June  11,  2020   Toks  Omishakin   Caltrans  Director   1120  N  S treet   P.O.  Box  942873   Sacramento,  CA  95814       RE:  Comments  on  SB  743  Implementation   Dear  Director  Omishakin:   On   behalf   of   the   San   Joaquin   Valley   Regional   Planning   Agencies   Policy   Council   (Policy   Council),   we   appreciate   the   opportunity   to   provide   comments   on   the   implementation   of   SB   743.     The   Policy   Council   represents  the  eight   county   metropolitan   planning   organizations   and   the   62   cities   of  the   San   Joaquin  Valley  on  regional  transportation  and  air  q uality  issues.     We  have  s erious  concerns  about   the   implementation   of   SB   743,   and   its   potential   adverse   effects   on   major   goods   movement   transportation  projects,  and  on  housing  and  transportation  cost  for  our  disadvantaged  communities.   Under   SB   743,   Caltrans   and   other   California   Environmental   Quality   Act   (CEQA)   practitioners,   will   adopt   new   guidance   for   CEQA   significance   determinations,   including   identifying   the   best   approach   for   analyzing   vehicle   miles   traveled   (VMT)   and   induced   travel   for   new   projects.     This   effort   stems   from  S B  743,   which   established  special  administrative   and  judicial  review  procedures  under   CEQA  for   the   City   of   Sacramento's   Golden   1   Sports   Center.     The  bill,   however,   has   been   construed   as   providing   guidance   on   reforming   transportation   and   CEQA   planning   practices   statewide,   rather   than   for   a   specific  project.       The   San  Joaquin   Valley   is   the   h eart   of  California’s   transportation   s ystem,   and  is   a   major   generator   of   economic   activity   within   California.   A   significant   majority   of   our   agricultural   commodities   are   transported  by  truck  primarily  using  S tate  Route  99,   Interstate  5  and  other  major   east-­‐west  corridors.     Many   of   the   transportation   projects   that   are   currently   identified   for   construction   through   existing   regional   sales   tax   measures   will   improve   these   state   highways   and   eliminate   dangerous   congestion   bottlenecks.    We  have  made  promises  to  our   voters  to  work  with   Caltrans   to  help  fund  these  regional   projects   through   our   sales   tax   measures.     The   interpretation   and   implementation   of   SB   743   will   impede   these   construction  efforts,   and   contradicts   the   commitments  we   have   made   to   our   residents   for  locally  funded  h ighway  improvements.   SB   743   also   has   an   adverse   impact   on   the   cost   of   housing   and   transportation   for   our   numerous   disadvantaged   minority   communities.     Costly   VMT   mitigation   measures   to   be   imposed   by   jurisdictions  on  new  h ousing  projects  from  SB  743,  and  an  emphasis  on  job  creation  in  urban  centers,             will   increase,   not   decrease   VMT.     As   a   result,   our   lower   income   households   will   be   burdened   with   additional  housing  and  transportation  costs  resulting  from  SB  743.   The   Valley’s   population   is   currently   near   4.35   million   residents   and   has   grown   by   159   percent   since   1980.   By   2050,   our   population   will   nearly   double   in   size.     We   need   to   accommodate   this   projected   growth   and   are   not   able   to   “rise”   as   a   region   if   we   sacrifice   economic   development   through   the   restrictive  and  costly  measures  included  in  SB  743.   We  do  not  support  SB  743;  however,  we  have  several  solutions  to  offer  for  your  consideration:     1.   Encourage  and  incentivize  teleworking.  The  COVID-­‐19  pandemic  has  provided  a  crash  course  in   demonstrating  that  technology  can  be  a  solution  to  alleviating  traffic  congestion,  improving  air   quality  and  quality  of  life.     2.   Provide  greater  incentives  for  the  purchase  of  electric  vehicles,  installation  of  charging  stations   along  the  state  highway  system,  and  retrofit  homes  to  provide  the  proper  charging  outlets.    This   would  provide  for  an  immediate,  cost-­‐effective  solution  to  improving  air  quality  while  enhancing   mobility  for  residents.     3.   Continue  making  investments  into  passenger  rail  service.  This  includes  augmenting  funding  for   grade  separation  projects  to  enhance  safety  from  cross  traffic,  ensuring  reliability  of  service,  and   reducing  idling  of  vehicles  at  rail  intersections.  Continued  investments  to  provide  cost-­‐effective   and  frequent  service  will  help  ease  congestion  and  improve  air  quality.       4.   Encourage  innovation  by  transit  systems  to  model  service  after  transportation  network   companies  through  offering  vanpool  service,  car  sharing,  and  other  alternatives  rather  than   traditional  bus  routes.       5.   Ship  more  containers  and  goods  via  freight  rail  to  reduce  truck  traffic  on  major  arterials  such  as   Highway  99  and  Interstate  5.  This  would  greatly  enhance  safety,  slow  down  road  degradation,   and  alleviate  congestion.       6.   Provide  greater  incentives  for  businesses  to  locate  or  expand  operations  in  the  San  Joaquin   Valley.  This  would  reduce  GHGs,  VMT,  and  is  a  greater  return  on  investment  than  building   expensive  high-­‐density  housing  in  already  densely  populated,  high-­‐cost  metropolitan  areas.   Aside   from   SB   743,   we   strongly   support   the   climate   goals   of   the   State   of   California   and   are   deeply   committed   to   improvements   to   passenger   and   freight   rail   systems,   reductions   in   greenhouse   gas   emissions,  reasonable  reductions  in  vehicle  miles  travelled,  improvements  to  walking,  biking  and  other   modes   of   transportation,   and   support   transportation   investments   aligned   with   housing   and   economic   development.       Achieving   reductions   in   VMT   amid   rapid   expansion   and   growth   in   our   region   continues   to   be   a   major   policy   discussion   as   we   work   to   implement   the   goals   of   the   Climate   Investment   Program.   We   will   continue  to  welcome  coordination  and  dialogue  with  the  CARB,  Strategic  Growth  Council,  Housing  and   Community   Development,   California   Transportation   Commission,   Caltrans   and   other   State   partners   to   address  this  topic.                 We  respectfully  request  that  SB  743  be  administered  for  its  original  purpose,  and  not  be  implemented   for   projects   on   the   state   highway   system.     We   welcome   the   opportunity   to   have   a   constructive   conversation  on  our  proposed  solutions  to  truly  address  mutual  goals  of  reducing  GHG  and  enhancing   mobility  in  our  region,  and  throughout  our  great  state.     Thank  you  for  your  consideration.   Sincerely,     Chuck  Winn   Chair  of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  Regional  Planning  Agencies  Policy  Council   Supervisor,  San  Joaquin  County       cc:   Kate  Gordon,  Governor’s  Office  of  Planning  and  Research         Mary  Nichols,  California  Air  Resources  Board     David  Kim,  CalSTA  Secretary