In an informal poll, regional leaders and agency staff were asked:
"Name two or three problems facing regional agencies, local governments around the region, or regional organizations. particularly any which don't seem to have successful approaches/processes in place for addressing them."
and "What innovative approaches have you encountered which may help address a local/regional problem (the problem doesn't have to be one you listed -- someone else may have your answer, and you may have someone else's!)"
Problems were plentiful, ranging from the broad (we need more housing) to the specific (some BART stations expose waiting passengers to freeway fumes). Many problems came with solutions already underway. Not surprisingly, there is also a list of problems without any suggested new approach, waiting for a creative or iconoclastic comment to start everyone in a new direction.
Among the suggestions were:
This issue of the Monitor contains a selection of problems. The suggested solutions are not necessarily perfect, but worth considering.
Leslie Stewart, Editor
Since air pollution first began to be addressed as a major problem, motor vehicles have been recognized as important sources of polluting emissions. In spite of increasingly stringent emission standards, cleaner fuels, and promotion of alternative fuel vehicles, cars and trucks remain significant contributors to air pollution.
Now comes the news from the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about catalytic converters, designed to convert carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon pollutants to carbon dioxide and water. We now learn that catalytic converters on motor vehicles produce and emit nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas over 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide in causing global warming. The EPA estimates that motor vehicles, with their emissions of both nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, are responsible for one-sixth of the world's global warming.
Further, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced that world-wide average temperatures are increasing and that the current El Niño weather pattern is the most powerful of this century. Predictions are that the increased energy put into the weather system by this warming trend will cause stronger and stronger El Niño episodes.
Electric vehicles (EVs), which emit no tailpipe pollutants or greenhouse gases, offer huge promise for a cleaner future. In response to government pressure, auto manufacturers are now offering EVs to the Bay Area public.
To attain the national and state clean air standards for ozone, the state Air Resources Board (ARB) adopted low-emission vehicle regulations in 1990 and amended them in 1996. Any auto manufacturers marketing more than 3,000 cars and light-duty trucks in California each year must meet a progressively more stringent fleet average emission requirement and must produce and offer for sale zero-emission vehicles in amounts equal to 10 percent of their total sales by the year 2003. The remaining 90 percent of the manufacturer's output can be fueled by gasoline, methanol, ethanol, compressed natural gas, or propane, or by hybrid systems, as long as the fleet average emission requirement is met. Extra zero-emission vehicle credits will be given in 2003 for EVs sold before 1998 and for EVs with advanced types of batteries, the most likely of which for motor vehicles are lithium-ion and nickel metal hydride.
Since 1990, when the ARB adopted its zero-emission mandate, car manufacturers have made big improvements in their EVs. Performance has improved, with better acceleration and higher top speeds. Their range has increased enough to accommodate most trips. However, without significant technological improvements to increase range further, they will not be suitable for all travel. Until EVs are mass produced, their higher cost will prevent their being competitive with gasoline-powered vehicles.
The infrastructure to support battery-powered EVs also needs improvement. The batteries can be recharged using a 120-volt common household line, but this takes 8-14 hours. The primary method for recharging uses a 240-volt line, the same voltage which serves large household appliances, and takes 4-8 hours. This method is expected to be the one most commonly used by homes, fleets and public charging stations.
Still being developed are high-voltage, fast-charging units that will deliver a charge in less than 20 minutes.These are not intended for homes. Charging units are beginning to be seen in parking facilities and other public locations, but until they are readily available, the versatility of EVs will be hampered.
For greater range, hybrid EVs have auxiliary motors that operate on propane, compressed natural gas, gasoline, or other fuel to power generators that charge the batteries. While hybrid vehicles are selling surprisingly well in Japan, they have not yet been offered in the U.S.
Another solution may be provided by using fuel cells to generate electricity to operate the vehicles. The technology converts the fuel, such as gasoline or water, in the on-board fuel cell into hydrogen, which is used to produce electricity, while emitting only water and, with some fuels, small amounts of carbon dioxide. Prototype vehicles have been made, but production in any quantity lies in the future.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) has been active in promoting the purchase and use of EVs. The Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) administered by the Air District provides incentives for public jurisdictions to add EVs to their fleets. The TFCA receives its money from a $4 surcharge on motor vehicle registration fees for vehicles registered within the Air District's jurisdiction.
