GreenMeansGo
Sacramento Region Greenhouse Gas Reduction Pilot Program
“Green Means Go” is a multi-year pilot program proposed by SACOG to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the six-county Sacramento region by accelerating infill development through infrastructure investments and local policy changes and reducing and electrifying vehicle trips. It would allocate a proportional share of existing state grant funding to public works infrastructure investments that Green Means Go, when adequately supported, will create more infill housing opportunities and greater mobility, while also achieving emission reductions and stimulate recovery from the economic effects of Covid-19. Green Means Go will improve quality of life in the region by improving local economic development, increasing housing availability, and decreasing traffic congestion.
All 28 local jurisdictions support this program and 23 have already adopted Green Zones, which are key areas that must have infill capacity, be in an area planned for infill development, and be in a center, corridor, or established community, as identified in SACOG’s Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS). Green Means Go is the Sacramento region’s commitment and solution to California’s housing, climate, and transportation problems.
Green Zones
Why does our region need Green Means Go?
In March 2018, the California Air Resources Board established new SB 375 greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for the SACOG region. The region’s target for a 19 percent reduction by 2035 is conditional on the implementation of a new pilot program in the Sustainable Communities Strategy that addresses specific conditions and challenges relating to GHG emission reductions. If SACOG and the state do not secure funding and related policy commitments, CARB will reduce SACOG’s target to 18 percent.