Built Environment and Transportation measures emphasize strategies to acquire open space and agricultural land, reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips, reduce the distances County employees drive for their commute, increase electric vehicle infrastructure in the unincorporated county, encourage mixed-use and compact community design, and encourage and facilitate the ability for people to choose other modes of transportation such as walking and biking. In addition, the County is working to decarbonize its fleet by transitioning County vehicles to alternative fuels such as renewable diesel and shifting to electric cars. Measures in this sector will help the County achieve reductions of 6,020 metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020 and 233,758 metric tons in 2030.

On September 11, 2024, the Board of Supervisors adopted the 2024 Climate Action Plan . The Final 2024 CAP project documents will be posted online soon. This website will be updated to reflect the 2024 CAP. 

MEASURES

Strategy T-1 – Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled

Strategy T-3 – Decarbonize On-Road and Off-Road Vehicle Fleet

Strategy T-4 – Invest in Local Projects to Offset Carbon Emissions

BACKGROUND

The use of fossil fuel powered automotive transportation is the largest contributor to the unincorporated county’s GHG emissions. The unincorporated county’s rural and suburban nature is characteristic of dispersed development, low density population, and remote travel destinations, which together contribute to greater vehicle miles traveled by residents than in our region’s cities. In 2014 (the baseline year of data used by the CAP to estimate emissions) on-road transportation made up 45% of all emissions from the unincorporated county.  

Achievements

• Since 2021, open space acquisitions created new preserves and expanded others, including the Escondido Creek County Preserve, Otay County Preserve, Simon County Preserve, Ramona Grasslands County Preserve, Hidden Meadows County Preserve, Paradise Mountain County Preserve, Mount Olympus County Preserve, and Mountain Meadows County Preserve.
• Acquired 448 acres of open space in 2023 and a total of 9,214 acres of open space conservation land since 2014 (CAP baseline year)
• Preserved agriculture through the placement of easements on 2,236 acres since 2014
• Reduced County fleet emissions by 4% in 2023
• Telecommuting for County employees resulted in the avoidance of more than 18.2 million vehicle miles in 2023, or 26 percent of the total miles driven if employees had worked from their respective offices.
• Installed 399 miles of bike lanes and improved 247 intersections to create safe spaces for pedestrians and bicyclists since 2015
• Maintained a website thorough the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) listing online tools and funding sources for climate-resilient agriculture practices

Awards

• Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) Program: Received a National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award in 2022 (NACo Category: Planning). To promote the long-term preservation of agricultural land in the unincorporated area, the PACE Program compensates willing agricultural property owners for placing a perpetual easement on their agricultural property.
  
• EV Roadmap: Received an NACo Achievement Award in 2020 (NACo Category: County Resiliency: Infrastructure, Energy & Sustainability). The EV Roadmap identifies policies, programs, and actions to increase the installation of electric vehicle charging stations and ownership of electric vehicles in the unincorporated county.
• School Protection and Evacuation Plan: Received a NACo Achievement Award in 2020 (NACo Category: Risk and Emergency Management), which establishes a template for school administrators to create customized, locally focused wildfire preparedness response plans. (NACo Category: Risk and Emergency Management)
• Green Streets Guidance: Received NACo Achievement Award in 2020 for the development of green streets guidance that provides design and construction guidance on how to use natural strategies to reduce pollution and stormwater runoff within the road right-of-way. The County is the only agency in the region, and one of the few in the nation, to develop Green Streets Guidance. (NACo Category: Infrastructure, Energy, and Sustainability)