Agency staff says the Puget Sound regional long-range plan won’t achieve 2030 sustainability goals set by the state.

The recently adopted Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) long range transportation plan won’t do enough to meet the region’s 2030 climate goals, reports Ryan Packer for The Urbanist. This is according to a report from the Council’s own staff, which revealed “a projected 13% gap between anticipated emissions and the goal of reaching a 50% reduction of the region’s 1990 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, even with the help of numerous newly adopted statewide climate policies.”
Packer outlines the analysis made by PSRC staff, which claims that nixing planned road expansion projects in the region would not reduce emissions because that would increase congestion, a claim labeled by The Urbanist as “myth #1 on our list of five wrong planning claims around highway expansion that are causing the US to fail to make progress on its climate goals.” The predictive models used by PSRC also claim that improving transit wouldn’t make much impact, assuming that people would continue to drive at roughly the same rate, and that the most impactful initiative would be a per-mile road charge, an action that would require legislative action at the state level.
These predictions matter because the analysis is meant to inform how federal funding is allocated. “If the models show accelerating transit investments gets the region closer to its climate goals, there will be an effort to tilt funding in that direction.”
FULL STORY: Adopted Regional Transportation Plan Isn’t Aligned With 2030 Climate Goals

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Santa Barbara Could Build Housing on County Land
County supervisors moved forward a proposal to build workforce housing on two county-owned parcels.

San Mateo Formally Opposes Freeway Project
The city council will send a letter to Caltrans urging the agency to reconsider a plan to expand the 101 through the city of San Mateo.

A Bronx Community Fights to Have its Voice Heard
After organizing and giving input for decades, the community around the Kingsbridge Armory might actually see it redeveloped — and they want to continue to have a say in how it goes.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Ascent Environmental
Borough of Carlisle
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service