First Name: | Steve |
---|---|
Last Name: | Raney |
Email Address: | cities21@cities21.org |
Affiliation | Cities21, Palo Alto |
Subject | Commute Reducing Housing |
Comment |
(cuts 3.0M tons CO2/yr) For new apartments and condos, Commute Reducing Housing (CRH) selects residents with fewer cars who will drive less. Fair Housing policies do not allow discrimination against minorities, but it is legal to discriminate in favor of residents who will produce less CO2. Applying CRH to 1,000,000 of the new homes built to accommodate CA’s population growth in the coming years will save 3.0M tons CO2 per year. This policy is “beyond smart growth best practices,” so the state should actively nurture and facilitate implementation, assisting cities in developing policy and undertaking legal/demographic analysis. The state should facilitate this policy to where a tipping point is reached and the policy can spread of its own momentum. From a state budget perspective, advocating such innovations represents an approach that is three orders of magnitude more cost-effective for CO2 reduction than proposals requiring capital expenditures. When TOD or "jobs balancing housing" is built, too often drive alone commuters crowd out lower VMT residents in occupying this scarce, desirable housing. CRH can be used to reduce drive alone commuting from TOD. Palo Alto commute transit mode share is about 4%, growing only to 17% in TOD next to commuter rail stations. CRH can increase this mode share dramatically. For more details including case studies (Redwood City, Stanford, and Santa Barbara), applicable fair housing law and demographic analysis, FAQ, employee/resident tenure analysis, etc:, please see: http://www.cities21.org/workerHsng.htm. Three pioneering CRH examples: Stanford, Santa Barbara, Redwood City 1) Stanford West: 628 apartments Stanford provides priority to local workers with very short commutes, saving 2.6 million annual vehicle miles traveled and 2.6 million annual pounds of CO2. Stanford West residents with green commutes receive a 10 percent monthly rent discount. Stanford provides a top-notch shuttle bus system and an extensive dedicated bike path network. Stanford charges $51 per month for employees to park on campus, and that parking isn't very convenient. 2) Santa Barbara's Casa de Las Fuentes For 42 affordable downtown apartments with excellent access to jobs, shops, recreation, and transit, Santa Barbara adopted green commute housing preferences: First priority: for residents who work downtown who do not own a vehicle and agree to not own one during their occupancy. Rent is $50 per month less for residents who do not park a car. All employed household members must work only in the downtown area. Second priority: for residents who work downtown The 42 unit development has only TWENTY CARS! 3) Redwood City's Peninsula Park - 800 condos This project has been approved by the city and further wetlands approvals are underway. It represents the U.S.'s first proposal to apply CRH to market rate condos. Redwood City has a vibrant mixed-use downtown with a Caltrain commuter rail station. There are 85,000 jobs within 3 miles of the project site. The Peninsula Park project will feature a 0.8 mile bike path to downtown and a 1.4 mile shuttle bus route to downtown. The developer's banker has already approved CRH - that's an important occurrence that should be noted. Innovations such as these are not readily supported by the real-estate lending community. Calculation: 1,000,000 new homes under CRH * 3 tons CO2/yr saved per eliminated commute = 3.0M tons CO2/yr. |
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Original File Name:
Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2008-07-27 17:13:24 |
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