SCAG’s Mid-Year Recap

News

SCAG continues to collaborate toward a brighter future for Southern California. Here are a few highlights from the first half of fiscal year 2024-25.

Connect SoCal 2024 Implementation

SCAG staff and local and subregional partners are progressing on implementing the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, as outlined in a staff report presented to the SCAG Regional Council and policy committees in November.  

Adopted by the SCAG Regional Council in April 2024, Connect SoCal 2024 includes 93 Implementation Strategies, created in collaboration with the local and subregional partners and stakeholders, to guide implementation of the plan’s holistic long-term vision for the region. According to the staff report, SCAG has already advanced 71 of the 93 Implementation Strategies in Connect SoCal 2024. Unprecedented funding for regional planning from the state—part of a new statewide approach to the largest challenges facing California, such as housing affordability and climate change—has fueled this quick progress. 

The Regional Early Action Planning Program of 2021 (REAP 2.0) program, for example, aligns with the Connect SoCal vision to make transportation and housing solutions work together to foster sustainable, equitable growth across Southern California. SCAG is also administering state funding in the 2024 Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) – Active Transportation and Safety call for applications.

For additional details on SCAG’s progress with Connect SoCal 2024 Implementation Strategies, read more on SCAG News.

Regional Early Action Planning Program

REAP 2.0

The California State Legislature approved the Budget Act of 2024 in June 2024, taking a major step to address the housing affordability crisis by restoring funding for the Regional Early Action Planning Grants (REAP 2.0) program and other programs crucial to Southern California’s collective goals.

The state budget approved by the legislature and signed by Gov. Newsom retained $560 million for REAP 2.0, with $480 million dedicated to the formula component for metropolitan planning organizations.

In January, the governor’s budget proposed a 50 percent reduction to the 2021 Regional Early Action Planning program (REAP 2.0) funding across the state, which would have potentially reduced SCAG’s REAP 2.0 allotment by $123 million. Before the budget cuts first proposed in January, SCAG had awarded more than $192 million in REAP 2.0 funds to 100 transformative projects.

As a result of the region’s successful collective advocacy, SCAG received a final award allocation of $231.5 million, a total reduction of $14.5 million from SCAG’s original allocation. Despite this reduction, SCAG is fully funding all competitive and formula-based grant awards previously approved by the Regional Council. The restoration of REAP 2.0 funding allowed SCAG and partners to restart these projects.

Since the state approved the budget, SCAG successfully negotiated an administrative extension with the California Department of Housing and Community Development, giving Regional Early Action Program grantees an additional seven months to expend grant resources. The new expenditure deadline is June 30, 2026. A staff report presented to the Regional Council on Nov. 7 highlights SCAG’s efforts to restart work across the program and support successful delivery.

Recognizing that REAP 2.0 is a one-time state funding program, SCAG will continue to work with federal, state, and local partners to create and identify funding for projects and plans that support the region’s housing goals.

REAP 1.0

SCAG staff presented a final program update on the 2019 Regional Early Action Planning program (REAP 1.0) to the Executive/Administration Committee and the Community, Economic and Human Development Committee (CEHD) in December

Through REAP 1.0, SCAG funded over 100 housing development and infrastructure planning projects, supporting communities in meeting growing demand for affordable and sustainable housing. The REAP 1.0 program resulted in a range of adopted land use plans, development streamlining tools, financing strategies, and planning strategies that have identified best practices and can be scaled across the region.

REAP 1.0 has highlighted SCAG’s role as a critical bridge between state and local policy. SCAG submitted its program closeout to the California Department of Housing and Community Development on Nov. 21, 2024. The Dec. 5 presentation, available online on the CEHD page, highlighted select REAP 1.0 projects and shared outcomes and lessons learned. SCAG has also published a full REAP 1.0 project list.

2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games

In preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, SCAG is working in partnership with LA28, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the California Department of Transportation, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, and Metrolink—a group collectively referred to as the Games Mobility Executives, or GME—to develop mobility plans and pursue state and federal funds in support of needed transportation improvements for the region.

As the designated metropolitan planning organization for the six-county Southern California region, SCAG is focusing regional efforts on creating lasting benefits from this major global event. Considering SCAG’s purview and expertise, the organization will have several critical roles in preparing the region for the LA28 Games:

  • Convening partners at a regional level to plan for mobility needs.
  • Securing and administering funding and resources for mobility plans.
  • Developing a regional approach to transportation demand management, also known as TDM.

SCAG has achieved significant progress in these three roles in the first half of fiscal year 2024-25. In November, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded SCAG a $6 million Safe Streets and Roads for All grant to test safe street reconfigurations along high injury network corridors expected to experience high travel volumes during the LA28 Games to demonstrate permanent projects in the future. Read more about the grant award on SCAG News.

