The state’s Greenhouse Gas Planning Standard uses tangible financial penalties to prioritize transportation projects that reduce emissions.

In a guest post on TransitCenter, Planetizen’s own James Brasuell outlines a new Colorado rule that “rearranges regional capital investment plans to prioritize the transportation modes that most effectively reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: public transit, walking, and biking.”
The state adopted its GHG Transportation Planning Standard in December 2021, requiring its five metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to set clear emissions reduction goals. “Under the GHG Transportation Planning Standard, MPOs failing to meet greenhouse gas targets (GHG) targets are required to develop mitigation action plans” that contribute to “good projects,” i.e. those that help reduce vehicle miles driven and promote alternate modes of transportation.
Brasuell describes the broad-based coalition that grew around the effort to develop the Planning Standard, which encompassed various levels of government and nongovernmental advocates. Already, the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) scrapped a freeway expansion plan due to the Planning Standard.
Colorado’s plan could well serve as a model for other states. “While many states’ climate plans are completely separate from their actual expenditure plans, the mode shift required by Colorado’s GHG Transportation Planning Standard will be enforced with tangible fiscal penalties–a degree of financial consequences not achieved by other laws around the country, such as California’s SB 375.”
FULL STORY: Colorado’s ‘Greenhouse Gas Planning Standard’ Changes the Transportation Equation

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.

Judge Halts Enforcement of Anti-Homeless Laws in Grants Pass
The Oregon city will be barred from enforcing two ordinances that prosecute unhoused residents until it increases capacity and accessibility at designated camping sites.

Advancing Sustainability in Los Angeles County Schools
The Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Green Schools Symposium brings together educators, students, and experts to advance sustainability in schools through innovative design, climate resilience strategies, and collaborative learning.

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.
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