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CEQA: Balancing Environmental Benefits and Unintended Consequences

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) aims to address and mitigate development impacts, particularly in transportation. It holds potential for improving safety, traffic operations, parking, and alternative transportation modes. However, its current focus primarily on vehicle trips and parking has resulted in unintended consequences, such as inhibiting urban densification and neglecting pedestrian-friendly environments. This analysis explores both the positive effects and the challenges posed by CEQA, highlighting the need for a balanced approach that considers transit infrastructure and walkability in urban planning.

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CEQA: Balancing Environmental Benefits and Unintended Consequences

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Presentation Transcript

  1. CEQA and LOS Environmental Benefits vs. Unintended Consequences

  2. Purpose of CEQA General • To address and mitigate the physical impacts of development in the state Transportation • To manage growing congestion on our streets and highways

  3. CEQA Checklist - Transportation TRAFFIC OPERATIONS • Result in substantial increase in vehicle trips, V/C ratio, or congestion • Exceed an LOS standard established by the County CMA SAFETY • Change in traffic patterns resulting in increased traffic levels or substantial safety risks

  4. CEQA Checklist - Transportation • Increase hazards due to design • Inadequate emergency access PARKING • Inadequate parking capacity BUS/BICYCLE • Conflict with adopted policies/plans for alternative transportation

  5. CEQA Checklist – Land Use • Physically divide established community • Conflict with applicable land use plan/policy adopted to avoid or mitigate environmental impact • Conflict with habitat or natural community conservation plan

  6. CEQA Negatives Transportation • Has focused almost exclusively on traffic and parking operations • Has not established a high level of transit service as a goal • Has not identified a positive pedestrian environment as a goal Land Use • Has not promoted an efficient use of valuable land resources

  7. Unintended Consequences

  8. Suburban Problems • Inhibits densification outside the core cities • Promotes investment in localized road improvements rather than transit improvements • Does nothing to ensure that environment is walkable

  9. Central City Problems • Doesn’t recognize the importance of the transit infrastructure in central cities • Promotes the provision of parking to meet demand • Treats pedestrians as secondary to vehicular travel

  10. Oakland Moderate to high density Limited parking Good transit No major congestion downtown Walkable city Pleasanton Moderate to low density Plentiful parking Limited transit Congestion along major arterials Pedestrian Unfriendly Tale of Two Cities

  11. CEQA Positives Transportation • Flexibility to local jurisdictions to set appropriate standards of significance • Acknowledges that there are alternative modes of travel • Requires that transportation impacts be mitigated Land Use • Allows local jurisdictions to establish land use policies

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