CAP Team Seeks Input on Emissions Reduction Measures for the Built Environment and Transportation Sector

09/22/21

As a part of the Climate Action Plan Update (CAP Update), the County is holding a series of public workshops throughout the year to present project updates and solicit feedback.

In August, the County facilitated a workshop on the built environment and transportation emissions reduction sector. For those that were unable to attend the workshop, we’ve provided a quick summary for you below. You can also find recordings and additional information from all of our previous CAP Update workshops here.

Built Environment/Transportation Emissions Reduction Measures Workshop

This workshop provided an overview of the CAP Update project components and will act as a foundation for developing vision statements of an equitable, net-zero carbon emissions future for the built environment/transportation sector. Public input was solicited through a series of interactive poll questions and a discussion forum.

During the workshop, County staff described what built environment/transportation emissions are, where they come from, and how the County goes from understanding these greenhouse gas emissions to building measures to reduce them.

Graph of on-road transportation emissions (2014)

The built environment and transportation sector refers to emissions that occur from the way our communities are oriented, and how we move about them. The largest contributor to emissions within this sector, and the greatest emissions source for the unincorporated county, are emissions generated from fossil fuel-powered vehicles – or cars. In 2014, the baseline year of data used by the 2018 Climate Action Plan to calculate emissions, on-road transportation made up 45% of all emissions from the unincorporated county.

Following the deep dive into built environment/transportation emissions, County staff led a visioning exercise through a series of poll questions to receive feedback about the sector and possible visionary ideas or concepts. Poll questions included:

  1. What should be considered for the built environment/transportation sector to achieve a net-zero emissions future?
  2. What should NOT be considered for the built environment/transportation sector?
  3. How can equity be considered for the built environment/transportation sector, while still achieving net-zero emissions? What else should be considered related to equity?
  4. Is there anything else that should be considered for the built environment/transportation sector?

Major comment themes included:

  • Land use, particularly stopping urban sprawl and limiting new road development
  • Transportation infrastructure, including active transportation and slow streets
  • Public transit, particularly provided in an equitable manner
  • Electric vehicles (EVs) and EV infrastructure expansions
  • Green buildings and sustainability incentives for multi-family housing
  • Quality of life considerations like high-speed internet and increased tree canopy in disadvantaged communities

If you want to find out more about built environment/transportation emissions or what people had to say about this sector, you can view a recording of the August 25th built environment/transportation emissions reduction measures-focused workshop here (in English) and here (in Spanish).

What is next?

The County invites you to participate in our continuing online CAP Update measure development workshop series. Our next meeting will provide an overview of CAP Update project components and will act as a foundation for developing vision statements of an equitable, net-zero carbon emissions future as it relates to the agriculture and conservation emissions reduction sector. The virtual workshop will take place on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, at 6:00 PM. Information on how to register for the workshop is available here.    

You can also sign up to receive notification of future workshops to keep informed.

We look forward to seeing you there!