Responding to “Crunch Time For Climate,” a recently released report advocating doubling down on shifting transportation options away from gas-powered vehicles, the City said it has plans in place already to achieve its climate goals.
“San Diego’s 2022 Climate Action Plan includes six strategies that set a path toward achieving the City’s interim 2030 fair-share reduction goal and ambitious 2035 goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions,” said Tara Lewis, supervising spokesperson in the City’s Communications Department. “The strategies include 17 quantified performance targets, outlining how the City will track progress and achieve its overall GHG reduction goals. Each of the 21 CAP measures is broken down into discrete actions and supporting actions, 190 in total, that work together to achieve performance targets and emissions-reduction goals. The 2022 CAP was adopted into law in August of 2022.”
According to the City, its Climate Action Implementation Plan unveiled in March 2023 is a living planning tool that guides the full implementation of the measures laid out in the CAP and informs every decision the City makes.
“While the CAIP does lay out a robust outline of future actions to be taken, much of the climate action work is already underway,” said Lewis. “As part of Strategy 3 (“Mobility and Land Use”), the City is focused on reducing emissions from transportation, which accounts for more than half of all GHG emissions in San Diego. Comprehensive mobility solutions for more safe and sustainable mobility options has been a focus of the City over the last two years.”
Lewis pointed out work to improve accessibility for pedestrians of all ages and abilities, such as the installation of curb ramps, crosswalks, and lead pedestrian interval signals at intersections, have occurred Citywide, including Downtown, and in conjunction with the Capital Improvements Program and roadway maintenance projects. “The City has over 1,000 miles of bikeway, and an increasing number of those are separated facilities (up to 37 miles of Class IV) to complement 78 miles of Class I – bike paths,” she said. “New community plans are constantly being updated and increasing the proposed mileage of new facilities, especially in-street separated facilities. We have also implemented bike signals and signage to support the use and wayfinding for new and experienced cyclists.”
To encourage its employees to consider new mobility options, the City recently approved free transit passes for all of its 11,000-plus employees to be used for daily commuting and around-town trips, seven days a week.
“To bridge the first mile and last mile for public transit users and to address those shorter neighborhood trips, the City has partnered with scooter company Bird for shared mobility devices,” noted Lewis. She added, “Most recently, building on the FRED circulator Downtown, the City helped launch a new neighborhood (Beach Bug) electric vehicle shuttle to connect the new Blue Line Trolley extension to the beaches and Mission Bay, as well as the shops and restaurants within Pacific Beach.
“The City is also installing roundabouts and other types of traffic-calming measures in communities around the City and is in the process of reviewing a competitive procurement for electric-vehicle charging on all City-owned properties. This addresses a key barrier that exists for our residents and businesses who want to convert from a gas-powered vehicle to an electric, clean vehicle.”
All of these projects are being done concurrently with the development of not only a Complete Streets Council Policy, and an update to the City’s Street Design Guidelines, but also the City’s first interdepartmental and comprehensive Mobility Master Plan,” noted Lewis adding that master plan is expected to be ready for public review this summer. “The master plan is a comprehensive transportation planning effort to shift us away from personal-vehicle use to more environmentally conscious transportation modes because every mile and every trip count when we are working toward a net-zero GHG emissions goal by 2035,” she concluded.
