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Comment 1 for Comments on Local Government Toolkit. (localgov-toolkit-ws) - 1st Workshop.
First Name: David
Last Name: Somers
Email Address: david.somers@lacity.org
Affiliation: City of LA, Department of City Planning
Subject: ARB Tools to give local governments - Quantify TDM Mitigation Measures
Comment:
I would like to submit a suggestion/answer to question of are there other tools ARB can develop to assist local governments to reduce GHG emissions? Local governments in their role as Lead Agencies can provide mitigation measures on projects subject to CEQA. Though a current barrier to incorporating meaningful GHG reducing mitigation measures is lack of quantified threshold, and secondly lack of quantified reductions of mitigation measures (MM) that could directly reduce GHG reductions on a project level. CARB could help local governments in researching and developing the methodology to develop a centralized GHG mitigation toolbox with each MM quantified as their GHG reductions. Similar work is being conducted by SCAQMD in their drafting of rule 2301. Special potential could be developed for MMs that have co-benefits in trip reductions. Most transportation agencies are way behind the curve in quantifying trip reduction benefits of transportation demand management (TDM) measures, as well as transit and pedestrian strategies. So Cities still are over reliant on supply side physical improvements (ie lane widening) as the primary means to mitigate traffic, which increase GHG over the long term by creating car dominated land uses. This is because they at least are quantified and a industry approved methodology. TDM does both, reduces trips and GHGs. Once a standard approach is available for TDM reductions then local governments can draft policies that explicitly prioritize TDM as a MM for traffic, and local governments all over the state will have little excuse for mitigating LOS by lane widening, rather then TDMs. I have attached generalized mitigation language than can be seen as a starting point. Other reference documents as follows: Los Aangeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, 2002 Congestion Management Plan, Appendix F - toolbox of Strategies; CALTRANS, July 2007 "Local Models and Tools for Analyzing Smart-Growth Strategies"; NelsonNygaard Consulting Associates, August 2005 "Crediting Low-Traffic Developments Adjusting Site-Level Vehicle Trip Generation Using URBEMIS"; SCAQMD, PR Rule 2301: List of Transportation Emission Reduction Measures To be included in the PR2301 Guidance Document WORKING DRAFT
Attachment: www.arb.ca.gov/lists/localgov-toolkit-ws/1-tdm_package.pdf
Original File Name: TDM Package.pdf
Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2009-03-09 10:54:47
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