Planning Commission backs citywide Transportation Demand Management ordinance

The San Francisco Planning Commission on Aug. 4 recommended approval of the Transportation Demand Management ordinance and associated program standards, a citywide policy intended to reduce vehicle miles traveled from new development by requiring and scoring on-site measures that shift trips toward transit, walking, biking and shared mobility.

Planning Department director Sarah Jones and senior planner Wade Whitgraf presented the legislation as the final component of the Transportation Sustainability Program. Staff said the ordinance assigns point values to specific measures — such as significant parking reductions, on‑site bicycle facilities, transit pass subsidies and shuttle services — and requires a TDM plan be integrated early in project review. Staff emphasized the standards are designed to be a living document, adjusted over time as monitoring data and new research emerge.

Representatives from the Municipal Transportation Agency, the Transportation Authority and the Department of the Environment told commissioners they support the ordinance and its monitoring and enforcement provisions. The Department of Public Health highlighted public‑health benefits tied to reduced vehicle miles traveled.

Public testimony was mixed. Supporters — including transit and environmental groups, health‑equity organizations and many neighborhood advocates — said the ordinance provides a transparent, performance‑driven approach to managing growth and reducing greenhouse gases. Human services and nonprofit representatives asked the commission to exempt city‑funded human‑service providers or allow alternative compliance for organizations that serve low‑income populations and do not generate significant vehicle trips. Labor and housing advocates urged strong implementation and neighborhood‑level monitoring.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about the ordinance’s nexus between specific measures and VMT reductions, how points were derived from technical reports, neighborhood impacts and how the program relates to broader efforts such as Connect SF. Staff pointed to CAPCOA and local analyses used to translate expected reductions into points, and committed to clarifying explanatory materials in the manuals and public guidance.

After deliberation the commission voted to recommend approval and forward the ordinance, with multiple commissioners urging staff to make the point‑scoring and nexus rationale more accessible in the final materials and to continue interagency monitoring once the program is adopted. The ordinance advances to the Board of Supervisors for consideration.