Earlier this year the Air District began an Electric Vehicle Incentive Program that provides $5,000 incentives to individuals, companies, and non-public agency fleet operators to buy or lease EVs. To be eligible, a participant must reside, operate the vehicle and use a battery recharging unit within the Air District boundaries. The buyer or lessee must complete a vehicle and driver survey twice yearly on the EV's use and performance.
The manufacturer or dealership reduces the price of an eligible EV by $5,000 and applies to the Air District for the incentive when the order for the reduced-price EV is received. Upon delivery, the customer and the vendor submit the incentive form and a copy of the purchase or lease agreement to the Air District. The vendor then receives the incentive payment from the Air District.
Vehicles currently eligible for the incentive are General Motors' EV1, Honda's EV Plus, Toyota's RAV4 EV, Solectria's Force, or Ford's Electric Ranger pickup and General Motors' S10 Electric Pickup.
This program is funded by a $350,000 grant from the California Energy Commission, enough to provide incentives for the purchase of 70 vehicles. Incentives are being provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
The solution to the problem of motor vehicle emissions seems to lie in the extent to which electric and other low-emitting vehicles replace gasoline and diesel fueled vehicles. But for every solution, there is another problem. A large source of the funding for highway construction and maintenance comes from taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel. Replacing those funds may be the next problem to be solved.
Adelia Sabiston
When the Port of Oakland acquired the closed Navy Fleet Industrial Supply Center, Oakland, the site needed cleanup before it could be re-used by the Port, including the dismantling of old warehouses. The Port contracted with the Youth Employment Partnership (YEP), a non-profit organization providing training in basic construction techniques to Oakland youth. YEP has "deconstructed" three old warehouses and has proved to be a "highly professional and responsible contractor", according to the Port.
Apprentices in the program receive State Certification of Lead Abatement. The cleaned Douglas fir and redwood can be sold, but some will be used to build low-income housing in West Oakland. After the deconstruction is complete, the space will be used for the planned Phase One of the Port's Intermodal Rail Terminal, allowing Burlington Northern-Santa Fe trains direct access to customers at the Port.
San Francisco's Bar Association has been working with the San Francisco Unified School District to place students at Mission and Balboa High Schools as interns in law firms in the city. The program they developed, Law Academy, targets bright but underachieving students, many of them minorities. Begun last summer with 27 students, 47 students will be working in local law firms this summer, earning paychecks and learning the relevance of schoolwork to the working world. Seminars teach students how to dress, interview, and behave on the job; legal references were added to classes at school.
Both the students and the law firms consider the program a success. Many of the Law Academy students have been motivated to improve their school performance and plan for college. The law firms plan to hire up to 120 interns and work with the school district to expand the program to other high schools in the city. The school district is working on developing similar programs in other career fields with local employers.
For more information:
Use the "Honor System": Passengers on the new Muni Metro extension between the Embarcado station and the Caltrain station south of Market Street in San Francisco (the E Line) are the latest Muni riders who climb on board without paying the driver. They're not riding free—passes or tickets from a streetside machine are still required. Passengers must show passes or tickets when police pass through the cars and ask to see proof of payment, but this doesn't happen to each passenger on every ride. When it does, however, that "proof-of-payment" is the only defense against a $126 citation.
Efficiency is one reason for using the "proof-of-payment" system. Passengers board faster when they can enter any door of the vehicle and don't have to wait for other passengers searching for change or fumbling with the farebox. Potential cost savings are also a factor, since only one driver will be needed on the front car of a train, rather than one driver on each car to collect fares.
The "proof-of-payment" system is used in other cities with light rail lines, including San Jose, Sacramento and San Diego. It has been used in San Francisco at two stops on the M-line for the past two years. Eventually the system may be used on all light rail lines in the city.
Free Passes for Employees: A free trip to work, and home again, is one of the latest employee benefits being offered by employers in Santa Clara County. The Eco Pass system provides Valley Transportation Authority annual passes to employers at deep discounts; employers give them to employees, together with a promise that if an employee rides transit to work and needs to leave for an emergency, the taxi ride is free.
