Home Contra Costa County Contra Costa Transportation Authority Awarded $400,000 to Develop Program Aimed to Fight Climate Change

Contra Costa Transportation Authority Awarded $400,000 to Develop Program Aimed to Fight Climate Change

by ECT

WALNUT CREEK, CA – The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) has been awarded $400,000 to develop a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Mitigation Framework that will ultimately help Contra Costa County fight climate change. The more miles vehicles travel, the more greenhouse gases and air pollution are emitted into the atmosphere.  The VMT Mitigation Framework project is aimed to help CCTA better define, analyze, and develop options to mitigate the environmental effects of projects throughout Contra Costa.

With funding made possible through a California Department of Transportation Sustainable Planning Grant, one element of the study will explore allowing developers and transportation agencies–whose projects contribute to VMT increases–to offset emissions through payment into a “VMT Mitigation Program.” The VMT Mitigation Program funds could then support green projects that help reduce overall VMT in Contra Costa County, generating a positive impact on climate, the environment and public health.

“This groundbreaking study will set out a framework for a more holistic approach to analyzing future development and transportation projects that will not only help local agencies like ours plan for a more sustainable future but could serve as a model for agencies across the state,” said CCTA Executive Director Timothy Haile.

California Senate Bill 743 (SB 743) reformed the process for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to require that local jurisdictions evaluate traffic impacts of new development by measuring VMT, so that transportation-related environmental impacts are tracked for alignment with state greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Undertaking this study is just one way that CCTA is working to mitigate the impact of vehicles miles traveled to reduce harmful pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions countywide.

CCTA is also lending their expertise to the SB 743 Implementation Working Group, a consortium of forward-thinking agencies providing thought leadership for the State on the topic of VMT mitigation.

About the Contra Costa Transportation Authority
The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is a public agency formed by Contra Costa voters in 1988 to manage the county’s transportation sales tax program and oversee countywide transportation planning efforts. With a staff of twenty people managing a multi-billion-dollar suite of projects and programs, CCTA is responsible for planning, funding, and delivering transportation infrastructure projects and programs throughout the County. CCTA also serves as the county’s designated Congestion Management Agency, responsible for putting programs in place to manage traffic levels. More information about CCTA is available at ccta.net.

You may also like

3 comments

Chris Burton Oct 6, 2021 - 12:10 pm

A county tackling climate change? LMAO! Surely, you gest! Are these people that stupid? Climate change takes millions of years! Nothing any human can do helps. We had climate changes for over 30 million years of human existence. There were no polluting automobiles, airplanes, factories during those times, yet from studying ice core samples, we can see how the climate changed. The Romans even kept records of temperature fluctuations! Good God! What are these county people doing? Wasting money without question

Austin Oct 7, 2021 - 11:59 pm

I can’t believe these people just think you can kiss climate change goodbye!

Jg Oct 8, 2021 - 10:45 am

Will they clean up the trash and pollutants on Vasco Road. Lots of plastics, oil bottles, gas cans, paint containers, fiber glass, and much more could help our environment. Clean up the Vasco Corridor !

Comments are closed.