View of San Francisco from Dolores Park

Earth Month celebrates an opportunity to engage in and encourage initiatives dedicated to promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship. The Transportation Authority supports and delivers projects that promote a more sustainable future by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving the city’s urban canopy, and expanding sustainable transportation options. Guided by San Francisco’s Climate Action Plan, we aim for 80% of city trips to be made by sustainable modes by 2030.

Here are some initiatives we support to create a greener future: 
 

  • Transportation Demand Management. TDM is a set of programs and policies that encourages people to travel by transit, bicycling, walking, carpooling/vanpooling, or telecommuting versus driving solo in private vehicles. TDM encompasses a range of strategies to reduce drive-alone trips, from land use policies and design, to pricing and incentives, to education and enforcement. We partner with the SFMTA, SF Planning, and SF Environment to coordinate the city’s transportation demand management strategies.  Earlier this month, our Director Tilly Chang and Principal Planner Aliza Paz spoke at the Association for Commuter Transportation’s (ACT) TDM Summit to share San Francisco’s initiatives and our agency’s approach to managing demand as San Francisco’s County Congestion Management Agency. Learn more. 
  • Electrifying BART and SFMTA’s Fleet. The Transportation Authority supports BART and SFMTA with millions in funding from our Prop L half-cent sales tax and other funds to help electrify fleets and modernize facilities. Every day, BART riders save 1.2 million miles of driving and 52,000 gallons of gas from being burned. Muni operates the greenest fleet of any city in North America and SFMTA is working towards a 100 percent zero-emission fleet as part of its leadership in confronting climate change.
  • Caltrain Electrification. Caltrain electrification aims to improve Caltrain system performance and decrease long-term environmental impacts by reducing noise, improving regional air quality, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The Transportation Authority has contributed $37 million to support Caltrain electrification from the half-cent sales tax for transportation and other local funding. Learn more and attend an upcoming electric train tour. 
  • Tree Planting. Street trees provide several livability benefits, including improving perceptions of safety and walkability of streets and improved air quality, as well as helping to mitigate the effects of climate change. The Transportation Agency funds new street trees with half-cent sales tax revenue and the city’s StreetTreeSF program waters and maintains the trees over their lifetime. Since June 2022, we have allocated over $2.5 million in half-cent transportation sales tax to fund new tree plantings. In total, the Transportation Authority has provided $22.8 million for new trees and maintaining trees since 2004. Learn more.
  • Electric Vehicle Charging. Emissions from cars and trucks are responsible for 44% of San Francisco’s carbon footprint. Accelerating the transition to EVs by making more public chargers available helps move us closer to San Francisco’s emission reduction goals and helps meet the needs of these drivers. The Transportation Authority supports the expansion of public electric vehicle charging infrastructure with funding from the Transportation Fund for Clean Air. SFMTA will also conduct a Curbside EV Charging Citywide Assessment to explore solutions to integrate accessible EV charging infrastructure to support the growing adoption of EVs. 
  • Clean Cars Program. This program offers grants for income-qualified Bay Area residents to retire their older car and replace it with a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery, or hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, or a pre-paid card to use for public transit and purchase e-bikes. Learn more and find out if you’re eligible to apply.

Earth Month encourages ongoing commitment and action, inspiring a culture of environmental responsibility that extends beyond a single month of observance. These are among a few of the many initiatives that the Transportation Authority supports to help San Francisco reach its climate action goals. Join us in participating in actions that advance us toward a more sustainable future.

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