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TRPA Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Threshold Update As reported in depth in our last newsletter, TRPA is proposing to change its Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) standard to eliminate the existing “cap” on total VMT (termed “absolute VMT” by TRPA). We have continued to express concern with this change because VMT creates water and air pollution and public health and safety concerns (i.e. impediments to evacuation and emergency access). TRPA’s proposed change would remove any limit on total daily VMT. FOWS recently submitted this letter to the Tahoe Transportation Advisory Committee reiterating our concerns. FOWS has been working with other organizations and agencies who share our concerns to evaluate the proposed changes with TRPA. While we understand the original intent behind the VMT standard - which focused solely on reducing certain tailpipe emissions from vehicles - has been achieved due to improved technology, each mile driven still creates other environmental impacts, such as polluted runoff that impacts the clarity and health of Lake Tahoe. Currently, TRPA aims to bring the proposed changes to the VMT standard, along with the proposed 2020 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), to their Governing Board this winter. As also reported previously, TRPA cannot adopt the new RTP without the elimination of the current VMT standard because the RTP allows for increased “absolute” VMT; we believe more can and should be done in the new RTP to address heavy visitor traffic. We will be reconvening with TRPA and others in January to further discuss our concerns.
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