Senator Anna M. Caballero Introduces SB1410 to Support Housing Production & Prevent Unnecessary Regulatory Burdens

SB-1410 would limit the scope of evaluation of transportation impacts by vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to transit priority areas

SACRAMENTO: Senator Anna M. Caballero (D-Merced) introduced SB 1410 which modifies the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) regulations to limit use to Transit Priority Areas (TPAs). In areas outside of TPAs, the traditional measurement of traffic impacts, Levels of Service, would be used to assess transportation impacts on the environment for projects subject to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.

“SB 1410 is a critical measure to undo the unintended consequences of applying VMT statewide through a previous law: SB 743. Because of that bill’s passage, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) was tasked with evaluating the metrics used to measure the impacts on traffic congestion and the environment for proposed developments. Effective July 2020, OPR replaced the prior metric, Levels of Service which required traffic and road improvements, with VMT, which relies on a fee per unit to support a public transportation system. We are only just beginning to see the consequences of this change. Now, developers must mitigate VMT through the CEQA process, and in areas without access to reliable high quality public transportation and other multimodal options, developers must charge a fee which ultimately drives up the overall costs. For housing development, especially in rural parts of the state, where public transportation is sparse or non-existent. VMT mitigation increases project costs, which is ultimately passed on to the homebuyer or renter. SB 1410 limits VMT to infill development in urbanized communities with transit priority areas, which was its original intent, and will prevent exorbitant cost increases on housing development in rural and suburban areas.” –Senator Anna M Caballero (D-Merced)

“Applying VMT across the state creates a ‘housing tax’ that punishes Californians who are forced to drive long distances to work and shop in a community they cannot afford to live in. This tax is levied most heavily on Latino and Black Californians, communities already impacted by inequities in homeownership. It forces local jurisdictions to assess a fee that adds hundreds of thousands dollars of costs to homes. This makes the housing crisis worse, and puts the American dream of homeownership further out of reach for many low and middle-class Californians, predominately in communities of color.” –Dan Dunmoyer, President and CEO, California Building Industry Association

For interviews or inquiries, please contact Elisa Rivera at (209) 726-5495 

Senator Anna M. Caballero represents the 12^th Senate District, composed of Merced and San Benito Counties, Salinas Valley, and portions of Fresno, Madera and Stanislaus Counties.

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