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Environment

San Diego Advocates Call For Better Regional Transportation Plan

People are shown walking into a low-floor trolley on Jan. 27, 2015.
Metropolitan Transit System
People are shown walking into a low-floor trolley on Jan. 27, 2015.

Environmentalists say the region's transportation planners are not considering plans to greatly increase the number of people that walk, bike or take transit to work in San Diego.

San Diego Advocates Call For Better Regional Transportation Plan
Environmental and transportation planners are at odds over efforts to reduce the city's carbon footprint.

Climate Action plan supporters say the San Diego Association of Governments is not planning on building the transportation system needed to meet aggressive climate friendly goals by 2035.

The city's proposed plan calls for half of city residents living in transit priority areas to get to work without using a car.

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SANDAG's draft regional plan is building a transportation system where only 15 percent do that.

The Climate Action Campaign's Nicole Capretz said the regional transportation plan must reflect local priorities.

"We have to kind of fundamentally repurpose our streets," Capretz said. "So that they are safe for people to bike, walk and take public transit, which means that SANDAG needs to invest more resources in building the infrastructure to make those alternative transportation modes successful."

SANDAG's Gary Gallegos says the agency is spending a significant amount of money on public transit projects, but the agency doesn't have enough money for everything on its wish list.