Policies and Control Strategies
that local governments can implement to improve air quality
Reduce Emissions from On-Road Mobile Sources
Land Use Planning
Land use planning is one of the greatest ways local governments can make an impact on air quality. By discouraging the preeminence of car infrastructure and making cities easier to navigate on foot, wheels, or with transit, land use planning can reduce mobile source emissions. For example, local governments may mix types and densities of housing, zone high density housing near transit stations, mix types of uses, emphasize the connectivity of walking and biking facilities, provide bike parking and storage facilities, and more. Read more about land use planning strategies to benefit air quality below.
Form-Based Zoning Codes
Most cities are developed based on what uses are permitted in certain areas. This often leads to cities with disparate commercial and residential areas, necessitating the use of cars to run errands or accomplish other daily tasks. Standard use-based zoning codes can also lead to unanticipated and unappealing aesthetics. The alternative to conventional zoning is form-based codes. Form-based codes prioritize the physical character of development and de-emphasize the regulation of uses. Form-based codes can be customized to a municipality’s development plan to preserve or develop community character, promote a mix of housing types, increase mixed land uses, influence street designs and complete streets, and more. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning created a guide to developing form-based codes for communities, and many neighborhoods in Colorado cities have adopted form-based codes, including Colorado Springs and Denver.
Strong Towns created a tool to evaluate the zoning code in neighborhoods and the Institute for Local Government has more zoning code ideas in their Health, Transportation, and Mobility Planning Guide.
Parking Reform
Most building codes mandate a certain number of off-street parking spots for new residential and commercial development. However, these spots take up space that could be used for additional housing units or businesses, and force pedestrians to walk the length of parking lots when navigating commercial areas. Additionally, off-street parking requirements are expensive, and can drive up the cost of rent. Colorado’s HB24-1304 has already ensured that multifamily housing near rail and bus stops will no longer have parking minimums. Consider going above and beyond this state law by reducing or eliminating parking requirements in your city, like Longmont, CO.
To manage parking demand in commercial areas and neighborhoods, consider a Parking Benefit District, which also generates revenue to reinvest in the local community. The Parking Reform Network has information and successful case studies about Parking Benefit Districts.
Drive-Thrus
Drive-thrus encourage vehicle idling, creating air pollution hotspots. Drive-thrus also cause congestion and are associated with higher incidences of collisions with other cars, bicyclists and pedestrians. Drive-thrus are antithetical to community-oriented, walkable cities. For all of these reasons, consider updating zoning codes to prohibit or limit drive-thrus. A Salt Lake City neighborhood, Minneapolis, and several other municipalities have already limited drive-thrus.
Complete Streets
Complete streets reimagine roadways as avenues of transit for more than just cars. Complete streets are comfortable for all types of commuters – pedestrians, cyclists, people using wheelchairs, and other forms of transportation and micromobility. Smart Growth America has a policy guide for local governments that want to develop comprehensive complete street policies. The guide focuses on equity, coordination, proactive land use planning, implementation, and more.
Vehicle Idling & Individual Behavior
Idling passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and public emergency fleets releases greenhouse gas emissions and ozone precursors unecessarily — wasting money and harming public health. The RAQC has a dedicated program to reduce vehicle idling. Consider adopting the RAQC’s anti-idling model ordinance, work with fleets to install cost-saving anti-idling technology, and implement anti-idling education and outreach programs at schools.
Simple Steps, Better Air
The RAQC’s Simple Steps, Better Air education and outreach program encourages individuals to reduce idling, to use bike and car sharing programs, to combine and reduce auto trips, and much more. Use the marketing toolkit from Simple Steps, Better Air to influence the behavior of your residents, or contact the RAQC to talk about bringing Simple Steps, Better Air to your community. Simple Steps, Better Air also sends out ozone alerts over text or email, letting individuals know when air quality levels are unhealthy and actions they can take to stay healthy and reduce pollution.
Transportation Demand Management
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) refers to strategies that increase the travel choices available to individuals. By increasing accessibility to modes of travel that don’t rely on single occupancy vehicles, TDMs are an essential tool for local governments to improve air quality.
The Denver Regional Council of Government’s Way To Go program manages a network of organizations that help commuters and businesses access methods of transportation beyond single-occupancy car trips. Some cities, like Denver, have implemented requirements for developers building large commercial and residential developments to promote TDM by providing bike storage, considering transportation corridors, and more.
The Colorado Department of Transportation has compiled information about TDMs around the state, including different strategies, their efficacy, cost, and more. CDOT has also guidance for how local governments can develop their own TDMs. First, describe the proposed developmet. Then list existing land use plans and conditions, define the target population, coordinate with local authorities and transportation planners, propose solutions and strategies, describe costs and funding sources to implement the TDM plan, identify needs for an Intergovernmental Agreement, provide marketing and education timeframe and materials, create an implementation schedule, and finally, evaluate the success of the plan.
