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Bay Area cities planning for sea level rise need to address another emerging hazard: groundwater rise. ���ϴ�����partnered with community-based organization Nuestra Casa to investigate how rising groundwater is likely to affect one Bay Area city: East Palo Alto. Our case study explains specific risks and offers five recommendations — all applicable to other vulnerable communities along the San Francisco Bay shore.

���ϴ�����joined s a support letter on Senate Bill 382 which would require a the seller of single-family residential properties to disclose information related to electrical systems of the property, and to disclose the existence of any state or local requirements relating to the future replacement of existing gas-powered appliances installed at the property. The bill will help prospective buyers seek safe and healthy living conditions, and learn about existing electrical systems so that they can make informed purchases.

Switching home energy uses from fossil fuels to electricity will improve air quality and meet state climate goals. But California’s plan to decarbonize its buildings is getting bogged down by the complexities and costs of electric panel and service upgrades. ���ϴ�����suggests three strategies and 17 recommendations to overcome these barriers. By adopting policy changes, California can facilitate the transition to a climate-friendly, climate-ready built environment and serve as a model for other states.

In an effort to improve air quality, Bay Area regulators have passed regulations to phase out the sale of gas heating in buildings. ���ϴ�����and our partners in the Bay Area Clean Air coalition created this toolbox to enable policymakers and advocacy groups to identify strategies and action that will support the transition to zero-pollution, both in the Bay Area and in other jurisdictions seeking to move away from gas heating.

���ϴ�����supports and seeks amendments to SB 1031 (Wiener, Wahab), enabling legislation for a future regional transportation revenue measure. ���ϴ�����strongly supports finding new funding to support transit operations and we have been working with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, legislative staff and other advocates to advance and shape SB 1031 as this complex bill advances through the legislative process.

���ϴ�����is proud to co-sponsor and support Senate Bill 960 alongside CalBike, Street for All, AARP, and WalkSF. Senate Bill 960 is designed to make state-owned highways in California safer and more convenient for all users. If enacted, this bill would redouble the state’s efforts on improving roadway design on state highways to achieve the following goals: ● Reduce deaths and serious injuries by making state-owned roadways safer by design; ● Give transit riders a more reliable and predictable trip with transit priority treatments; ● Create a virtuous cycle of growing ridership that, in turn, reduces climate pollution, increases equitable mobility, and improves transit’s fiscal sustainability.

���ϴ�����provided comments on the California High Speed Rail Authority's 2024 Draft Business Plan. While ���ϴ�����applauds the progress the Authority has made on the Central Valley segment of the project we remain deeply concerned about the overall lack of funding to complete the full statewide program.

���ϴ�����added it's support to a letter to Mayor Breed organized by SF Climate Emergency Coalition to defend funding for key staff positions at San Francisco Department of the Environment. SFE's request of $1.8 million in FY 2024-25 and $1.6 million in FY 2025-26 is tiny portion of the city's budget, but would defend staff critical to leveraging tens of millions in grant funding for climate mitigation and resilience programs.

San Francisco’s small businesses face multiple challenges: a notoriously complex regulatory environment, rising costs, and a slow economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges are even more acute for small businesses in the downtown area, which has still not recovered its office and visitor customer base. ���ϴ�����identifies seven interventions to support the small business sector in San Francisco.

���ϴ�����joined a comment letter with other advocacy partners advising the California Air Resources Board (CARB) on the adoption of zero-emission space and water heater standards for the state. The letter encourages CARB to align standards with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's new rules on zero-emission space and water heating, and provides additional recommendations for analysis and implementation.

The Draft Plan was released in late January by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in collaboration with the City of San Francisco, to build coastal flood defenses along the Port's 7.5-mile jurisdiction between Aquatic Park and Heron's Head Park. The Draft Flood Study's proposed adaptation strategies will lead the way for regional and statewide efforts on sea level rise adaptation over the next 50 to 100 years. SPUR, Save the Bay, and Greenbelt Alliance submitted a public comment letter with five recommendations regarding proposed actions around elevating the shoreline, mitigating contamination, addressing inland flooding from stormwater and groundwater, the use of bay fill, and nature-based solutions. Read the letter to learn more.