A new report on Senate Bill 375 identifies potential challenges to implementing the bill and discusses opportunities to overcome these challenges. The report was recently published by Elliot Rose and UCB’s Center for Resource Efficient Communities. From the Exec Summary:
California Senate Bill 375 of 2008 aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector by reducing the amount that Californians drive. Transportation accounts for the largest share (37 percent) of California’s total emissions. Research suggests that if vehicle travel continues to increase, policies to increase the efficiency of vehicles and reduce the carbon content of fuel will be insufficient to meet the state’s long-term goal of reducing GHG emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. The goal of SB 375 is to cut down on driving by curbing the sprawling, auto-dependent development patterns that characterize California’s urban areas and instead focusing development in areas where residents can travel by foot, bicycle, or transit.