comments on Draft EIR for First SB 375 Sustainable Communities Strategy

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Abbott & Kindermann

By Leslie Z. Walker

San Diego Association of Governments has prepared the firstdraft Regional Transportation Plan (“RTP”) to include aSustainable Communities Strategy (“SCS”), as required bySenate Bill 375. As drafted, the SCS will achieve the California Air Resources Board’s (“CARB”) 2020 and 2035 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. CARB staff reviewed the draft RTP/SCS and the quantification of the greenhouse gas reductions expected from implementation of the plan in an Informational Report. The report found that the RTP/SCS would meet the 2020 target of a 7 percent per capita reduction and would just meet the 2035 target of a 13 percent per capita reduction.

On September 16, 2011, the Attorney General submitted a letter commenting on the draft Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) for the RTP/SCS. The letter criticizes the draft EIR’s analysis of local air quality and greenhouse gas impacts. It claims that the draft EIR’s analysis of local air pollution resulting from the RTP/SCS is inadequate because it focuses on whether the RTP/SCS conforms to a federally approved state plan to meet federal air quality standards. The letter further remarked that the draft EIR failed to discuss “the impacts of the increased air pollution that will result from carrying out the RTP/SCS on communities already severely impacted by air pollution.” The letter further criticizes the RTP/SCS for failure to propose adequate mitigation measures to reduce or offset the impacts on localized air pollution. Finally, the Attorney General alleges that the RTP/SCS is inconsistent with the State’s climate objectives because the per capita GHG emissions from cars and light-duty trucks increase after 2020.

Leslie Z. Walker is an attorney at Abbott & Kindermann, LLP.  For questions relating to this article or any other California land use, real estate, environmental and/or planning issues contact Abbott & Kindermann, LLP at (916) 456-9595.

The information presented in this article should not be construed to be formal legal advice by Abbott & Kindermann, LLP, or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. Because of the changing nature of this area of the law and the importance of individual facts, readers are encouraged to seek independent counsel for advice regarding their individual legal issues.