The San Francisco Planning Commission took historic action earlier this month, voting to end the use of Level of Service in environmental review.
"The San Francisco Planning Commission voted 6-0 today to adopt a resolution to move forward with state-proposed guidelines that modernize the way city officials measure the transportation impacts of new development," according to a press release from the Planning Department of the City and County of San Francisco.
"The commission voted to remove automobile delay as a significant impact on the environment and replace it with a vehicle miles traveled threshold for all California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, environmental determinations. The resolution, put forward by San Francisco Planning, allows San Francisco to immediately implement changes to how it analyzes environmental impacts of development and transportation projects rather than wait for state adoption."
The press release includes more background on the differences between Level of Service (LOS) and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). The press release also includes soundbites from San Francisco Planning Director John Rahaim discussing the benefits of VMT over LOS. Also noted is the ongoing drafting process for new CEQA regulations at the State Office of Planning and Research (OPR). Planetizen last reported on the CEQA reform process in January, when OPR released a draft of recommended changes to CEQA.
San Francisco joins Pasadena as California cities taking a leadership role on LOS while the state undertakes its process.
FULL STORY: San Francisco Planning Takes Lead in Modernizing Environmental Review for New Development Projects
The Final Days of 'Level of Service' in California's Environmental Review Process
A long-awaited draft update of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has finally been released, and Level of Service will finally be a thing of the past in the next two to four years.
California Environmental Law Continues to Frustrate Bike Planning (for Now)
Help is on the way. The law that requires the governor's planning office to devise an alternative method for measuring vehicle traffic for environmental compliance will also take up where an earlier law that exempted bike lanes from CEQA left off.
Day One of the National Planning Conference—Reunions, Pandemic Planning, Equity, and VMT
The American Planning Association gathers for its first in-person National Planning Conference since 2019. Planetizen is in attendance, and here is some of what we saw on the first day of the conference.
Eugene Ends Parking Minimums
In a move that complies with a state law aimed at reducing transportation emissions, Eugene amended its parking rules to eliminate minimum requirements and set maximum parking lot sizes.
How Paris, Texas Became a ‘Unicorn’ for Rural Transit
A robust coalition of advocates in the town of 25,000 brought together the funding and resources to launch a popular bus service that some residents see as a mobility lifeline—and a social club.
San Diegans at Odds Over ‘Granny Towers’
A provision in the city’s ADU ordinance allows developers to build an essentially unlimited number of units on single-family lots.
Newton Passes Upzoning to Comply With MBTA Communities Act
The Massachusetts city will permit multifamily housing in some of its ‘village centers’ to comply with state law.
How Salt Lake City Maintained a Vibrant Downtown
Unlike other major cities, the Utah capital’s downtown has seen a steady stream of visitors even as demand for office space diminishes.
Modular Homes Make Housing More Affordable in Chicago
Cheaper and faster to construct, modular homes provide an affordable alternative to traditional new construction for low- and moderate-income residents on Chicago’s South Side.
City of Meridian
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Park City Municipal Corporation
National Capital Planning Commission
City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
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