We’ve Got to Stop Requiring Parking Everywhere, Farhad Manjoo, NYTimes, Jun 2, 2022

Now California, the state that in many ways set the standard for America’s car-dependent lifestyle, could be on the verge of reforming parking statewide. One bill moving through the state Legislature would prohibit cities from enforcing most minimum parking requirements near public transit, while a competing bill would give developers greater leeway in avoiding the rules. I hope legislators in my state adopt the former. . .

Click here to read the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/02/opinion/california-parking.html?smid=em-share

Twilight of the NIMBY, NYTimes, Jun 5, 2022

Suburban homeowners like Susan Kirsch are often blamed for worsening the nation’s housing crisis. That doesn’t mean she’s giving up her two-decade fight against 20 condos.

Click here to read the full article.

Ready, Set, Trails!, SACOG, May 23, 2022

May 23, 2022

VISION FOR A CONNECTED SACRAMENTO REGION

Imagine over 1,000 miles of trails connecting you to the region’s favorite destinations. Pretty cool, right?

The Sacramento Regional Trail Network will spark a new wave of walking, biking, and rolling to daily destinations throughout the region. Imagine a network of trails that makes it easy for families to ride to their favorite park, provides a safe route for children to get to school, and offers a simple way for residents to explore new corners of their neighborhoods and cities.

The network envisions reliable routes to the best places around the region for all ages, and abilities.

Click here to learn more: https://www.sacog.org/ready-set-trails

Sacramento’s Air Quality: A Passing Grade, Alberto Ayala LTE SacBee, May 22, 2022

Post: Sacramento Bee, Letters to the Editor, May 22, 2022

AQI PASSING GRADE

RE: “Sacramento among California cities with filthiest air in the US, new study says. What to know,” (sacbee.com, April 22)

The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air 2022” report does not specify that extreme but short-term impacts from wildfires cause high readings, resulting in a misleading picture of Sacramento’s air quality. Air quality and public health are absolutely impacted by wildfires, but to assign an “F” grade without naming the reason unnecessarily undermines public confidence and denies true progress tackling air and climate pollution. Thanks to innovative initiatives by the Sac Metro Air District and our regional partners and stringent rules and regulations, air quality in Sacramento (minus wildfires) has improved significantly over the past several decades and will continue to improve. Our region has made great strides in moving toward meeting strict health-based ambient air quality standards. That is no small feat for the public and private sectors and certainly worth a passing grade.

Dr. Alberto Ayala, Sacramento

https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article261627617.html#storylink=cpy

CA Must Finish High-Speed Rail, Ray LaHood, former USDOT Secretary, SacBee, May 12, 2022

By Ray Lahood | May 12, 2022 | The Sacramento Bee

Killing high-speed rail would put the clean, responsible growth of the world’s fifth-largest economy out of reach. Meanwhile, the march of global warming will continue.

Click here to read the article.

Sacramento and smog: Your role in it, health risks and why it’s worse in the summer

By Brianna Taylor | May 9, 2022 | The Sacramento Bee

The list of health risks associated with ground-level ozone is a long one.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ground-level ozone is linked to diminished lung function, causing more hospital admissions and emergency room visits, and an increase in premature deaths. “The problem with ground-level ozone is that it causes inflammation in our airways, our trachea, in our sinuses and in our lungs,” Easter said. “The lung issue is probably the biggest of the issues because that affects our breathing and causes asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory impairments.”