In 2019 San Antonio passed its first Climate Action & Adaptation Plan and was selected to join the American Cities Climate Challenge to deepen and accelerate efforts to promote a resilient future. The transportation sector accounts for 38% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory, with single occupancy vehicles contributing the greatest share. With a mandate to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, will the 7th largest city in the country be able to get there?

San Antonio identified 4 short-term transportation priorities to reach its aggressive greenhouse gas reduction and ozone attainment goals. They are to enhance public transit speed reliability and user experience; explore opportunities for a high-frequency public transit network; expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure; and augment commuter incentives with a goal of reducing vehicle miles traveled. But the city must rely on a network of strong partnerships to advance these initiatives. In this session, we will present an in-depth look at the four prioritized strategies, the pathway to climate plan implementation, challenges local government faces and the beneficial partnerships that have been formed to advance a common goal of reduced transportation consumption.

Learning Objectives:

• The baseline data and rationale for pursuing climate action will be explained.
• Prioritized strategies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from transportation consumption will be outlined.
• Roles and responsibilities of the public and private sector partners will be described.

Through the case study of San Antonio’s recent climate planning, participants will learn about the climate planning process, prioritizing goals and strategies, and leveraging relationships to meet the goals of a wide cross-section of constituencies.