Recent Streetsblog CALIFORNIA posts about LOS

SoCal Government Coalition Wants to Keep Planning for Cars

By Melanie Curry | Mar 14, 2016 | 19 Comments

SCAG sent a last-minute letter attempting to delay progressive updates to California’s outdated environmental standards. In the letter [PDF], Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)—the regional transportation planning organization for much of southern California—requested exemptions for highway expansion projects and freight corridors from proposed state rules that could show their true environmental impact in a […]

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SF Planning Commission Officially Prioritizes Humans over Cars

By Roger Rudick | Mar 10, 2016 | No Comments

Late last week, the San Francisco Planning Commission unanimously adopted a resolution to replace “Level of Service” (LOS) with “Vehicle Miles Traveled” (VMT). That’s bureaucratese for measuring a project’s overall effect on moving people, instead of just counting automobiles. As explained in a previous post, environmental law has long forced transportation planners to grade projects […]

OPR to Host Webinars on Transportation Impacts Under Environmental Law

By Melanie Curry | Jan 27, 2016 | No Comments

The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) recently issued long-anticipated changes to a provision in California law that currently ranks traffic congestion as an environmental impact. For more details, see recent Streetsblog coverage here. The new guidelines are under a 45-day review period, with public comment being accepted until February 29. To help educate […]

The Next Step in Getting Rid of Level of Service: Coming Soon

By Melanie Curry | Oct 9, 2015 | 22 Comments

After several years of work, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) is almost ready to release draft guidelines on replacing vehicle Level of Service measures under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The shift was called for by Senate Bill 743, which passed late in the 2013 legislative session. OPR will propose measuring […]

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San Francisco Reboots Program That Could Boost Transit and Livable Streets

By Aaron Bialick | Jun 4, 2015 | No Comments

San Francisco agencies have re-introduced the Transportation Sustainability Program, a bureaucratic overhaul that could dramatically expedite improvements for walking, biking, and transit, while discouraging car parking in new developments. In developing the program, SF planners are also nearing completion of the nation’s first major study showing that dedicated car parking encourages driving. The TSP is […]

Assembly Committee Moves Bill to Delay Level Of Service Phase-Out

By Melanie Curry | Apr 29, 2015 | 5 Comments

Buried in a five-hour long meeting of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee yesterday, a short discussion ended in a vote to move legislation that will delay the state’s shift away from car-centric planning. A.B. 779. The bill aims to slow the removal of Level of Service (LOS) from California environmental regulations by delaying implementation of guidelines […]

Bill Asking for Delay in CEQA Reform Guidelines Amended But Alive

By Melanie Curry | Apr 21, 2015 | 5 Comments

An attempt by large developers to undermine promised reforms to the state’s landmark environmental review law (CEQA) is winding its way through the Assembly. The bill, A.B. 779, was watered down before being presented to the Assembly Transportation Committee on Monday. It now calls for delaying new CEQA guidelines, due from the Governor’s Office of […]