nancy l. parent | From the community

By Nancy L. Parent
Guest commentary

Posted: 06/20/2009 12:01:00 AM PDT

Contra Costa Times

http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_12647890?IADID

THE CITY of Pittsburg is currently working on an exciting project for the local Pittsburg BART station. We are asking the local community to help us develop an innovative and forward-thinking master plan for the station area based on the concept of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). The goal of TOD is to locate housing, entertainment, employment and shopping close to transit and bus lines to encourage the use of public transportation and to promote walkability within the community.

The city of Pittsburg general plan, which was adopted in 2001, anticipated TOD at the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART station. At the time, the major objectives for the area were to increase residential densities as well as to enhance security at the BART Station. The general plan contains a sub-chapter devoted to mixed-use areas and design and development standards that would foster TOD.

Since 2001, the global effects of pollution and global warming have become more clear and an increasingly important part of the conversation about future development. In fact, the single largest source of greenhouse gases (GHG) in California is emissions from passenger vehicles, which account for about 30 percent of the total GHG emissions throughout the state.

To reduce overall GHG emissions, California recently passed Assembly Bill (AB) 32 and Senate Bill (SB) 375. AB 32 calls for a reduction in GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and an 80 percent reduction below 1990 levels by 2050. This can be accomplished by implementing emissions- reduction measures such as vehicle efficiency measures, low carbon fuel standards, and green building standards, among others. SB 375 intends to implement AB 32 and reduce GHG emissions by providing incentives that support better land-use planning such as the location of mixed-use communities near transit to reduce the number of vehicle miles people have to travel.

Pittsburg is committed to sustainable activities in our community and has taken action to encourage those activities. We have active waste reduction and storm water pollution prevention programs. We recently applied for federal stimulus plan funding to install light-emitting diode (LED) lighting in the city's streetlights. And we just started a "green house call" program in partnership with California Youth Energy Services to provide homeowners and renters with energy-efficient products and water-saving equipment.

The benefits of TOD are not only environmental. According to Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, TOD can help to create safer neighborhoods by increasing the eyes on the street, reducing household expenses spent on the combined burdens of housing and transportation, fostering healthier lifestyles by supporting walking and bicycling, and supporting a sense of community and of place.

We encourage everyone to be a part of the Pittsburg/Bay Point master plan planning process by attending our upcoming public meetings on the project. The first community meeting is Wednesday, June 24, at 7 p.m. at Rancho Medanos Junior High School auditorium, 2301 Range Rd. in Pittsburg. Contact the Pittsburg Planning Division at 925-252-4920 if you have any questions and for future community meeting dates.

Parent is mayor of Pittsburg.