Also in November, SCAG hosted its first Freight Industry Forum to gather a diverse set of participants—including the Games Mobility Executive partners, SCAG regional partners, industry stakeholders, and other agency representatives—to discuss the LA28 Games. The Freight Industry Forum will continue to advise SCAG and regional partners in preparation for the LA28 Games, with the next meeting anticipated for this winter.

SCAG Chief Planning Officer Sarah Jepson and Deputy Director of Planning for Transportation Annie Nam participated in the official 2024 Paris Olympics Observer Program in early August to learn from experts about the preparations and operations in Paris.

SCAG also fielded a transportation demand management (TDM) survey to learn more about TDM practices already in place and to explore options for scaling up TDM programs to complement the LA 28 Games.

Mobility and Transportation

Connect SoCal Amendment 1 and 2025 Federal Transportation Improvement Program

In September, the SCAG Regional Council adopted the 2025 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) and Connect SoCal 2024 Amendment 1, including the associated transportation conformity analyses. The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration approved the 2025 FTIP in December.

A funding program spanning six years, the 2025 FTIP includes over 1,100 projects, totaling $38.8 billion and incorporating a wide range of multimodal investments supported by federal, state, and local funds to improve transportation across Southern California. Connect SoCal 2024 Amendment 1 makes changes to approximately 350 projects to better meet regional needs, such as additions, deletions, and modifications to project scope, cost, and schedule.

Sustainable Communities Program – Active Transportation and Safety

On Dec. 5, the Regional Council approved the 2024 Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) – Active Transportation and Safety Project List and Contingency Project List. The 2024 SCP – Active Transportation and Safety awards include active transportation-related plans and quick-build projects that support the implementation of mobility policies included in the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. Projects will be funded through the state’s Active Transportation Program (ATP) Cycle 7 regional funds, a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant, and SCAG matching state funds (to address the ATP Cycle 7 budget cuts). Of 40 applications evaluated, 13 projects were selected for funding. To read more about the 2024 SCP – Active Transportation and Safety project list, visit SCAG News.

Mobility and Transportation Funding

In November, the SCAG Regional Council approved project nominations for Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP) funding. As the region’s metropolitan planning organization, SCAG submits project nominations from the region’s agencies to the California Transportation Commission. SCAG’s TCEP funding request totals over $323.7 million, which would provide two years of programming in fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 for an estimated total of $1.071 billion. For more information on the TCEP and SCAG’s project nominations, read SCAG News.

Also in November, the SCAG Regional Council approved a resolution to accept $2.28 million in grant funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to improve regional transportation safety. The funding includes $922,456 to support continued development of a new regional safety data analysis and modeling platform and $1.36 million to continue SCAG’s Go Human program.  

In August, SCAG received two $500,000 grants in the Strategic Partnerships category of the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Awards. With the first grant, SCAG will conduct a survey and study airport passenger surface transportation behaviors and attitudes in the SCAG region. With the second grant, SCAG will partner with Caltrans Districts 7, 8, 11, and 12 and local jurisdictions on the “Planning for Main Streets” project, conducting planning work to enable improvements on state highways in the SCAG region that double as main streets given existing and planned land uses, related projects, and community priorities.

In July, SCAG announced $50 million for clean technology improvements to reduce pollution from goods movement—part of a nearly $500 million grant for Southern California included in $4.3 billion in investments announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. SCAG’s award will fund the Last Mile Freight Program, which supports deployment of nearly 300 zero-emission fueling stations and up to 740 medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Read more about SCAG’s clean tech funding on SCAG News.

Convening Mobility and Transportation Leaders

Go Human Community Streets Grant Program awardees completed 15 traffic safety community engagement projects throughout the region in the first half of fiscal year 2024-25. Read the “Go Human Year in Review” on SCAG News for a full account of Go Human’s community-led traffic safety activities.

In August, SCAG hosted the fifth meeting of the Transit Transformation Task Force, led by the California State Transportation Agency, at the SCAG offices in downtown Los Angeles. At the meeting, SCAG highlighted its regional approach to transit planning, and the task force’s larger discussions focused on policies and programs to improve transit operator workforce recruitment, retention, and development. The Task Force includes 25 members, including a cohort from Southern California: SCAG, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Move LA, the Riverside County Transportation Commission, and UCLA’s Institute of Transportation Studies.

Communities

In November, SCAG released the final update to the Racial Equity Action Early Plan, culminating a three-year process to center equity in SCAG plans and processes by providing a summary of each of the 32 early actions included in the Racial Equity Early Action Plan. Read more about the final Racial Equity Early Action Plan update on SCAG News.

In September, more than 460 people attended the 2024 Southern California Demographic Workshop for a discussion about how to plan for the future of Southern California as demographic trends continue to diverge from rapid population growth seen in past decades. Highlights of the event included the presentation and publication of a new report by SCAG demographers providing insight into American Community Survey data released earlier in September by the U.S. Census Bureau. Read a full recap of the 2024 Southern California Demographic Workshop on SCAG News.