Participation in the program began two years ago at seven companies with 19,000 employees and has more than doubled, covering over 41,000 workers. The cost to the employers, who currently consider the passes as a fringe benefit similar to the costs of providing parking for employees, may be reduced through pending state legislation—parking costs are deductible currently as business expenses but transit passes are not. Land which is being used for parking could also be more profitably used as office space if transit use decreases parking needs.
Created with substantial support from the Santa Clara Valley Manufacturing Group, the program has resulted in a noticeable increase in transit passengers. Valley Transit Authority light rail and bus ridership are at all-time highs. Nearly one in 10 new riders is estimated to be an Eco Pass user. Employees who previously used transit are enthusiastic about the convenience of the passes.
The program also benefits employees who must drive, by reducing congestion on the roads, and employers, whose employees arrive without the stress from battling traffic jams on the way to work. Air quality also benefits from decreased automobile traffic. With all those good reasons to take transit, it turns out that the most convincing one is still the fact that it's free!
Take the Bus to Work and Keep It: A partnership between Livermore/Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA) and Lockheed/Martin in Sunnyvale gets employees to work on a LAVTA bus which stays for the day and comes home with them in the evening. Lockheed/Martin employees were trained to be the bus drivers, and the comfortable buses, with highback seats and overhead reading lights, can be driven to Sunnyvale without having to be driven back to be used during the day on other routes.
Passengers, all Lockheed/Martin employees, pay a flat monthly rate and board buses at Park and Ride locations in the Livermore/Amador Valley in the morning. Because prospective riders were part of the planning for the route, schedules are convenient. The service is self-supporting and was adopted by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission as a pilot program for the Bay Area.
Buses on Demand: Another LAVTA program, DART, allows passengers to call two hours in advance to request a ride, eliminating the need for scheduled midday runs on lightly used routes. The program is based on one used by the Seattle Metro. One of fifteen vans picks up the passengers, usually close to their starting point, and delivers them to their destinations. DART also serves the BART station once an hour to pick up walk-on passengers. Fares are the same as fixed route service on LAVTA's regular WHEELS buses.
Because of good publicity at its launching, DART has become quite successful, with higher passenger volumes and lower costs than the fixed route service it replaces.
For more information:
In a tight regional housing market, the problem is most intense in Silicon Valley. With innovative thinkers in every office, however, the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group was quick to move toward solutions to the problem. Two organizations in the Valley were created and convened by the Group: the Housing Action Coalition and the Housing Leadership Council.
The Housing Action Coalition was formed in 1994 by the Manufacturing Group and Santa Clara County planning staff, and now includes over 200 organizations and individuals. Members provide grassroots support for housing which is well-built, relatively affordable and appropriately located to meet the needs of working families. The Coalition's strategies include education, advocacy and legislation. New housing proposals are reviewed to determine if they meet Coalition criteria. Those which do are supported by Coalition members attending planning commission and city council hearings. Of 56 projects supported by the Coalition in the past three years, 55 were approved, an increase of over 16,000 new homes in 12 cities.
The Housing Leadership Council was convened more recently to provide "grass tops leadership". Membership includes 55 community leaders from throughout the Valley, representing both public and private sectors. To deal with housing issues in a comprehensive way, the Council has five current initiatives, each assigned to a separate task force:
It is too soon to judge whether the Council's record will be as successful as the Coalition's. If so, the two organizations will have made a substantial contribution toward easing the local and regional housing crunch.
For more information:
Leslee Coleman, Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, 408-501-SVMG
For many people, the only way they can afford housing is to add a long commute—the paycheck can't qualify for more expensive housing closer to work. However, owning and operating a car to use for the commute costs the average person over $6700 per year, according to the American Automobile Association.
Living in a transit-accessible neighborhood, where most trips can be made on foot or by transit, can cost considerably less. By eliminating the car, a home-buyer's available income can increase. However, until recently, there was no mechanism to acknowledge that certain neighborhoods could allow homeowners to make this shift, thereby affording more expensive housing.
Three organizations (the Center for Neighborhood Technology, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Surface Transportation Policy Project) created a partnership to research and create a new type of mortgage which credits home purchasers with greater buying power when they buy in transit-accessible neighborhoods. They envision its use by low- and moderate-income households and in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods. It could be used by primary lenders to meet lending goals in urban neighborhoods under the Community Reinvestment Act and the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, as well as by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae).
