By Sound News reporter Tye Rogerson

Senate Bill 5687, Transit-Oriented Communities is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means today at 1:30pm. Its prime sponsors: Representatives Sharon Nelson and Senator Chris Marr

What is it? Well, the idea is that we construct in a more compact manner while simultaneously developing with climate change in mind. Per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is a way to measure how much CO2 cars are contributing. Since Washington State garners the majority of its greenhouse-gas emissions from transportation, this is an important step towards curbing it. Much like cap and trade designs, VMT standards would be set and cities and counties under any given VMT region would be expected to meet the VMT reduction targets, as stated on the Environmental Priorities Coalition website.

Recently installed Portland bike parking corrals. Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Here is Maggie Murdoch’s blog introducing SB 5687:

She says: “‘We just need to try to get more people out of their cars though transit oriented development and other incentives’, White continued, expressing his support for the Transit-Oriented Communities bill.  This bill would require local governments to consider greenhouse gas emissions in the environmental assessments done for all new developments.  The bill would also encourage compact development, increased density, affordable housing, and green spaces near transit hubs.

The bill passed out of the House committee yesterday morning.  Yesterday afternoon, the Senate held a public hearing on the bill.  It seemed that all 500 of the activists from across the state that came to lobby day were gathered in the hall outside of the hearing room.  The room itself was full long before the hearing even began.”

This bill would also provide a larger package of transportation choices for urbanites.

Of course the Washington Realtors have officially declared opposition to all nine senate and house bills under the Climate Change category, while supporting all under the Infrastructure Funding. SB 5687 is, of course, under the Climate Change category.

Kent Kammerer from Crosscut took an in-depth look at SB 5687 and another related bill. Is transit-oriented development necessarily a good thing? His view: perhaps in our passion for all things green we grow less skeptical of what we “know” to be right. Why be suspicious of a loved one when we believe trust is built?

Nevertheless, the fact that developers are opposing it makes me look for the merits I know to be imbedded within building near transportation. Decreasing our demand for cars, at least until a suitable line of plug ins roll out in this country, usually translates to less overall CO2 emissions. Where the exact math falls on SB 5687, as Kammerer puts it, is debatable.

For now, however, expect enviros and bikers alike to push hard for its safe passage.

Contact Tye Rogerson at tyedaguy@u.washington.edu