Supervisor Jake McGoldrick: My penultimate column

This is my penultimate column as your supervisor, and I want to assure you that December will be busy as we finish our legislative agenda and race to the finish line.

I wanted to take time to extend my best wishes for the holidays. My staff and I are approaching the New Year with hope and excitement for change, and wish you all the very best.

CleanTech Tax Exemption
I recently introduced legislation that will reduce the number of employees needed to qualify for the CleanTech tax exemption. This is an update to some important legislation that I, with Mayor Gavin Newsom, sponsored in order to get these innovative and exciting companies to establish businesses in San Francisco. I am also expanding the definition of qualifying business activities for the clean energy technology businesses exclusion from "payroll expense tax" liability to broaden the appeal to these new companies.

Clean technology companies are working to solve our greatest and most urgent environmental challenges and to lessen our reliance on foreign oil. The clean-tech sector is driven by innovation and San Francisco is at the heart of one of the most innovative regions in the world. Companies and entire industries have been born in San Francisco. There is a unique opportunity right now to "align the grooves" between federal, state and local policies and priorities around clean tech and the green economy.

At a federal level, John Podesta, of the Center for American Progress and leader of the Obama transition team, recently published a report about the benefits of moving to a low carbon economy. The plan calls for taking $100 billion from the auction of cap and trade carbon credits and distributing that money to the states.

California would get $12.7 billion - $5.1 billion for retrofitting existing buildings, $3.8 billion for renewables and "advanced" biofuels (not corn or soy, but algae, grasses and other non-food crops), $2.5 billion for mass transit and rail freight, and $1.3 billion for a smart grid.

The report estimates that the investment would create 235,198 new jobs and drop our state's unemployment by 1.3 percent (from 7 percent to 5.7 percent - based on June 2008 data). At the state level, AB 32 is driving similar activity and will likely attract investment in the same areas.

In San Francisco, we have our own programs - the solar incentive, green building ordinance, and more. By reaffirming our commitment to the companies that will be doing this work in the new clean, green economy of the future, we, as a city, stand a good chance to capture a significant portion of the new value that will likely be created.

Mobility, Access, Pricing Study
As chair of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority for the past five years, I would like to provide you with information about the Mobility, Access, Pricing Study (MAPS) that is currently being analyzed.

MAPS is developing and analyzing comprehensive packages that combine pricing for mobility with transit improvements, traffic flow enhancements, and other projects to offer more sustainable choices for those traveling to and within San Francisco.

San Francisco is one of the most congested urban areas in the United States. Congestion costs our economy more than $2 billion per year in economic losses. There is no room to build our way out with new roads.

As the Congestion Management Agency (CMA) for San Francisco, the Transportation Authority applied for and received a $1 million study grant from the Federal Highway Administration to examine congestion pricing as a means to deal with increased traffic on city streets. Congestion pricing involves charging motorists a fee to drive in specific, congested areas or corridors during peak travel times. Our survey of drivers indicates that approximately 30 percent would shift their time of day travel to off-peak hours when there will be no fee. This is exactly the kind of behavioral change that peak times congestion charging seeks to influence. The result would be a more efficient use of our roadways.

Others can use alternatives like transit, biking, or walking or can travel at an earlier or later time of day. Congestion pricing includes a program for reinvesting all generated revenues in transportation infrastructure and service, benefiting drivers, transit users, pedestrians and bicyclists.

Congestion pricing has been successfully implemented in such cities as London, Stockholm and Rome. The programs have led to significant reductions in congestion (30 percent in London), an increase in transit use, and new investment in transportation facilities and services.

For information about public workshops or to access the study, please visit www.sfmobility.org.

Jake McGoldrick is a San Francisco supervisor representing District 1.