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Lancaster wins SCAG award for VMT mitigation program that pools developer mitigation fees
Summary
Lancaster received a SCAG award for a vehicle‑miles‑traveled mitigation program that uses a citywide mitigation fee to fund active‑transportation projects; staff said the program produced millions in revenue in its first year.
Lancaster received the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Plan, Policy and Programs award for a vehicle‑miles‑traveled (VMT) mitigation program that creates a citywide mitigation fee to fund transportation projects.
A city presenter described the program’s origin in response to state Senate Bill 743, which changed transportation impact analysis to use vehicle‑miles‑traveled as the primary metric rather than level of service. Staff said the city worked with Michael Baker International and Farron Piers to develop a VMT mitigation approach that allows developers to pay a fair‑share fee into a fund used for citywide VMT‑reducing projects such as bike lanes, sidewalks, traffic calming and enhanced bus amenities.
The presenter said the fee approach creates predictability for developers and allows the city to invest in projects at a larger scale. “By making mitigation requirements more predictable, the city has encouraged private investment and ceded development in more strategic locations,” the presentation said. Staff also said the program brought in millions of dollars in revenue in its first year and that other cities were looking to Lancaster’s model as an example.
The city played a short video at the meeting summarizing the program and its benefits. Councilmembers and staff took photos with award recipients following the presentation. No formal council action was required for the award presentation.
