Riverside's VMT Bank Earns Regional Sustainability Award

Riverside received an Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability award this month from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) for its Vehicle Miles Traveled Mitigation Bank Pilot Program – a program that helps developers deal with traffic impacts and sends the money to local transportation projects.

SCAG presented the award to the city on May 7 as a part of its 2026 Sustainability Awards, recognizing Riverside's VMT bank as "an innovative, first-in-county initiative that provides developers with a streamlined, low-cost option to fully mitigate VMT impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), at the lowest known statewide rate of $98 per VMT reduced."

The city said the system gives developers more certainty on costs and helps projects move forward faster.

Under the program, housing developers can pay the set fee instead of going through a more complicated state environmental regulation process. The city will then use that money for bike lanes and other active transportation improvements.

Riverside's program has funded 16 bicycle infrastructure projects so far, according to a presentation video from SCAG.

"This program makes promoting sustainability while facilitating investment in our community easy," said Mayor Patricia Lock-Dawson in a May 18 press release. "The VMT pilot is a win-win for developers and our environment."

The city's website also has a TREDlite VMT free transportation planning tool that evaluates projects and assesses VMT costs for developers.

The city's website also lists its updated traffic impact analysis guidelines, which allows projects that build up to 79 units to proceed without VMT analysis; whereas before, VMT analysis was required if the project built more than 11 single-family units, according to the city.

"When confronted with a potential onerous requirement from government, developers appreciate certainty and timeliness," Interim Public Works Director Nathan Mustafa said in the press release. "The beauty of our VMT program is that it cuts through confusion, reduces potential delays and creates a funding stream for projects that benefit our walking and cycling residents."

The award comes as a similar program may soon expand statewide.

California's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation is currently developing draft guidance for a statewide VMT mitigation program created by AB 130, with final guidance due July 1, 2026.