Regional Planning Begins To Meet CA's Stricter Emissions Standards

Two Bay Area planning agencies have jointly released what they call their "Initial Vision Scenario", a first step in implementing the Sustainable Community Strategy required by state law (SB 375, 2008) to reduce climate emissions from transportation.

March 22, 2011, 7am PDT | Irvin Dawid

Per SB 375, the Bay Area must reduce these emissions by 15% per capita by 2035 and 7% by 2020 - a goal mandated by the California Air Resources Board. Unlike prior regional transportation plans that focused mainly on how to spend the region's transportation funds, this plan will be much broader in scope and will also combine the affordable housing requirements apportioned by Association of Bay Area Governments .

"The Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments say the release of their plan -- called the Initial Vision Scenario for 2035 -- opens a public debate about how and where the region should grow. The two agencies will hold public workshops on the vision plan in each of the nine Bay Area counties in April and May.

The 94-page vision document will provide the groundwork for a plan the two regional agencies must adopt in 2013 to meet Senate Bill 375 requirements to combat global warming."

From One Bay Area: "One major effort now underway is the development of Plan Bay Area, the region's long-range plan for sustainable land use, transportation and housing."

Thanks to MTC-ABAG Library

Full Story:

Bay Area 'vision' plan sees 2 million more people, 902,000 more homes and fewer cars

Published on Monday, March 21, 2011 in Mercury News