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Green Wheels is an organization which advocates for balanced and
sustainable transportation on in Humboldt County.

The related issues of transportation and land use present a unique
opportunity to address climate emissions.  By investing in smart
transportation and land use policy that reduces vehicle miles
traveled, not only can we substantially reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, but we can also create ancillary benefits to the
economy, public health, public safety, community cohesion and
quality of life.  Since transportation accounts for around half of
California’s greenhouse gas emissions, we can hardly afford to
short-change such strategies as the draft AB32 Scoping Plan does.

Reducing VMT helps the economy by reducing the need to import
ever-more-expensive oil, and cars to our region.  When people walk
bike and walk to the transit stop more, they get their daily dose
of physical activity, something badly needed in the era of a type
II diabetes epidemic.  With fewer cars on the road, fewer people
are injured and killed in auto-collisions, the number one cause of
death for Californians between the ages of 1 and 35.  And with
safer streets and more people outside getting active, we can
interact with our neighbors more, and have more fun.  All of this
while using one of the most cost-effective strategies for reducing
emissions.

We recommend the following:
•	Increase the proposed reduction target for land use and
transportation from 2 million metric tons (MMT) to about 10 MMT. 
•	Put in place measures to create a world class public
transportation system and encourage innovative congestion-relief
programs that can ease people's commutes while reducing emissions.

•	Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, set firm
targets for regions and authorize regions and localities to choose
from a suite of policy tools to achieve the targets. 
•	Adopt a series of key policy tools currently under
consideration, including the Indirect Source Rule,
Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance, Congestion Pricing, and Incentive
Programs. These tools will help regions and localities achieve the
targets while generating revenues to implement greenhouse gas
reduction strategies and programs. 
•	Prioritize investment in public transportation and programs to
improve transportation efficiency and reduce congestion. 
•	Give entities like our county, which is currently updating its
general plan, incentives to conserve forests and working landscapes
that sequester carbon, provide local food, reduce wildfire hazard
and help native plants and animals adapt to a changing climate. 
This will also help us keep our growth compact, facilitating more
efficient transportation.

We can tackle our contribution to climate disruption, but we need
to do it in a smart way.  Transportation and land use’s share of
emissions, along with the ancillary benefits of being aggressive in
this sector, make this a smart thing to do.

Chris Rall
Green Wheels – Executive Director

Original File Name:

Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2008-08-01 13:47:41