In Santa Clara County, more than 40 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions come from cars, trucks, buses, trains, and other transport. These surface transportation systems are among the largest users of energy and, not surprisingly, the greatest contributors to poor air quality.
While San José has made great strides in recent years to implement sustainability standards for transit-oriented development and urban design, we must take these efforts to the next level. We must create integrated and sustainable ways to get from place to place – a Green Mobility system. We must take action now because, over the next 30 years, the population growth in San José alone is projected to be greater than the growth in San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont combined.
We must prepare for this population growth to prevent gridlock and pollution. To develop a system of Green Mobility, we must reduce reliance on single-occupant vehicles and ensure that alternative transportation is efficient, convenient, and environmentally sustainable. By focusing on long-term land use planning, reducing emissions from vehicles, embracing clean transportation technology, creating smart green streets, providing pedestrian and bicycling opportunities, and creating a green airport, San José will achieve its vision of Green Mobility.
Long-Term Planning
History of Leadership:
Urban Design
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| San José is a leader in developing and implementing forward-thinking General Plan documents: |
1975: |
Adopted first General
Plan, included plans
to end urban sprawl
and intensify
downtown development. |
1984: |
Adopted Green Line
Strategy and sought
to preserve habitat
lands. |
1994: |
Established
Sustainability as a
major strategy and
incorporated targets
for transit oriented
design, mixed use
development, and
transportation choice. |
2005: |
Expanded
transportation fees
to fund improvements
of sidewalks, trails,
and transit systems
in addition to roadways. |
Urban design and land-use planning are critical to the success of San José’s Green Vision. We must continue to lay a foundation for the future by clearly establishing sustainable development standards in our General Plan. We must promote high-density commercial and residential development near transit or on in-fill sites. We must limit low-density housing. Instead, we will encourage builders to create opportunities for residents and employees to walk to retail, entertainment venues, parks, and schools in all neighborhoods. The General Plan Update, Envision San José 2040, will include clear and measurable standards for sustainable development.
Emission Reduction
Green Mobility must also focus on getting people around with the express intent of cutting carbon emissions by decreasing dependency on the automobile and reducing the impacts of the vehicles we must use. We must expand the use of public transportation by creating more Bus Rapid Transit lines, encouraging more people to ride light rail and share vehicles, developing subscription bus service, building BART, and bringing high-speed rail to San José.
San José will lead by example by replacing its city fleet with green vehicles and providing support for alternative vehicles with public plug-in stations and access to alternative fuels. We can install solar systems and energy efficient lighting at our parking facilities. Implementing directional signage will prevent cars from idling while looking for spaces, reducing emissions.
We will encourage the development of smaller, lighter, and alternative fuel vehicles for mass and private transit to reduce adverse impacts on our environment. The City of San José is establishing a center to stimulate the development of such clean, alternative fuel vehicles using Silicon Valley technology.
Partnerships with San José educational institutions will promote walking to school and using zero-emission buses. We will also create local policies to encourage residents and businesses to use zero-emission and hybrid vehicles, and we will advocate for State and Federal legislative action for additional investment in research and consumer incentives.
Smart, Green Streets and Trails
From traffic signals to streetlights, we can make San José streets smarter and environmentally friendly. We will adopt advanced technology such as light emitting diode (LED) efficient lighting, solar-powered lighting systems, and message and traffic intelligence programs to move traffic efficiently.
We will test new ways to pave streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and trails. New pervious surfaces, which allow water to penetrate the surface, offer great promise for being better for our environment. By expanding the urban forest, we will cool our streets and sidewalks, clean our air, improve water quality, and help convert carbon dioxide emissions to oxygen.
We must encourage more pedestrian and bicycle travel. One option is to install attractive, covered facilities along City sidewalks that will make it more convenient and comfortable for residents to walk and cycle. These cooling stations would serve as bike lockers or benches where people can rest or wait for a bus. At the same time, the stations would collect solar power to run adjacent streetlights.
Expanding our system of park trails to 100 miles will allow residents to travel more easily by bicycle or on foot, as well as encourage exploration and education about our natural habitat so residents better understand the benefits of a healthy environment and value its preservation.
Green Airport
Airports provide numerous opportunities to improve the impacts of moving people and goods. The Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport will become a global model for environmental responsibility by using green building materials in its construction. The airport will also generate alternative energy, implement energy efficient practices, mitigate noise, and enact initiatives to protect air quality. In addition, San José will continue its leadership in using alternative energy vehicles for airport operations and encouraging the use of zero-emission modes of transportation to get to and from the airport.
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