California Environmental Quality Act: transportation impact mitigation: Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Program.

Assembly Member Wicks proposes allowing developers to satisfy California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) transportation mitigation requirements through direct financial contributions to the Transit-Oriented Development Implementation Fund, creating an alternative pathway for projects to address their environmental impacts while supporting affordable housing near transit.

The legislation establishes a framework where the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation would determine a per-mile price for vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by July 2026, with updates required every three years. These contributions would fund housing developments within the same region as the contributing project, with priority given to developments in the same city or county. The Department of Housing and Community Development must verify VMT reductions for funded projects using established methodologies from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program.

The bill requires public disclosure of key metrics for each funded development, including location, unit count, development costs, awarded funds, and estimated VMT reductions. This information, along with details about contributing projects' mitigation obligations, must be posted on the department's website after each funding round. The measure builds upon existing research cited in the bill's findings that indicates lower-income households near transit stations reduce their driving by 25 to 50 percent compared to those in other locations.