San Diego Region Developing Long-Range Transportation Plan

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is developing a new long-term transportation plan that will account for the rise in remote work and changes in local commuting and travel patterns, reports Andrew Keatts in Axios.

“Antoinette Meier, SANDAG's senior director of regional planning, said SANDAG's planning decisions always assumed remote work decreased driving, so accounted for greenhouse gas emissions reductions mandated by state law.” However, people are making other vehicle trips that would have previously been wrapped into commutes, leading to a smaller reduction in vehicle miles driven and emissions than previously estimated.

Meanwhile, “San Diego Councilmember Vivian Moreno said the fact that higher-income people living in the northern part of the county are more likely to be allowed to work remotely needs to be factored into the agency's transportation decisions.” As the article notes, “56% of households with annual incomes above $150,000 remote work, more than twice the rate of households with incomes below $49,000.” Moreno called on SANDAG to plan for expanded transit and transportation projects in the southern part of the county, where residents are more likely to continue having to commute to physical workplaces.