Micromobility
Micromobility refers to small human and electric-powered transportation options for relatively short distances. Micromobility includes shared electric bike and scooter programs, and has enormous potential to replace short single occupancy car trips, including trips to public transit stations, to the grocery store, to work, and much more. Shared micromobility programs are popular in Colorado. Different operators manage programs in Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and more. Smaller neighborhood programs managed by non-profits are also popular across the state. Some programs are stationless and city-wide, in which municipalities contract with companies to manage scooters and e-bikes that can be picked up and dropped off in the public right-of-way. Other programs are docked, meaning shared e-bikes or scooters can only be picked up and dropped off at specific charging stations.
Local governments can contract with companies to introduce shared micromobility programs, or provide funding to non-profits and other entities that want to establish micromobility programs for targeted populations. There are many successful, active micromobility programs in the Denver Metro Region and throughout Colorado that can serve as models for new programs.
Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles don’t contribute to the region’s air pollution. Therefore, local governments should consider investing in electric vehicles when replacing emergency vehicles, city buses, and other vehicles. Similarly, developing a robust network of electric vehicle charging stations is essential to supporting residents that would like to transition to electric vehicles. Municipalities should consider public-private partnerships to increase access to electric vehicle charging stations, and should develop plans in coordination with utilities, city council, and other stakeholders. For example, Fort Collins developed an Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap. The World Economic Forum released a roadmap for cities to use to scale electric vehicle charging.
Reduce Emissions from Area, Non-Road and Stationary Sources
Lawn & Garden Equipment
Gas powered lawn and garden equipment contributes significantly to the region’s ozone pollution problem. Even worse, the pollutants from lawn and garden equipment are released around residents and laborers operating the equipment. Some laborers are exposed to high levels of VOCs and NOx for the entire working day. That’s why replacing gas powered lawn and garden equipment is a priority for the RAQC. The RAQC’s Mow Down Pollution program provides grants and information for local governments that want to replace their equipment with electric alternatives. Local governments can also partner with the RAQC to host events for residents to trade out their gas powered equipment with electric alternatives.
Buildings
Buildings are one of the greatest sources of air pollution and greenhouse gases in Colorado. Fortunately, technology to reduce building emissions and energy bills are advancing rapidly. Local governments can update building codes to ensure that new buildings and buildings undergoing large renovations are efficient, for air quality and to save money. In Colorado, any update to building codes must meet be at least as stringent as the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code and meet the state’s model electric ready and solar ready code. Local governments should update their building codes to meet these standards as soon as possible.
Another excellent way to reduce emissions from buildings is to promote the adoption of electric appliances, such as heat pumps and electric water heaters. Local governments can increase the prevalence of electric home appliances by providing rebates, promoting federal, statewide or regional rebates, or mandating that new builds and renovations have electric appliances. For example, new buildings in Crested Butte cannot have gas hook ups, ensuring that future development will be sustainable and safer, because there are many benefits of using heat pumps in Colorado.
Construction
Construction is a major source of air pollution (ozone precursors, particulate matter, greenhouse gas emissions, and more). Although the EPA and OSHA have some regulations for construction equipment, generally, diesel and gas powered construction equipment isn’t regulated as stringently as on-road emission sources. To mitigate the negative impacts of construction on air quality, local governments should enforce or encourage best practices.
Air quality Monitoring and Transparency
To protect construction workers and local communities, large construction projects should use air quality monitors and develop means of sharing collected data with the public. For example, the Colorado Department of Transportation monitors the air quality impact of construction along I-270, and the data is publicly accessible via a dashboard.
Mitigation strategies
There are many different mitigation strategies to control air pollution, partially because construction releases many different pollutants. For example, construction sites should consider dust suppression with water sprays or misting systems; enclosures, barriers, and ventilation; and indoor air filtration. Workers should always have access to personal protective equipment. Materials that have lower emissions profiles should be prioritized.
Electrification
When replacing or purchasing new construction equipment, operators should consider transitioning to electric or hybrid versions. There are also electric auxiliary power units, and automatic engines stop-start systems that are more affordable that can be installed onto diesel or gas construction equipment to reduce the amount of emissions by limiting idling or replacing diesel generators. Local governments could incentivize construction electrification via grant programs or by preferentially partnering with construction companies that invest in electrification. The EPA has various resources outlining how to mitigate emissions from construction projects by targeting diesel equipment.
Environmental Justice and Cumulative Impacts
Environmental justice and the effect of policies on communities that are disproportionately impacted by poor air quality should be incorporated into every decision-making process. Specifically, local governments should consider cumulative impacts, or how and why certain communities are burdened with multiple sources of pollution, and how those pollutants interact to impact public health. The organizaton Dismantling Injustice created: “a comprehensive set of legislation tools specifically designed to address the issue of cumulative impacts at the local and state levels. These legislations are readily adaptable by advocates and lawmakers seeking to tackle the complex challenges posed by multiple sources of pollution and environmental stressors in overburdened communities.”