Recent Streetsblog LA posts about CEQA

Caltrans Endorses the NACTO Urban Street Design Guide

By Melanie Curry | Apr 11, 2014 | 21 Comments

It wasn’t a total surprise, but exciting nevertheless for bicycle advocates gathered at the NACTO “Cities for Cycling” Road Show in Oakland last night. Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty announced that the agency will endorse the use of the National Association of City Transportation Officials Urban Street Design Guide, giving California cities the state DOT’s blessing to install […]

The End for LOS in California? State Wants Input on a New Planning Metric

By Melanie Curry | Feb 10, 2014 | 11 Comments

With little fanfare, California is considering a change in how it measures transportation impacts that could herald a major change in environmental law. SB 743, passed and signed into law in September, is a potential game changer because it could completely remove LOS — Level of Service, a measure of car traffic congestion — from […]

Like Bike Lanes and Transit? Hope You Like the Sacramento Kings Too.

By Autumn Bernstein | Sep 12, 2013 | 1 Comment

Note: This post originally appeared at Climate Plan. What do the hoop dreams of a software mogul have to do with CEQA reform? As of last night, everything. In the waning days of session, strange things happen in Sacramento. Late last night, Senate President pro Tem Steinberg announced that he cut a deal with Governor […]

CEQA Reform Update: Is This the End for LOS?

By Damien Newton | Sep 11, 2013 | 8 Comments

Finally, some sanity may be coming to California’s most important environmental protection law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Under current law, all projects, be they rail lines, bike plans, or new buildings would have to prove that it would not impact local driving times or it would have to complete a costly mitigation plan. […]

CEQA Opponents Incorrectly Point to Expo Lawsuit as Reason to Weaken CEQA

By Damien Newton | Sep 11, 2013 | 3 Comments

Over the past week, I’ve been studying CEQA and the politics behind the various reform efforts to better report on what’s happening in Sacramento as Senator Darrell Steinberg’s SB 731 moves through the legislature. I’ve stumbled on some amazing arguments over that time, but none are quite as amazing as the one made by economist […]