Are project site TDM mitigation strategies reliable?
Since implementation of SB 743 in 2020, lead agencies using VMT have had questions emerge about VMT mitigation. One of these questions asks about the reliability of project site transportation demand management (TDM) mitigation strategies, such as those contained in Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Measures (CAPCOA, 2021). The simple answer is that the effectiveness of these strategies depends on the performance of building tenants that can change over time. Ensuring effectiveness requires ongoing monitoring and strategy adjustment.
What is the concept of VMT mitigation banks and exchanges?
This answer has led to growing interest in program-based approaches to mitigation that can improve mitigation certainty. In 2019, U.C. Berkeley released a white paper describing the new concept of VMT mitigation banks and exchanges. Fehr & Peers, in collaboration with WRCOG, recently released a complement to the U.C. Berkeley paper that directly compares VMT mitigation banks and exchanges to traditional impact fee programs for deeper understanding. Further, the new white paper also contains specifics on potential legal requirements, and outlines the creation and implementation steps for each type of program with procedural flow charts. Program examples and implementation risks are also provided, making the paper an information-rich source for lead agencies seeking to successfully navigate the complexity of VMT mitigation strategies. Read the full white paper below.
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VMT Mitigation Through Fees, Banks, and Exchanges
On September 27, 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 743 into law and started a process intended to fundamentally change transportation impact analysis as part of CEQA compliance. These changes include elimination of auto delay, level of service (LOS), and other similar measures of vehicular capacity or traffic congestion as a basis for determining significant impacts. Instead, transportation impacts will be determined based on changes to vehicle miles of travel (VMT).