Clean Air Plan Adopted

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) adopted its 2010 Clean Air Plan for the Bay Area. The plan is the first in the nation to offer a comprehensive approach to reducing all significant air pollutants, instead of treating them separately, as has been standard practice. TRANSDEF applauds the District for its excellent and innovative work.

Upon noticing that the Clean Air Plan would result in excessive particulate matter in the air, TRANSDEF’s President David Schonbrunn spoke to the Board of Directors and suggested that a mitigation be adopted to reduce the source of growing particulate pollution: motor vehicles.

The Board unanimously adopted the following mitigation measure: “BAAQMD, in its role as a member of the Joint Policy Committee, shall encourage MTC to accomplish the maximum feasible reductions in future VMT per capita, within the context of an overall air quality strategy.”

The Joint Policy Committee, comprised of the 4 regional agencies BAAQMD, MTC, ABAG and BCDC, is tasked by law with providing direction to the development of the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). This unanimous direction from the Air District Board of Directors should play a significant role in the upcoming Sustainable Communities Strategy development process, which is a key part of the RTP process.