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Measuring Performance Against Targets <br />The Initial Vision Scenario results in a 12 percent per capita greenhouse gas emissions <br />reduction from personal -use vehicles in 2035, compared to a 2005 base year. This <br />reduction falls short of the region's state - mandated 15 percent per capita greenhouse gas <br />emissions reduction target. It's clear that additional strategies will need to be employed if <br />we want to attain the greenhouse gas targets, and other targets previously adopted by <br />ABAG and MTC. <br />MTC and ABAG have adopted a set of Plan Bay Area performance targets to describe in <br />specific, measureable terms the region's commitment and progress toward the "three E" <br />principles of sustainability (Economy, Environment, and Equity). The Initial Vision <br />Scenario meets some regional targets, including accommodating all the projected housing <br />need by income level (in other words, no more in- commuting by workers who live in other <br />regions); reducing the financial burden of housing and transportation on low - income <br />households by providing more affordable housing; and housing the majority of new <br />development within the existing urban core. Also, more residents are projected to ride <br />transit, walk and bike more than existing residents because much of the new housing is <br />located close to services, amenities and jobs, and adjacent to transit in complete <br />communities. (See Figure 1 for the target results.) <br />The Initial Vision Scenario brings more residents into the region, thus increasing the total <br />amount of travel. New residents will still drive for some trips. Even though vehicle miles <br />traveled per capita in the Bay Area are projected to be lower in the Initial Vision Scenario <br />than it is today, total miles driven within the region are projected to increase. With more <br />Bay Area residents and more miles driven within the region, we can also expect an <br />increase in the total number of injuries and fatalities. Health impacts from exposure to <br />particulate emissions from automobiles and trucks are likewise projected to worsen with <br />more driving; however, state and federal efforts to clean up heavy duty truck engines will <br />more than off set the increases from automobiles, resulting in overall reductions sooty <br />particulate pollution. <br />Finally, it must be said that while bringing more people into the Bay Area will increase the <br />amount of driving and collis ions within the reg ion, it is still a net win in the larger sense. <br />The amount of overall driving and greenhouse gas em issions statewide is certainly less <br />than if the new residents were commuting to Bay Area jobs from communities in <br />neighboring regions that do not offer such amenities. <br />Next Steps <br />The Initial Vision Scenario is offered as basis for discussion with local governments, <br />stakeholders, and the general public about how the Bay Area can accommodate all its <br />population growth over the next quarter century. It is by no means a fait accompli. Over <br />the next several months we will seek input through elected official briefings, local <br />government staff discussions, and public workshops. The comments received will assist <br />ABAG and MTC in developing and testing a range of detailed scenarios that achieve the <br />greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. <br />3 <br />