April 13, 2026
The Honorable Lori D. Wilson
California State Assembly
1021 O Street, Suite 5130
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: SUPPORT If Amended –– Request to Expand AB 2059 to Include VMT Mitigation Reform Statewide
Dear Assemblymember Wilson:
On behalf of Inland Action, a non-profit, non-partisan organization supporting the Inland Empire, we appreciate your leadership on transportation policy and your ongoing efforts to improve how California implements vehicle miles traveled (VMT) analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
As you know, the shift to VMT as the primary transportation impact metric has significantly affected the planning and delivery of transportation projects throughout the state. While the policy intent behind this change is understandable, its current implementation has created challenges for many projects intended to improve safety, mobility, and goods movement. In particular, VMT mitigation measures are often costly, difficult to implement, and uncertain in their ability to achieve measurable reductions in vehicle travel.
Specifically, AB 2059 proposes to establish a cap on VMT mitigation costs for transportation projects in rural counties, recognizing that rural communities often have limited transportation alternatives and fewer feasible mitigation options.
While AB 2059 takes an important step in addressing the disproportionate impacts of VMT mitigation in rural communities, these challenges are not limited to rural areas. Agencies across suburban and urban regions are also experiencing increased project costs, delivery delays, and uncertainty due to mitigation requirements that are often costly, difficult to implement, and do not consistently result in measurable reductions in travel behavior.
To ensure the bill provides a balanced and workable framework statewide, we respectfully request that AB 2059 be expanded to apply statewide.
A more comprehensive, statewide approach to VMT reform would provide consistency, predictability, and fairness across California, ensuring that transportation projects – regardless of location – can advance while still supporting the state’s environmental objectives. This is particularly important for projects that enhance safety, goods movement, congestion relief, and emergency response, which are critical to communities throughout the state.
For these reasons, Inland Action is providing this letter of support for AB 2059 if amended to expand the application of VMT reform statewide.
Thank you for your leadership on this important issue. We look forward to working with you as the bill progresses.
Sincerely,
Julie Michaels
Executive Director
Inland Action