METRO has repeatedly stated “Look to California as a guide” to deal with traffic

Metro Council work session 11/6/2019

In regards to the Mobility Policy Update, Metro is working with PSU to create an inventory of mobility measures used across the United States, paying close attention to California. They want to explore vehicle miles traveled as a top mobility measure and will “Look to California as a guide.”

ODOT and Metro: Regional Mobility Policy Update, Stakeholder Interview Report (10/23/2019): 

“Look to California’s work on VMT measures, call on experts that worked on developing that legislation and implementation at regional and local levels.”

“Look to California as a guide.”

See here:

“In 2013, the State of California passed Senate Bill (SB) 743, which mandates that jurisdictions can no longer use automobile delay – commonly measured by Level of Service (LOS) – in transportation analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The State has issued guidelines calling for the use of a broader measure called Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), which measures the total amount of driving over a given area.”

“If a project shows it will decrease vehicle miles traveled – bike lanes, ped paths – it may be automatically considered to have a “less than significant” impact and can more easily be pushed through”