The location-efficient mortgage (LEM) allows a person to qualify for a more expensive mortgage when monthly expenses drop because of transit accessibility. The program uses software to pinpoint a prospective buyer's proposed purchase and the distance to transit and other common destinations such as shopping and cultural sites. Based on the information, the program calculates a Location Efficiency Value which is entered into the mortgage formula calculation.
The LEM could improve transit efficiency by adding more riders, revitalize downtown shopping districts with local patronage, and encourage infill projects by developers who have more purchasers qualified by using the leveraged mortgages. In addition, energy conservation and air quality would benefit from less automobile usage.
For more information:
Donna Liu, Natural Resources Defense Council, 415-777-0220.
Interregional: As Bay Area workers desperate for reasonably-priced housing spill over the eastern hills into the San Joaquin Valley, neighboring counties see more commuters but not more tax dollars. A few months ago, Alameda County sued the city of Tracy over a proposed new housing development which would add more cars to the I580 and I680 corridors. Other concerns include air quality, water supply and loss of farmland to the new houses which are needed for workers from Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties.
San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties, most affected by this eastward surge, are not part of the traditional Bay Area, the nine counties which touch San Francisco Bay. However, many of their residents spend much of their time (and some of their money) in the Bay Area. The economic, cultural and environmental links are there, even if the governmental links are not.
Several Bay Area county supervisors are trying an informal experiment, the Inter-Regional Partnership. The Partnership includes one supervisor from each of five counties (Contra Costa, Alameda, San Joaquin, Santa Clara and Stanislaus) and representatives from cities in those counties (Fremont, Livermore, Brentwood, Danville, Tracy, Lathrop, Milpitas, San Jose, Modesto and Patterson). A successful meeting was held in May 1998; four more meetings are planned in the next few months.
Expectations of what the Partnership will actually accomplish are guarded. It is possible that simply understanding the issues from every participant's viewpoint may occupy the remaining meetings. However, implicit in the group's creation is an acknowledgement that the counties can impact each other in significant ways. This is a step forward in itself, and may make other more constructive steps possible in the future.
For more information:
Alex Amoroso, ABAG, 510-464-7955
The city of Lancaster in Southern California has implemented an Urban Structure Program which imposes a surcharge on a wide variety of city services, such as law enforcement and street sweeping, when they are required outside the designated city center. The surcharge includes three types of fees: infrastructure, facilities, and operations impact. The infrastructure fee is based on the distance from the city center. The operations impact fee is calculated for the 20-year General Plan planning period, and is based on a one-year calculation of project costs to the city which exceed revenue. Calculation parameters are updated regularly based on annual budgets and General Plan revisions.
The effect of the Urban Structure Program has been to make downtown development more competitive in price with the suburban fringe. Lancaster's population doubled in the 1980s, and without the Urban Structure Program, most growth took place on the outer edges of the city. Since the program was implemented in 1992, the population has grown by 16 percent, but most growth has taken place within the urban core.
For more information:
David Ledbetter, Associate Planner, City of Lancaster, 805-723-6248.
Need a second car in the family just to go to the store? A law effective January 1996 allows golf carts on many city streets in cities which adopt a golf cart transportation plan. Based on programs in Palm Desert and Roseville, carts may travel normal traffic lanes on streets with speed limits under 25 mph. On streets with faster traffic, special lanes are needed. Carts must meet certain requirements for power and equipment, and the driver must have a license.
However, when the city of Davis considered adding golf-carts to the many bicycles on city streets, the idea didn't get very far. With a compact flat city and mild weather, planners originally felt that electric carts could help decrease auto trips and pollution, but found that residents were wary.
Concerns included the possibility that traffic might back up behind a cart, and worry that the relatively fast and silent carts might use bicycle paths, endangering bicycle riders. Critics also pointed out that the golf course was several miles outside the city limits; few carts were kept at home, and a special lane for carts was not feasible. Financial constraints which eliminated funding for planning and route signs were the final factor in the city's decision to shelve the plan.
Sport utility vehicles, pickups and mini-vans are filling the region's streets. Known collectively as light trucks, these vehicles are creating several problems: