A city (or county) is not an accident but the result of coherent visions and aims

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Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS)
Less than 15% of children living within a 2 mile radius of a school walk or bike to school, and over half are driven in vehicles. 
Recognizing the implications of these statistics for childhood health, worsening air quality, and congestion around schools, 
the Safe Routes to School program established in one jurisdiction in 1997 quickly became a model to promote safe, accessible 
routes to schools nationwide. With federal funding through the Transportation Alternatives Program, state funding, and 
programming across the US, SRTS promotes infrastructure, design, policy, and education to promote active transportation for 
children and parents. Many jurisdictions have incorporated SRTS into their circulation and land use elements, and the 
national 
partnership
 offers numerous 
resources
 and examples to help communities implement safe routes to school.
the circulation element of their general plan. 
Caltrans
 and 
NACTO
 offer guidelines on complete streets implementation. The 
Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (SB 375)
, promotes regional coordination of transportation and 
land use planning, including support of active transportation. Prioritizing more forms of active transport policies in general 
plans will strengthen potential for regional transportation plans to meet GHG reduction targets established pursuant to SB 375.
Bicycle and pedestrian networks should be complete systems for transportation, including coordination with 
land use
 plans, 
housing
, and transit systems. Bicycle and pedestrian networks should connect residents to employment centers, community 
centers, schools, commercial districts, and transit stops. Active transportation can be used to fill the gap in transit systems- the 
first and last mile between transit stops and destinations. Promoting 
infill
 and TODs may create additional opportunities for 
active transportation by decreasing the distance between origins and destinations.
Circulation elements should promote equitable distribution of active transportation networks that link residents to key 
destinations, and ensure equitable allocation of infrastructure investments and maintenance. Where feasible given right of 
way restrictions, cost, and other limitations, protected or buffered bikeway should be prioritized to reduce injuries and promote 
biking. Paths and facilities, both on and off road, should include user amenities such as shade trees, benches, and drinking 
fountains. Complete 
Streets policies
 should be integrated into 
bicycle and pedestrian
 policies as well. Some jurisdictions have 
separate bicycle and pedestrian plans, which should correspond and align with the general plan. 
Terminals 
Requirement Description:
Airports, seaports, bus and train stations, and other terminals play an important role in a region’s transportation, social, and 
economic makeup. As such, the circulation element should include these facilities in its transportation discussion, and include 
operators in the general plan process. Often, terminals bring a specific set of land use issues that may need to be addressed as 
future growth occurs in existing 
infill
 areas. These issues include pollution, noise, traffic, and public safety. The location, type, 
and height of development in areas surrounding airports, should be considered in the context of the local Airport Land Use 
Plan. Airport Land Use Plans must coordinate with general plans’ 
land use elements
, but should be considered in relation to 
circulation and 
safety
 as well. Some actions to consider in the circulation element include:

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• Assess the adequacy of navigable waterways and port and harbor facilities, including the need for expansion and 
improvements.
• Project future demand based on new or expanded economic activities and recreational trends
• Assess the adequacy of and safety hazards associated with existing aviation facilities and the need for expansion and 
improvements.
• Limit potential noise and safety hazards posed by port activities to surrounding land uses
• Mitigate aviation-related hazards posed to and by aircraft
• Make access to and from aviation facilities available by all modes of transportation
Military Airports and Ports 
Requirement Description:
The Department of Defense (DOD) has a significant presence in the State of California, using 10% of the State’s land. 
Consequently, military ports and airports impose demands on local circulation infrastructure that should be factored into the 
overall analysis of local circulation planning in a general plan. Furthermore, changes to circulation patterns and routes may 
affect military operations. For example, development along formerly rural roads can significantly increase urban traffic and 
limit the use of routes for military transport purposes. Such changes can impede military operations, especially for units that 
commute to conduct training operations. On the other hand, improvements to circulation routes, such as ports, can contribute 
to operations. Additional information on military specific development can be found in the 
California Advisory Handbook for 
Community and Military Compatibility Planning
.
Public Utilities and Facilities 
Requirement Description:
In addition to transportation routes, the circulation element must identify the location and necessity of public utilities and 
facilities. Relevant utilities include water, sewers, storm-water systems, telecommunications and broadband, electric vehicle 
charging stations, electricity, and natural gas lines. These facilities relate directly to the land uses planned in the 
land use 
element
, consequently, the circulation element should consider not just “right sizing” such infrastructure to serve only that 
growth that is actually planned in the land use element, but also placing infrastructure in areas that maximize efficiency and 
minimize impacts to the community. California courts have noted that plans for infrastructure should follow determinations 
regarding desired growth that reflect resource constraints and other broader considerations. (See, e.g., 
County of Amador v. El 
Dorado County Water Agency
 (1999) 76 Cal. App. 4th 931, 949-950
.)
“Dig once” policies can help ensure efficiencies and reduce costs among circulation infrastructure. The underlying premise 
of a “dig once” policy is to coordinate conduit construction with unrelated civil works projects, such as digging up the roads 
and sewer construction, to create a usable infrastructure for future network deployment/provisioning. 
Dig once policies
 are 

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