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Comment 37 for Land Use Comments for the GHG Scoping Plan (sp-landuse-ws) - 1st Workshop.


First Name: Bill
Last Name: Bogaard
Email Address: bbogaard@cityofpasadena.net
Affiliation:

Subject: AB 32
Comment:
July 31, 2008 

Hon. Mary Nichols
Chair, California Air Resources Board
P.O. Box 2815
Sacramento, CA  95812

Dear Ms. Nichols:

I am writing in regard to the AB 32 Scoping Plan, to urge the Air
Resources Board strengthen the pull of local government in this
effort by including land use and transportation approaches at the
local level as key elements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
 Pasadena seeks to offer strong local leadership in this critical
challenge of climate control, and has committed to a “Green City
Action Plan” based on the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate
Control Agreement introduced in 2005.  

Rising gas prices already are causing many Californians to rethink
their attitudes towards car use and the locations of their homes
and jobs. Since transportation is California’s single largest
source of greenhouse gas emissions, and since a large part of the
transportation-related carbon emissions is caused by long-distance
commuting patterns based on local land use decisions, this is a
major weakness of the Scoping Plan in its current draft form.

The draft says little about the relationship between changing land
use patterns and reduced driving as part of the effort to reduce
emissions. Setting a higher target for local government, based on
land use decisions and support for non-auto based mobility, would
strengthen the plan and involve local governments more seriously
and more effectively in considering the climate change
consequences of their actions. 
	
The Scoping Plan could be improved by setting a higher target for
reduced greenhouse gas emissions to be achieved by local
government actions including land use decisions; giving local
governments legal and financial tools to reduce VMT; providing
incentives for local land use and transportation policies which
reduce unnecessary driving, car use, and gasoline consumption; and
supporting expansion of existing transit service, car-pooling, and
other alternatives to single-passenger car use.

The Scoping Plan could be improved by:

• Setting a higher target for reduced greenhouse gas emissions to
be achieved by local government actions including land use
decisions.
• Supporting expansion of existing transit service, car-pooling,
and other alternatives to single-passenger car use.
• Providing incentives for local land use and transportation
policies which reduce unnecessary driving, car use, and gasoline
consumption
• Giving local governments legal and financial tools to reduce
VMT.

Thank you for your consideration.  Please let us know in Pasadena
if there is any way in which we can be helpful in this matter. 

Sincerely,

BILL BOGAARD
Mayor

cc:	Members of the California Air Resources Board Climate Plan

Attachment:

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Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2008-07-31 12:15:27



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