Rancho Cucamonga plans to beat the state’s greenhouse gas goals

By Brian Hendershot, Cal Cities Advocate managing editor

There's a reason - or rather, five good reasons - why many climate experts praise Rancho Cucamonga for its sustainability efforts. For years, it has taken a multipronged approach that covers transportation, as well as zoning and energy. As a result, the city is on target to dramatically curb its greenhouse emissions by 2030.

"Their plan tackles them both head-on," says Josh Lee, deputy director of planning and regional programs for the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. "They will be on target for not just meeting, but exceeding, the goals of the state."

Part of the city's success rests on the San Bernardino Council of Governments' regional greenhouse gas reduction plan, which includes a certified environmental impact report. That plan - the first such one in the state - allowed Rancho Cucamonga to develop ambitious programs and policies without investing in costly environmental reviews.

Lee says the city's "forward-thinking" transportation and building policies are robust for the region. "The city of Rancho Cucamonga is aggressive in its approach and has positioned itself to meet the goals of the state and to take advantage of funding opportunities as they become available," he said.

Electrifying changes

Rancho Cucamonga's most recent, splashiest achievement is its electric fire engine and new fire station with a fully functioning microgrid. City Manager John Gillison calls it "revolutionary." But what's as noteworthy is the series of then seemingly small policies that led to a big moment.

The city first purchased used Ford Lightnings, which helped leaders ease staff into the idea of an electric vehicle (EV). "We have to recognize that the challenge right now is helping people along that learning curve," Gillison said. "If you just try and force them, then people are more resistant, and you actually don't help the uptick of the new technology."

This phased-in approach bought time for the city to upgrade its infrastructure. Although there are several grant programs for EV charging infrastructure, many of them have impractical and restrictive requirements.

"We can't just move everything and they're like, 'Sorry, that's what you have to do if you want the funding,'" said Gillison. "If you're a Walgreens and you want to put in two chargers in your parking lot for people to charge - meh, no big deal - the program works great for that. But if you're a large entity with a fleet ... those restrictions don't work: They want you to change your whole business operation."

The city was also an early leader in solar power and battery storage, with major investments dating back several decades. But switching from dirty, polluting fossil fuels is not enough to get to net zero. To do that, officials will need to rethink how they plan entire neighborhoods.

Build for tomorrow, not for today

For Rancho Cucamonga, this meant focusing first on its transportation systems. It invested in a traffic management system that analyzes traffic patterns to reduce vehicle idling times and ultimately, tailpipe emissions.

The next step was much harder: Adding new lanes can worsen greenhouse gas emissions. But for Rancho Cucamonga, adding new bus routes with signal preemption, protected bike routes, and a high-speed rail stop - which it is doing, often in partnership with nearby cities - won't happen overnight.

For starters, the city is on an incline. It is also spread out, like many suburban communities. Taking a bus from city hall to the main shopping area - that's 40 to 45 minutes. By car? 15 minutes.

Gillison says one solution is to create small, closed loops for buses and cyclists. It's a holistic game of inches. Protected bike trails along a flat part of the city or new bus routes on a busy corridor can create institutional mechanisms and community buy-in for more ambitious projects.

"If we can get them to where they're going quicker and more efficiently, they're happier," he said. "There's less frustration on their part. We're happier. It's better for the environment and helps us reach some of - or at least move closer towards - some of our climate action goals."

City officials also want to encourage denser, mixed-use housing. The city cannot expand much more. In many places, the only option is to build up. And the farther people live from the places where they work and play, the more they drive. Denser, mixed-use housing solves several problems at once.

Actually doing that is another thing entirely. Many residents want to keep their neighborhoods the same. The city has found some creative solutions to this challenge, like building denser housing near major corridors or turning a golf course into mixed-use housing near a planned high-speed rail station.

But the problem isn't necessarily resident opposition. It's Rancho Cucamonga's reputation. It's known for lower-density housing, which encourages lower-density developments.

Teamwork makes the green work

To help spur these changes, Rancho Cucamonga has moved towards a form-based code, streamlined its permitting processes, and invested in a master environmental review report. The latter allows developers to "tier off" their projects - much like the city did with its climate plan - saving builders six to nine months and thousands of dollars.

The city also tries to pair developers together while learning from its past mistakes. Someone who is good at building coffee shops might not be apt at building homes. But pairing that developer with a housing developer can create the communities the city needs.

The city incentivizes green investments through a recognition program. Small businesses know that many customers value climate-friendly policies, even if it's as simple as an EV charging station. The city uses its platform to direct attention to those stores, which in turn brings in like-minded entrepreneurs and practices.

"It lets us connect them with programs that are out there that maybe they're not aware of and help get them some funding in some cases," Gillison said. "And it gets the word out that Rancho is a place that welcomes these types of businesses."

The Cal Cities #LocalWorks initiative shines the spotlight on examples of local actions that are making a difference to their communities. Show how #LocalWorks in your community by contacting [email protected].

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