Implementation
New proposed residential and office/business professional development projects must demonstrate that project daily VMT per service population is equal to or below the established VMT thresholds established for the applicable land use designation identified in Table CI-1 of the Circulation Element. Projects that do not meet these VMT thresholds will be required to implement all feasible mitigation measures to ensure that the VMT targets are met. Detailed feasibility criteria will be developed and will include appropriate economic considerations. The following actions related to the development and implementation of mitigation measures would be undertaken:
Ensure that all feasible on-site VMT mitigation measures are prioritized and implemented prior to the development of off-site mitigation measures.
Develop and adopt a VMT mitigation program (e.g., VMT mitigation fee, bank, or exchange) to offset project-level and cumulative unmitigated VMT impacts from projects with funding allocated toward VMT improvement projects or equivalent GHG emission reduction projects in the County. VMT improvement and VMT reduction activities include but are not limited to bike share, microtransit first/last mile accessibility solutions, microtransit/on-demand rideshare (such as SacRT’s SmaRT Ride), and participation in a Transportation Management Association.
Timeframe: Near term
GHG Reduction Potential: 22,037 MT CO2e per year by 2030
Sector: Vehicles - On-Road
Target Indicator: 15 percent reduction in VMT from forecast new residential and office/business professional development by 2030.
Status of Implementation
The County is currently evaluating the estimated cost and scope to develop a VMT mitigation program for land use projects. This effort is being coordinated between the Department of Transportation and Office of Planning and Environmental Review. Eventually it is likely that a consultant will be hired to conduct the nexus study and develop the fee program. The County is also collaborating with the Sacramento Transportation Authority (STA) on a potential VMT mitigation program for transportation projects.
Updated 07/05/2024.
