Sustainable Transportation Advocates of Santa Barbara v. Santa Barbara County Association of Governments

In 2008, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments approved an updated regional transportation plan, which included an Environmental Impact Review (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Sustainable Transportation Advocates filed an action alleging that the EIR was inadequate because, among other things, it failed to discuss statewide energy use patterns within the traffic impacts analysis and the potential for “induced traffic” that would occur from freeway expansion. The court granted the petition and suspended approval of the plan until the Association provided sufficient detail in the EIR regarding information on consumption and use patterns within the county, as well as information on the energy impacts of the plan and the potential for “induced traffic” resulting from freeway expansion.