HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/7/2026 Item 8a, Henry
Lizzie Henry <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Public Comment - City Council Meeting - April 7th, 2026 - Item (8a)
To the members of the San Luis Obispo City Council:
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I’m wri?ng in advance of the City Council mee?ng scheduled Tuesday, April 7, to comment on item number (8a) and
the challenges our city faces in reducing transporta?on-related emissions.
While the city has made great progress in mee?ng its climate goals per the 2026 Climate Ac?on Plan, one of the most
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significant challenges remains regional transporta?on emissions. The progress report under discussion on April 7 shows
that we’re on track to meet the state’s 2030 emission targets, but current projec?ons don’t predict our alignment with
the new 2045 target mandates per AB 1279 (net-zero GHG emissions). I’ve been fortunate enough to hear directly from
members of SLO’s Office of Sustainability and Natural Resources, who shared their concerns about regional transit and
desire to find solu?ons to implement in the 2027 Climate Ac?on Plan.
I would urge the city to consider this issue from a holis?c perspec?ve. San Luis Obispo’s economy depends on a
workforce that lives in surrounding ci?es. Living in San Luis Obispo is not a reality for many because housing is either too
expensive or the stock too limited (usually both). This has made our regional economy dependent on single-passenger
commu?ng, which has severely limited the city’s ability to reduce transporta?on-related emissions. A larger, more
affordable housing stock near people’s jobs in San Luis Obispo is needed to address this dependency.
Addi?onally, I would urge the city to consider the metrics used in tracking emissions. Tracking on a per capita or per
service popula?on basis may be?er reflect reality, considering most of our commuters come from outside the city or
county. For example, if a commuter lives in Santa Maria but drives to SLO for work, which city takes the “hit” for the
emissions created? Being inten?onal in our measurements presents an opportunity for us to accommodate growth
while taking a regional leadership posi?on on emissions reduc?on.
We have a unique opportunity for San Luis Obispo to align climate goals with economic vitality and posi?on our city as a
sustainable growth model for other locali?es. A coordinated approach, aligning the Climate Ac?on Plan with the Housing
Element and Land Use and Circula?on Element, can allow us to simultaneously reduce commute distances, reduce
vehicle miles traveled, strengthen our economy, and improve livability.
Thank you for your ?me and considera?on.
Lizzie Henry
Preconstruction Manager – Central Coast
HARRIS CONSTRUCTION CO., INC.
3440 S. Higuera St., San Luis Obispo
C:805-888-9985 | L Henry @harrisconstruction.com
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