In July, SCAG published the “Equity Resources for Action Toolbox” (ERA Toolbox) in July, providing a thorough completion of local practices, policies, and strategies to address inequities in low-income communities and communities of color. The toolbox, formerly called the “Environmental Justice Toolbox,” draws from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research General Plan Guidelines, the SB 1000 Implementation Toolkit developed by California Environmental Justice Alliance and PlaceWorks, and staff research on local and community-based organizations’ efforts.

Environment

In July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the California Air Resources Board, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) collectively resolved the U.S. EPA’s proposed disapproval of SCAQMD’s 2019 Contingency Measure Plan. The resolution avoids potentially significant economic impacts to the region, including a highway sanction that could have impacted federal transportation approvals and tens of billions in critical funding for transportation projects in Southern California. SCAG worked extensively with the U.S. EPA and the SCAQMD for much of this year toward this collaborative solution to avoid highway sanctions. The result is a multi-agency collaboration and commitment to sustained partnership across local, state, and federal levels to improve air quality and the quality of life for people in the South Coast Air Basin, an area that includes all of Orange County as well as the urban areas of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. Read more about the resolution on SCAG News.

Economy

SCAG’s December Regional Council meeting included a presentation of the “2024 Southern California Economic Update,” featuring SCAG’s annual economic reporting, presentations from SCAG’s Economic Roundtable, and in-depth discussion about the state of the economy among Regional Council members. All materials published to support the “2024 Southern California Economic Update” are available on SCAG News.

SCAG Economic Roundtable also publishes a “Quarterly Update” every three months, which can be found on SCAG News.

Tools and Resources

SCAG has conducted five “Toolbox Tuesday” online training sessions so far in fiscal year 2024-25, on timely planning topics such as “Heat-Proofing Communities with Resilience Planning and Mitigation” and “Quick-Build Projects for Roadway Safety and Complete Streets,” among others. For a complete list of previous Toolbox Tuesday training sessions, access to video recordings of each session, and information on upcoming sessions, visit the Toolbox Tuesday page on the SCAG website.

In September, SCAG published a “Broadband Permit Streamlining Report” and a “Broadband Permit Streamlining Model Ordinance” in collaboration with the San Diego Association of Governments and with funding from the California Emerging Technology Fund. The report outlines key challenges and complexities involved in both wireless and wireline broadband deployment. The model ordinance provides a template for local agencies to expedite permitting processes, reduce hurdles, and encourage swift expansion of wireless infrastructure, especially in Southern California’s unserved and underserved areas.

In July, SCAG completed a series of GIS trainings for local jurisdictions and partners in Los Angeles County. The GIS training program, conducted in partnership with Cal Poly Pomona’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, provided training to more than 200 participants throughout six sessions. Videos of each GIS training program session are available on YouTube.

Advocacy

The California State Legislature approved the Budget Act of 2024 in June 2024, restoring funding to the Regional Early Action Planning Grants (REAP 2.0). In January 2024, the governor’s budget proposed a 50 percent reduction to the 2021 Regional Early Action Planning program (REAP 2.0) funding across the state, which would have potentially reduced SCAG’s REAP 2.0 allotment by $123 million.

The restoration of REAP 2.0 funding would not have been possible without the collective advocacy efforts of SCAG’s many partners. SCAG extends gratitude to everyone involved and to the state legislature and governor for recognizing the critical importance of regional efforts to address the housing affordability crisis.

In August, the SCAG-sponsored Assembly Bill (AB) 2485 (J. Carrillo) was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee and did not move off the suspense file. AB 2485 would have increased transparency measures in the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) determination process. The bill would have established procedures for the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to publish data sources, analyses, and methodology used in the development of a given region’s RHNA determination on its website and would have required HCD to convene a panel of experts to advise HCD on those data sources, analyses, and methodology used in the development of a given region’s RHNA determination. SCAG’s Legislation team focused on this bill during the last legislative session, reviewing input from members, creating the initial bill concepts and presenting them to the Regional Council for approval, securing a sponsor in Sacramento, and working AB 2485 through the processes in the capitol.

Awards

The Southern California Clean Cities Coalition received two first place awards at the national 2024 Clean Cities and Communities Training Workshop for the “greatest percent increase in gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs) reduced” (i.e., an alternative fuel source equivalent to one gallon of fossil fuel) and the “greatest percent increase in greenhouse gases (GHGs) reduced.” More than 75 coalitions in the national network of clean cities coalitions were eligible for the awards. Read more about the awards on SCAG News.

In addition, five SCAG Go Human partner projects received recognition from the American Planning Association (APA) from both local sections and the state chapter in 2024: