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The city is working to reduce dependency on the single occupancy vehicle as well as highlighting the importance of low emission and alternative fuel vehicles. The target reduction in the average number of vehicles per person is 10% of 2000 levels by 2010, or .85 vehicles per person. The target for low emissions and alternative fuel vehicles is an upward trend in their percent of total vehicles in the city. 

People over the age of 18 are used for this purpose as a proxy for number of drivers.

Average Vehicle Ownership
In 2000, the number of cars for each driver, was under one or .94.  By 2003, that figure had reached .86, and has remained steady at .86 through 2005.  This means that the percent of residents who own a car is decreasing, and we are approaching the .85 target!

Low emissions and alternative fuel vehicles
Many of the 64,619 vehicles in the city are traditional fuel combustion vehicles, however, given the rising cost of gas and emerging new technologies that increase fuel efficiency and decrease vehicle emissions, this number is growing. Unfortunately, data to update this figure precisely were unavailable as of this writing.

Although data for Santa Monicans LEV ownership are not yet available, total sales of all hybrids in 2004 doubled those sold 2003. The 2005 figure is projected to at least double with the introduction of new models.

Reducing automobile dependency in favor of alternative and sustainable modes of travel is an important sustainable practice. The average number of cars per person of driving age gives a general representation of automobile dependency in the city. The percent of total cars that are low emission or alternative fuel vehicles captures the extent to which drivers are shifting away from conventionally fueled vehicles in the city.  

Alternative fueled vehicles are vehicles that operate on fuels other than gasoline or diesel and/or technologies which are less polluting.  Some examples compressed natural gas, liquid natural gas, propane, electricity, hybrid gasoline and electricity, and hydrogen. Low emission vehicles can run on traditional fuels such as gasoline and diesel and on alternative fuels.  For a description of the low emission and alternative fuel vehicles, as well as suggestions on LEV and alternative fuel car purchase please see clean air vehicle information.   

Although updated information on LEV/ZEV and Alternative Fuel Vehicles for Santa Monica was unavailable as of this writing, the state of California’s proportion of  LEV/ZEV/AFV was under 1%, but growing.