Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.
The Wheels on the Zero-emission Bus
The state is driving further into a clean air future. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) wants public transit agencies to transition to 100 percent zero-emission bus fleets by 2040. As part of “Innovative Clean Transit” regulation, the switch will cut transportation sector emissions, especially tail-pipe pollution. “Transit agencies are particularly well suited for introducing these technologies,” CARB said in a news release. “They operate largely in urban centers, where pollution and noise are of greater concern.” Interested in other California emissions goals? Take a ride with our recent electric cars article.
Snow on the Mountain
The potential for a warmer future is likely to threaten the state’s water supply. A new study warned that the Sierra Nevada mountain snowpack, which flows into California’s major reservoirs, could see on average a 79 percent drop in peak volume by 2100. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab scientists, who led the study to answer when and how the snowpack and snowmelt will change, are working directly with California water managers on “actionable science” to plan for this potential drop.
Policy in the House
There’s an increased emphasis on housing development near transit to ease the affordability crisis. One advocacy group, SPUR, convened experts at a San Jose symposium to share best practices for planning and building transit stations around active neighborhoods, with an eye toward glimpsing the redesigned Diridon Station’s legacy. It summed up those practices, which include thoughts on housing creation and coordination, among other ideas, in a recent piece. Integrated transportation and land-use planning also is at the forefront of newly released policy recommendations from CASA, the Committee to House the Bay Area, which we’ll be covering next year in an article on new zoning requirements.
‘Tis the Season for Hiking
It’s whale watching season in the Bay Area, and Peninsula Open Space Trust’s blog mentions two spots for relatively flat coastal hikes near Half Moon Bay that offer “epic views” to glimpse gray, minke, humpback, or blue whales. Dive into the blog for more details about the Jean Lauer Trail through Pillar Point Bluff and the Cowell Purisima Trail at Cowell Ranch. Greenbelt Alliance has another idea for getting outside. It’s hosting an annual Winter Solstice hike Sunday, December 23 in Mount Diablo State Park.
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