In a significant effort to shift from sprawl toward incentivizing low-carbon transportation options, California is revising the way it measures traffic impacts of development projects under its Environmental Quality Act.
The California Governor's Office of Research and Planning (OPR) recently released a second draft of the CEQA guidelines that will impose Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), as a new metric for traffic impacts. The new guidelines replace the congestion-related Level of Service (LOS) metric with VMT, which aims to encourage alternative modes of transportation. This piece is a follow-up to The Planning Report’s September 2015 coverage.
As San Francisco has already moved to adopt the new metric through a local process,The Planning Report interviewed two Bay Area-based experts to further explore the issue in a point/counterpoint.
Pro-adoption of the draft guidelines is the National Resources Defense Council Director for Urban Solutions Amanda Eaken, who argues that putting an end to California’s congestion-oriented policies is urgent and long overdue. Eaken states that moving towards VMT as soon as possible will make it easier for developers to meet state goals around sustainability, density, and transit-oriented development.
Environmental lawyer Jennifer Hernandez, a partner at Holland & Knight, supports the overall goals of the switch to VMT and lauds San Francisco’s move, but worries that the proposed guidelines leave too many questions unanswered and take a one-size-fits-all approach to diverse development needs.
Hernandez takes a cautious approach to statewide implementation, noting that "San Francisco’s action has brought us full circle to the question: How should communities use CEQA to advance greenhouse-gas goals, and how does CEQA need to be changed to make sure it doesn’t impede those and other environmental goals?"
Eaken, on the other hand, actively supports OPR’s draft guidelines. Eaken believes that since "we’ve identified a significant structural flaw in our world-renowned Environmental Quality Act, we have a duty to fix it."
Read the arguments from Hernandez and Eaken in The Planning Report.
Read the full story: Eaken on CEQA Reform: SB 743’s VMT Metric Is Right for San Francisco and California
Debate: When Should California Switch to VMT to Measure Development Impacts?
In an effort to shift from car-centric planning and incentivize eco-friendly transportation options, California is revising the way it measures traffic impacts of development projects under its Environmental Quality Act.
Vehicle Miles Travelled, Level of Service, and a Soon-to-be-Insolvent Transportation Trust Fund
Level of Service and the gas tax have served our transportation needs for a long time. Now, it’s time for a change.
CEQA Reform: The Year in Review
Three groups review the final bill (also known as Kings Arena bill) that reformed California's landmark, but controversial 1970 environmental law known as CEQA: CA Economic Summit, NRDC and Climate Plan. All credit the author, Sen. Darrell Steinberg.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello