(Credit: Pixabay)4 The draft proposal will help reduce car dependence to meet carbon pollution reduction strategies set out in LA's Green New Deal.
The update aims to reduce the number of overall vehicle trips taken in LA, leveraging the latest technologies and incentives to offer sustainable alternative modes of transportation. The current TDM ordinance applies only to large-scale commercial and industrial developments, whereas the proposed revision would expand the program to apply to new construction projects, including multi-family residential development projects consisting of 16 or more units.
Los Angeles planning officials say the program recognizes Angelenos' diverse transportation needs, invests in walkable, bike-friendly, transit-rich communities, and incentivizes the creation of walkable activity centers.
The core of the initiative introduces new transportation strategies for reducing carbon emissions. These proposed changes to LA's Zoning Code would require projects of a certain size to incorporate TDM strategies for reducing single occupancy vehicle trips and total miles traveled.
City Planning and LADOT say they will be better positioned to require new developments to contribute to the City's expanding transportation options. New developments will be able to choose from a menu of TDM strategies to implement, including additional investments in public transit, biking, and carpooling. As a result, Angelenos will have better options in place to make public transit, walking, biking, and carsharing viable alternatives to vehicular travel.
LA has created a TDM calculator to make compliance simple and transparent for developers. The calculator generates a "point target" based on each project's scale to help applicants understand the level of compliance required.
In February, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) signed a new agreement for an estimated 47.5 million gallons of renewable natural gas to fuel the nation’s largest transit bus fleet. Metro signed the contract with Clean Energy Fuels Corp.
