California and President Trump can’t seem to agree on a way to tackle California’s air quality issues. Just a few weeks ago, Trump officials threatened to revoke federal highway dollars since the state “has failed to carry out its most basic tasks under the Clean Air Act.” But just before this letter arrived, the EPA had joined the Transportation Department in revoking California’s right to set stricter pollution limits on cars and light trucks.

Many have been frustrated by such a catch-22. Make the air cleaner, but keep driving cars that add to the issue? Maybe the President is just picking political fights, but maybe not. There’s something worth discussing here. For starters, The Air Resource Board, Streets Cal, and others have argued that there are other air pollution solutions that are being ignored. 

As Melanie Curry, a writer from Streets Blog argues, 

The thing is: California could do better. Its SIPs and Regional Transportation Plans rely too much on the ability to regulate emissions coming from vehicles. Meanwhile California’s regions continue to plan and build for single occupancy vehicles, counting on technology to clean up the problem – rather than committing to find ways to help people cut down on driving.

In other words, it’s important to get serious about vehicle emissions. But to rely only on reduced vehicle emissions as the way to cleaner air is to miss many opportunities to build healthier communities. 

Recently, many local and state air quality discussions in California have included discussions on housing and transportation. And considering that the Bay Area made the list of worst super-commuter cities, diminishing the number of people commuting long distances could affect the air quality discussion. 

One factor that does not get enough attention is the way schools and jobs affect commuting. Describing the housing market in the Bay Area, one senator described the loss of the middle class and its effects on the city. In fact, in the interview, he suggested treating all these Bay Area cities as one unit “because of the ways they share their job market.” Thinking about his comments and super commuters, it's easy to see the connections to neighborhoods, school districts, and these issues. For example, consider the new millennial parents who work in this area. Based on recent trends, it’s likely these people may be ready to buy a house, but may also be strapped with student debt. Most likely, these parents will chose to join the masses of suburban super commuters when they consider legitimate public school options and real estate they can afford.

But what if good schools weren’t only available in places where real estate prices are astronomical? If good schools could be found even in the areas with affordable real estate, would it improve the lives of super-commuters and the air quality? We think it would...