Suggested Citation:
Volker, Jamey, Bailey Affolter, Nicholas J. Marantz, Susan Pike, Graham Deleon (2026)

Brief: California’s SB 375 Falls Short in Streamlining Transit-Oriented Development, But this Could be Fixed

. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Brief UCD-ITS-RR-26-17

Abstract:

In California and many other states, new development projects must undergo an environmental impact analysis as part of the approval process. In California, this happens through the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

While CEQA is designed to ensure thoughtful consideration of environmental effects, it can also invite litigation that can delay or derail projects, even for projects that may benefit the environment, such as transit-oriented development (TOD). TOD aims to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and its associated impacts, such as greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), by locating housing, jobs, and amenities near high-frequency public transit. But when environmental review requirements delay or discourage TOD, the result can be to push development to less accessible areas, leading to more driving, more emissions, and fewer housing options— undermining the very goals CEQA was meant to protect.