Southern California Association of Governments' Regional Transportation Plan

Southern California Association of Governments' Regional Transportation Plan
Name	Southern California Association of Governments' Regional Transportation Plan
Abbreviation	SCAG RTP
Region	Southern California
Agency	Southern California Association of Governments
First adopted	19xx
Latest adopted	20xx

Contents

Southern California Association of Governments' Regional Transportation Plan is a long-range transportation and land-use strategy developed by the Southern California Association of Governments for the six-county Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Imperial regions. The plan integrates metropolitan planning principles used by the United States Department of Transportation and the California Department of Transportation to coordinate investment among agencies such as the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Metrolink, Amtrak corridors and municipal transit operators. It aligns with federal statutes like the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act and state statutes such as Senate Bill 375.

Overview and Purpose

The RTP serves as a statutory tool to guide multimodal investment across Interstate 5, Interstate 10, Interstate 15, and regional rail corridors including the Pacific Surfliner and Coaster, reflecting coordination with entities like the Southern California Edison Company on electric vehicle infrastructure, the South Coast Air Quality Management District on emissions, and the California Air Resources Board. It balances priorities of the Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, and inland freight hubs like the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad with passenger mobility needs in urban centers such as Downtown Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Irvine, and Santa Barbara. The RTP is designed to meet targets under Metropolitan Planning Organization rules and regional sustainability goals advanced by groups like the California Strategic Growth Council.

Development follows metropolitan planning procedures involving the Federal Transit Administration, Federal Highway Administration, and local agencies including county transportation commissions such as the LA Metro Board. SCAG convenes an RTP Steering Committee with stakeholders from cities like Long Beach, Anaheim, and Ontario and special districts like the Southern California Association of Governments member jurisdictions. Governance incorporates statutory requirements from the California Transportation Commission and coordination with regional entities such as the San Diego Association of Governments for cross-border links to San Diego and with state policing agencies like the California Highway Patrol for safety planning.

Components include highway modernization on corridors like State Route 91, expansion of rail projects such as the Crenshaw/LAX Line and Purple Line Extension, bus rapid transit initiatives in corridors serving Pasadena and Santa Monica, and active transportation networks connecting to destinations like Griffith Park and Balboa Park. Freight projects interface with the Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, and the Pacific Harbor Line while regional hubs planned for transit-oriented development reference models like Union Station (Los Angeles), Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, and proposed infill near Ontario International Airport. Projects are prioritized alongside technology deployments from firms such as Tesla, Inc. for EV charging and standards from the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

The RTP synthesizes revenue streams from federal programs under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, state sources like Proposition 1B, regional sales tax measures such as Measure M (Los Angeles County), and local assessments including transportation development fees used by counties and cities. Financing mechanisms include public-private partnerships modeled on deals involving entities like Los Angeles World Airports, grant applications to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act programs, bond issuances, and value capture strategies aligned with transit-oriented development in jurisdictions such as Irvine and Santa Ana. SCAG coordinates with the California State Treasurer and municipal finance teams to align cash flow with capital delivery.

The RTP integrates air quality planning to meet standards enforced by the South Coast Air Quality Management District and California Air Resources Board under mandates rooted in the Clean Air Act. Emissions modeling incorporates data from NOAA and the Environmental Protection Agency and evaluates impacts on sensitive areas including the Los Angeles River watershed and coastal zones near Santa Monica Bay and San Pedro Bay. The plan includes strategies for greenhouse gas reductions in coordination with statewide goals from the California Air Resources Board and climate resilience measures informed by research from institutions like the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and University of California, Los Angeles.

Public outreach leverages consultations with labor organizations such as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, community groups in neighborhoods like South Los Angeles, environmental justice advocates including Communities for a Better Environment, and universities including University of Southern California and California State University, Long Beach. Equity analyses address mobility needs of riders dependent on transit in cities like Compton and Pomona and seek to comply with civil rights requirements overseen by the Federal Transit Administration Office of Civil Rights. SCAG employs scenario planning methods used by agencies such as Metropolitan Transportation Commission and stakeholder workshops in civic centers including Los Angeles City Hall.

Implementation uses performance-based planning frameworks consistent with Federal Highway Administration guidance and state reporting to the California Transportation Commission. Metrics track indicators like travel time reliability on corridors such as Interstate 405, transit ridership on lines operated by Big Blue Bus and LA Metro, freight throughput at the Port of Los Angeles, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions measured against targets set by Senate Bill 32. Monitoring involves periodic conformity analyses with the Environmental Protection Agency and adaptive management informed by academic partners like California Institute of Technology.

Category:Transportation planning in California