For far too long, SANDAG ignored state law, basic climate science, public demand for cleaner air and community outcry for significant investments in mass transit, biking and walking options. As a result, our region fell behind many other major cities who made these smart investments and now have modern, state-of-the-art, effective public transit options connecting their communities.
Thanks to valuable reforms under Assemblymember Gonzalez’s AB 805, Executive Director Hasan Ikhrata’s visionary leadership and those forward-looking Board members who embrace 21st century thinking, SANDAG finally can be on the path to deliver the kinds of transit, biking and walking solutions the community needs and the climate crisis requires. The new vision for our region offers safer and healthier modes of travel, a stronger regional economy, and an improved quality of life.
At today’s joint meeting of the SANDAG Board, Regional Planning Committee, and Transportation Committee, the main item on the agenda is a set of presentations on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Vehicle Miles Traveled: An Overview of State Requirements and SANDAG Modeling Tools
We thank the Board of Directors for being ready and willing to learn about the critical connections between state climate policy and regional transportation planning through these presentations. This valuable conversation has been a long time coming and it is refreshing to see it happening at SANDAG this morning. We urge the Board to keep these important subjects at the forefront of their discussions as they make important decisions about the future of our region. We cannot solve our transportation issues by continuing to use old failed methods. Instead, we must use modern solutions to build a better future.
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