SF291

Purpose

• Clarify how transportation projects are evaluated before being funded or included in state or regional plans.
• Ensure projects align with statewide goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled (VMT).
• Allow and encourage using electric vehicle technology and zero-emission bus technology as part of mitigation efforts.

What the bill changes or adds

• Replaces or updates the criteria for assessing projects and portfolios before they can be added to transportation improvement programs.
• Requires a formal impact assessment and evaluation under both the state and metropolitan transportation improvement plans.
• Requires checking whether a project/portfolio conform to both greenhouse gas reduction targets and VMT reduction targets.
• Gives options if a project does not conform, including changing the project’s scope or design, adding or removing projects, or pursuing a combination of changes and rechecking conformity.
• Allows tying in sufficient mitigation actions to address shortfalls (as defined in the bill) and, if needed, halting project development and blocking inclusion in the program.

Main provisions

• Before inclusion in the state transportation improvement program (STIP) or metropolitan transportation improvement program (MTIP), an impact assessment must be completed for the project or portfolio.
• The assessment must determine conformance with:
  • Greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets (as defined in the state targets).
  • Vehicle miles traveled reduction targets (as defined in the statewide multimodal transportation plan).
• If a project or portfolio is not in conformance, the responsible entity must:
  • Alter the scope or design of one or more projects, add or remove projects, or pursue a combination.
  • Perform a revised assessment that meets the requirements.
  • Interlink sufficient impact mitigation measures (per the bill’s subdivision 4) or halt project development and disallow inclusion in the appropriate program.
• The bill also explicitly authorizes electric vehicle and zero-emission bus technology to be used as mitigation activities.

Significant changes to existing law

• Adds a mandatory pre-inclusion impact assessment that must be aligned with specific GHG and VMT targets.
• Introduces a formal conformance test to determine if a project/portfolio fits within prescribed environmental and transportation metrics.
• Establishes a process to modify projects or pause funding if targets aren’t met, rather than proceeding as planned.
• Expands permissible mitigation options to include electric vehicle technology and zero-emission buses as part of the mitigation strategy.

How the changes would operate in practice

• Agencies would evaluate projects against both state and regional transportation plans.
• If a project doesn’t meet targets, agencies must adjust the plan or portfolio and reassess.
• Agencies can halt or disallow inclusion in transportation programs if conformity cannot be achieved, unless adequate mitigation is implemented.

Relevant Terms - State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) - Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) - project or portfolio - impact assessment - conformance - greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets - vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction targets - statewide multimodal transportation plan - scope or design - mitigation activities - interlink sufficient impact mitigation - electric vehicle technology - zero-emission bus technology - revised assessment - halt project development - disallow inclusion