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Policies & Initiatives

Learn More About Efforts to Support Sustainable Transportation and Encourage TDM Best Practices

Local/Regional Policies

US-101 Express Lanes
To reduce traffic congestion and increase carpooling and transit use, Express Lanes are coming to US-101 in San Mateo County. Any high-occupancy vehicle carrying three or more passengers (carpools and transit) can travel in the Express Lane toll-free, while 2-person carpools pay a reduced toll and single-occupancy vehicles pay the full amount should they choose to ride in the Express Lane. The Express Lanes aim to enable travel speeds of at least 45 mph, and will utilize a dynamic toll pricing scheme to manage lane demand. Those who use the Express Lane must have the FasTrak Flex toll tag that indicates the car’s occupancy (1, 2, or 3+). The project is scheduled to be complete by mid-2022, with the lanes opening by the end of 2022. For more information, visit the Caltrans website.

Countywide TDM Policy
C/CAG is responsible for overseeing the San Mateo Congestion Management Program (CMP). The Land Use Impact Analysis Program Policy – also known as the “TDM Policy” – is a component of this CMP. The TDM Policy provides guidelines for analyzing the impact of land use decisions made by local municipalities in San Mateo County. The purpose of the policy is to preserve acceptable performance on the countywide CMP network, and to establish community standards for consistent, system-wide review of development-related transportation impacts

As of January 1, 2022, the C/CAG TDM Policy requires that local jurisdictions in San Mateo County notify C/CAG of any new development project within their purview that is estimated to generate at least 100 Average Daily Trips (ADT). Previously, the threshold for local jurisdictions to notify C/CAG of new development projects was 100 net peak hour trips, or those proposed as part of a General Plan Amendment (GPA).

All C/CAG member jurisdictions are subject to this TDM Policy – unless expressly exempted by C/CAG. Paths to exemption are explained in greater detail in the Implementation Guide.

State Policies

Senate Bill 743
Passed in 2013 and effective 2020, SB 743 achieved a monumental change in planning policy by updating the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the law establishing guidelines for assessing the environmental impact of new development projects. SB 743 mandated a change in how a project’s transportation impact on the environment is measured under CEQA. Instead of using a metric measuring time delay caused by traffic congestion, cities now must use the amount of driving (measured by vehicle miles traveled, or VMT).

Shifting the goal from managing traffic congestion to reducing the overall amount of driving will more effectively mitigate a project’s environmental impact. SB 743 aims to create communities in which Californians drive less while aligning planning practices with state climate change policies. It has tremendous potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion, encourage multi-modal transportation networks, and result in more efficient land use by supporting infill development and mixed-use properties.

Senate Bill 288
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for quick economic recovery, SB 288 exempts sustainable transportation projects such as bus rapid transit, bicycle lanes, and zero emission vehicle charging infrastructure from CEQA review beginning January 2021. The environmental review process often delays implementation of much-needed transportation infrastructure projects that support sustainable transportation modes. SB 288 aims to remove barriers that burden transportation projects while generating job opportunities to work on transit, bike, and pedestrian projects.

SB288 is scheduled to expire in January 2030.

Assembly Bill 455 (Bay Bridge Fast Forward Program)
AB 455 sets a goal to speed up transit crossing the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to get more riders on transbay buses in order to reduce traffic congestion on the bridge and alleviate crowded BART trains. By January 2025, buses must be able to cross at a minimum of 45 mph. Should local agencies responsible for meeting the goal fall short, a lane on the Bay Bridge must be dedicated as transit-only. The bill was introduced in February 2021 and is currently in suspension awaiting further action.

California’s Parking Cash-Out Law
Some employers who subsidize their employees’ parking are required by state law to provide cash back to employees who forgo a parking space. The parking cash-out program is an effective trip reduction strategy that encourages employees to commute by transit, bicycle, walking, or carpooling, instead of driving alone. For more information about this law, click here.

Initiatives

Micromobility in San Mateo County
Shared micromobility services like bikeshare and e-scooters have become a popular means of transportation. These services offer a convenient, flexible mobility option that helps decrease the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the road. Shared mobility offers a first/last mile solution for connecting commuters to transit, work, school, home, etc. As a form of active transportation, these services improve health, decrease CO2 emissions, and reduce traffic congestion by replacing cars.

Resources for cities
NACTO’s Guidelines for Regulating Shared Micromobility
Transportation for America’s Shared Micromobility Playbook

Email us at support@commute.org if you are interested in learning more about micromobility and the research compiled by Commute.org. Stay tuned for more details on the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) shared mobility feasibility study, as well as pilot programs in South San Francisco and Redwood City.

Vision Zero
Vision Zero is an initiative adopted by forward-thinking communities across the United States and globally as a direct response to the traffic-related tragedies occurring on our public streets. Originally introduced in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero policies have been introduced in American cities to reduce traffic fatalities and severe injuries, thereby creating safe, healthy, and equitable communities. For more information about Vision Zero, check out this factsheet or visit visionzeronetwork.org.

Cities in San Mateo County prioritizing Vision Zero:

  • Daly City – home to the county’s first Vision Zero Action Plan
  • East Palo Alto
  • Menlo Park
  • Redwood City
  • San Mateo
  • South San Francisco

MORE Through TDM Act
The Mobility Options, Resiliency & Efficiency (MORE) Through TDM Act emphasizes the need to incorporate transportation demand management (TDM) into federal transportation policy. The legislation would require regions to include TDM in transportation plans and dedicate federal funding to the implementation of TDM strategies. Learn more about the proposed policy on the Association for Commuter Transportation’s website.