SB375 – Smart Growth, Public Health & Equity

Ann C. ChanDirector, California Programs

Urban Habitat – SB375 PanelBoards and Commissions Leadership Institute

October 21, 2009

One of RTAC Guiding Principles: “Maximize co-benefits of air quality, mobility, and economic

growth”

Are there public health concerns beyond air quality?Are there instances in which these co-benefits are mutually

exclusive? And if so, what then?

Planning for equity and health impacts

• Modeling capability still developing to accurately forecast social equity impacts (displacement/gentrification, housing and transportation affordability, jobs/housing fit, etc.) and co-benefits (public health benefits, mobility, growth); RTAC has stated that travel modeling results with respect to GHGs will be made publicly available

• Best Management Practices to make land use/transportation choices for cost effective GHG reductions – an additional tool?

Will SB375 usher in a new era?

MVRDV architecture concept for new city center in (S.Korea)

City of Berkeley; Infill Leadership

A Word About CEQAEnvironmental Impacts Review and Mitigation

• SB375 - Expedited CEQA relief – relationship to regional transportation-related GHG targets

• exemptions/limited review for certain projects like transit priority projects consistent with SCS/APS

• Driving sprawl or driving smart growth or neutral?

• Past experiences with CEQA and planning/development in other contexts (e.g. CEQA Guidelines Sec. 15332; SF Bicycle Plan Project)

What’s at Stake…

Disproportionate Impacts

The American Lung Associationhas found that 61.3 percent of African Americanchildren, 67.7 percent of Asian Americanchildren, and 69.2 percent of Latino childrenlive in areas that exceed air quality standardsfor ozone, compared with 50.8 percent ofwhite children. - From: Judith Bell and Larry Cohen, “The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Equitable Transportation Reform in America”, July 2009.

Older Americans (age 65 and over) are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population; Per mile driven, elderly drivers (those over 80 years old) are more likely to die in a crash than any other age group – From: U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTS New Brief, “Older Drivers: Safety Implications”, May 2006

Critiques of SB375• Incentive based only• CEQA exemption concerns• Funding???• Regional Differences…

SB375 Funding, Equity, Health

• Mix of Federal, State, and Private Investments…

• Optional Licensing Fee• Optional Congestion Pricing• Community Aggregation?

• Incentives to exceed regional targets

Questions?

Ann C. Chan

Director, California Programs

Center for Clean Air Policy – San Francisco

50 Francisco Street, Suite 110

San Francisco, California 94133

+1-415-262-4408

achan@ccap.org

www.ccap.org