DATE:
June 10, 2026
09
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED MITIGATION UPDATES AND RELATED CEQA EXEMPTION (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
The County of San Diego (County) Board of Supervisors (Board) has taken ongoing actions to align local policies with State of California (State) requirements to address housing production, sustainability, and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, including directing options for Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) mitigation. Today's item provides updates on VMT mitigation efforts, shares findings from a Transit Opportunity Area (TOA) assessment, and discusses how this work connects to the Board's direction on the Sustainable Land Use Framework (Framework), which may support a longer-term solution for VMT mitigation, housing production, and GHG reduction.
In 2013, the State passed Senate Bill (SB) 743, establishing VMT as the standard for evaluating the transportation impacts of development projects under State law. VMT focuses on reducing the number and distance traveled of vehicle trips and replaces the previous Level of Service (LOS) standard, which focused on capacity enhancing roadway improvements, such as road widening, to reduce traffic congestion, especially during peak traffic periods. While the Board has taken steps to implement SB 743, several actions have been challenged in court (see Attachment A). During this time, some groups have noted that VMT mitigation requirements created uncertainty and perceived risk for development, which has affected interest in building in the unincorporated areas.
On February 9, 2022 (7), the Board directed staff to develop options for a VMT mitigation program for the unincorporated area, and to prepare options for the Framework. The Framework is intended to help the County navigate new legislative requirements, such as SB 743, while still ensuring community priorities and development activity are considered through land use planning in the unincorporated area. ...
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