Tackling Washington's New Vehicle Miles Traveled Requirement

Session 9B | Friday | 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM (PT)

About the Session

In 2023, the state adopted HB1181, creating a host of new Growth Management Act requirements for climate change planning. Included in the bill, for the state's largest and fastest growing communities, is a requirement to establish goals to reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). Get the latest on the new HB1181 requirements from the Department of Commerce, along with guidance, resources, and tools they are creating to help local governments. We'll then get a local government perspective on considerations and lessons learned on how to set a VMT target, along with an overview of policy considerations and strategies to reduce VMT. We'll then get a consultant perspective on the technical tools and best practices available to customize your jurisdiction's approach to reducing VMT. We hope to have an engaging discussion throughout, so bring your ideas and questions.

About the Moderator

None.

About the Speakers

Jonathan S. Lewis, AICP

Transportation Planning Manager, Seattle Department of Transportation

Jonathan Lewis, AICP is a transportation planner with 25 years of experience in urban and transportation planning, both in the public and private sectors. He is currently the Transportation Planning Manager for the Seattle Department of Transportation where his work includes the recently completed Seattle Transportation Plan, neighborhood and small area plans, and policy development. Prior to joining SDOT, Jonathan spent 17 years working in Atlanta, Georgia, including work for the City of Atlanta, the Atlanta BeltLine, and the private sector. He holds a Master of City Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Marissa Milam

Senior Transportation Planner, Fehr & Peers

Marissa Milam (she/her) is a Senior Transportation Planner at Fehr & Peers who enjoys using data to solve complex issues and deliver meaningful project recommendations. Her technical work focuses on transportation sustainability and climate analysis, travel demand forecasting, and Big Data analysis and application. Marissa's recent planning work with local governments includes providing technical analysis and recommendations for measuring and reducing vehicle-miles-traveled. She holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Pranjali Rai, AICP

Senior Planner with Growth Management Services, Washington State Department of Commerce

Pranjali Rai is a senior planner with Growth Management Services at the Washington State Department of Commerce. As a part of the Climate and Ecosystems Section, she helps evaluate climate action strategies and their potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. She also supports local governments with climate related research. Pranjali is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Washington, where her research primarily focuses on climate action and resilience development in small urban areas and rural counties. She is an AICP certified planner and holds a dual master's degree in community planning and architecture from the University of Maryland. She has previously consulted as an urban planner and designer on multiple sub-area planning efforts for municipal governments in the New England region.

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