Recommendations by the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation
1247 Lincoln Bl. #253, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (310) 281-8534 Fax: 310-455-3011

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Southern California is facing a transportation crisis. By the year 2025, our region's population will have grown by another 40%, adding congestion and air pollution problems to a region already labeled the nation's worst. Preparing for the future will require making public transportation a preferable mode of travel to the general populace and the development of land use patterns that favor livability and access to efficient transit services.

To help meet this challenge, the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation recommends the following elements be incorporated into the Southern California Association of Governments Regional Transportation Plan, L.A. County MTA Long Range Transportation Plan, and other County Transportation Plans in our region:

1. Improved rail and bus transit services — including increased speed, frequency and comfort, doubling capacity per capita, expanded routes and well-coordinated services among the various cities, counties and carriers.
2. Effective land use/transportation connections — including transit-oriented development, mixed-use zoning, livable community performance indicators, developer incentives, transportation service requirements, location-efficient mortgages, etc.
3. Expanded non-motorized transportation facilities — including policies, incentives and funding to stimulate increased usage. A minimum of $1.5 billion regionally ($1 billion in L.A. County) is needed for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
4. Expanded transportation demand management (TDM) measures — including ridesharing, vanpools, park-and-ride, telecommuting, work at home, parking cash-out strategies and traveler information systems.
5. Additional revenues from small increases in taxes on gasoline and diesel fuels, as well as continuation of the County transportation sales taxes.
6. Limit expansion of LAX in favor of a regionally-dispersed plan to facilitate economic growth in areas where population is fastest growing. The impact of LAX expansion would fall 95% on non-whites, a large environmental justice issue.
7. Sustainability of the transportation system needs to be guaranteed for future generations, via long range planning, adequate maintenance of the existing system and conservation of oil.
8. Improved air quality conformity calculations that do not include Maglev, and other proposals that promise air pollution reductions, until such projects have fully secured funding.
9. Long range plan charettes to produce implementation plans on the above topics, including the greatly reduced world oil supply expected before 2025.
10. An expanded, broad-based, public input process to solicit substantive public participation in and support for long range transportation plans.

Groups that have signed on to these recommendations include: the Southern California Council on Environment and Development, Coalition for Clean Air, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Transportation Committee, Southern California Transit Advocates, Endangered Habitats League, L.A. County Bicycle Coalition, Los Angeles Walks, Southern California Transportation and Land Use Coalition, Cooperative Resources & Services Project, Southern California Federation of Scientists, Orange County Bicycle Coalition.

INTRODUCTION

As we plan our transportation systems for the next quarter century, one thing is clear: the inability of our roads and transit to provide affordable, efficient mobility is stealing vitality from both our economy and our families. Commute times grow longer every year.

By the year 2025, the population of our region will have grown by an additional 40%. This growth will cause huge increases in congestion, with average peak period highway speeds being cut in half. The MTA projects that morning peak highway speeds in L.A. County will drop from the current average 32 mph to 16 mph.

Still, we are hopeful. Solutions do exist. All we need is the will to take the bold steps required to transform the Southern California region into a region of the future. To prepare for the future will require making public transportation an inviting, desirable way to travel, even more so than traveling in individual automobiles.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO SCAG AND THE MTA

1. Improved Rail and Bus Transit Services

Because of Southern California's overemphasis on the freeway system for the last half-century, the transit system has come to be regarded as second-class transportation. Increasing transit usage is essential to avoiding the impending mobility crisis. This will require a major commitment to making public transportation an inviting, desirable alternative to the single-occupant vehicle. SCAG has calculated that to double the amount of transit use per capita would require approximately an additional $25 billion to expand service over the next 25 years.

2. Effective Land Use/Transportation Connections

Our land use patterns greatly influence our travel patterns. SCAG projects that 56% of the additional residents coming to our region will live in outlying areas, including North L.A. County, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. We must encourage land use patterns that favor livability and location/transit efficiency.

3. Expand Non-Motorized Transportation

Since non-motorized trips, which now total nearly 10% of all trips, are completely pollution free and take little or no space on the roads, expansion would be very cost effective. A minimum of $1.5 billion regionally ($1 billion in L.A. County) is needed for expanded bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

4. Expand Transportation Demand Management (TDM)

At the heart of our congestion problem is the excessive use of single-occupant vehicles. Encouraging those who drive alone to carpool, use transit or other alternatives is one of the best ways to improve the efficiency of our transportation system.

5. Budget Shortfalls Demand Additional Revenue

SCAG has identified that an additional $40 billion of revenue is needed region-wide. The Coalition supports all SCAG revenue generation proposals, except the full tax on alternative fuels. More revenue is needed through increased fuel taxes while it is still possible.

6. Limit Expansion of LAX

LAX expansion would increase air safety risks, dramatically worsen traffic congestion, result in greater air pollution, create more airport noise, aggravate environmental justice issues, and destroy local homes, schools, libraries, parks, and businesses. A disproportionate share of low income and minority populations are subjected to increased health and safety impacts. The recommendation is to develop a regional plan to accommodate air traffic growth by expanding and better utilizing the eleven other commercial airports in Southern California.

7. Sustainability of the Transportation System

Fuel supplies are projected to become increasingly scarce and expensive in the coming years. If we do not implement more far-sighted solutions, SCAG and MTA plans forecast that over 80% of trips will still be made by private automobiles in 25 years, resulting in over 22% increase in petroleum fuel use.

8. Improved Air Quality Conformity Calculations

SCAG appears to have included non-viable projects in its air quality calculations. PM10, the most dangerous of all pollutants, will increase by 139% under the current plan, causing thousands of deaths. The USEPA estimated over 3,000 excess deaths and 52,000 respiratory episodes occur annually in Southeast L.A. County alone from current levels of particulates.

9. Long Range Plan Charettes

Organized by SCAG and the Counties are needed to produce true long range implementation plans. These should include academics, research institutions and consultants, additional experts and stakeholders, including grassroots and community-based organizations.

10. Meet Environmental Justice Goals

The three fundamental environmental justice principles that federal agencies must abide by are: (1) To avoid, minimize, or mitigate disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects on minority and low-income populations; (2) To ensure the full and fair participation by all potentially affected communities; (3) To prevent the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits by minority and low-income populations.

Conclusion

By 2025 we will know the result of the transportation decisions we are making today. The projections are very clear: conditions will reach a crisis stage if we don't change how we travel and grow today. If we target our investments and policies to favor the development of smart growth, efficient public transit and travel alternatives, we could be well on our way to a vibrant future — a future of streets alive with people, communities that work even for those without cars, and cities flourishing because they are pleasant, accessible places to live and work in.