The Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) strengthens partnerships with local agencies and strategic partners responsible for land use and transportation decisions, offering technical assistance and financial resources to meet the diverse planning needs of local communities and support implementation of regional planning policies and strategies. SCAG is currently providing technical assistance to 57 local agencies and has funded 110 projects, totaling over $21.6 million, since 2016.
Following the adoption of Connect SoCal every four years, SCAG calls for applications through the SCP to provide local technical assistance in support of Connect SoCal implementation. SCAG develops funding categories that align with the goals and policies of Connect SoCal to support implementation of shared regional planning goals and meet the needs of local communities.
Provide needed resources for local jurisdictions to advance the goals outlined in the four pillars of Connect SoCal 2024: mobility, communities, environment and economy.
Promote racial equity grounded in the recognition of the past and current harms of systemic racism and advance restorative justice.
Integrate the region’s development pattern and transportation network to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable more sustainable energy and water use.
Prioritize the most vulnerable populations and communities subject to climate hazards to help the people, places and infrastructure most at risk for climate change impacts. In doing so, recognize that disadvantaged communities are often overburdened.
Increase the region’s competitiveness for federal and state funds, including the California Active Transportation Program and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds.
2024 Sustainable Communities Program – Active Transportation & Safety
SCAG’s 2024 Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) – Active Transportation and Safety call for applications will fund community plans, areawide plans, and quick-build projects that encourage active transportation (e.g., walking, biking, and transit) and improve roadway safety to help achieve the mobility goals, planning policies, strategic investments, and implementation strategies of Connect SoCal 2024.
The June 2024 state budget significantly reduced Active Transportation Program Cycle 7 funding, one of the funding sources for the SCP – Active Transportation and Safety call for applications.
On Sept. 5, the SCAG Regional Council adopted the “Amended 2025 Active Transportation Program Regional Guidelines” and the “Amended Connect SoCal 2024 Sustainable Communities Program – Active Transportation and Safety Guidelines,” a necessary step to align regional guidelines with recently amended guidelines for the state’s Active Transportation Program and to secure funding for the ongoing 2024 Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) – Active Transportation and Safety call for applications.
While SCAG is identifying potential additional sources to supplement existing funding, the final funding estimate will not be available until SCAG finalizes the SCP – Active Transportation and Safety budget in fall 2024. For the 2024 SCP – Active Transportation and Safety call for applications, SCAG anticipates awarding between $6.3 million and $8.2 million (down from $10.4 million) for the following project categories:
Community/Areawide Plans: up to $700,000 available (down from $2.4 million; funding cap based on ATP state guidelines).
Quick-Build Projects: between $5.6 million and $7.5 million available (pending final budget availability).
2024 SCP – Active Transportation and Safety funding will achieve the following goals:
Improve mobility across the region, especially for children and older adults, and people walking, biking, riding public transit, and using other forms of active transportation.
Strategically invest in communities most harmed by traffic injuries and fatalities, including the historically underserved communities comprising the majority of the SCAG Regional High Injury Network.
Support a more resilient transportation network, especially in anticipation of the large-scale events hosted by the region.
Support local efforts to increase competitiveness for state and federal funding.
This program is funded by the state’s Active Transportation Program and a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant.
Submit An Application
Applications for the 2024 SCP – Active Transportation & Safety call for applications will close on Friday, Sept. 27, at 11:59 p.m. Submit an application using the online form.
SCAG hosted two informational webinars for the 2024 SCP – Active Transportation & Safety call for applications. The webinars featured information to help potential applicants learn how to prepare an application. Both sessions covered the same information.
In addition to webinars, SCAG is offering office hours for applicants to ask questions and/or receive feedback on project ideas. Appointments span 30 minutes and are available Mondays between 2 – 4 p.m. or Thursdays between 10 a.m. – noon:
The following schedule outlines key dates for the SCP – Active Transportation and Safety call for applications. The schedule is subject to change, so please visit this page for the latest updates.
Key Milestones
Anticipated Date
SCAG Regional Council adopts SCP – Active Transportation and Safety Guidelines
June 6, 2024
Call for applications opens
July, 8 2024
Application workshops
July 25 and Aug. 7, 2024
Call for applications closes
Sept. 27, 2024
SCAG seeks Regional Council approval of 2024 SCP – Active Transportation and Safety projects*
December 2024
2024 Award Announcements*
June 2025
*Projects selected to receive Active Transportation Program (ATP) funding are subject to approval by the SCAG Regional Council and California Transportation Commission (CTC) as part of the adoption of the complete 2025 Regional ATP. In addition, projects receiving ATP funding will be subject to the programming and allocation process, requirements, and schedule of the CTC.
For questions regarding the 2024 SCP – Active Transportation and Safety call for applications, contact Rachel Om, Senior Regional Planner, at (213) 630-1550 or Om@scag.ca.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
The following questions were asked during office hours and the two workshops hosted by SCAG in July and August 2024.
General Program Questions
Who is an eligible applicant?
Please see page 4 of the 2024 SCP – Active Transportation and Safety guidelines.
Can we apply for funding to supplement an existing project?
The 2024 SCP – Active Transportation and Safety grant is primarily a technical assistance program where a consultant is procured through the SCAG procurement process; therefore, grant funds are not directly available to awardees except for quick-build implementation.
Who should the letters of support be addressed to?
Please address letters of support to Rachel Om, senior regional planner.
How many awardees will be selected?
The number of awardees will be determined by the amount of funding requested, but approximately 10 quick-build projects and two to three plans are anticipated to receive funding.
What is the availability of funding available between plans and quick build projects?
Per the Active Transportation Program (ATP) Cycle 7 guidelines, up to $700,000 will be awarded for plans, and per SCAG’s Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant application, a minimum of $5.6 million will be awarded for quick-build projects.
Is there a limit to the number of applications submitted per entity?
There is no limit to the number of applications submitted. The online application will ask the applicant to prioritize their applications.
How much time do projects have for completion?
Plans and quick-build projects funded by ATP Cycle 7 funds have three years for completion. Quick-build projects funded by SS4A funds have five years for completion but are encouraged to complete projects in three years to align with the near-term implementation intent of quick-build projects.
Community/Areawide Plans Questions
Would the SCP grant cover comprehensive updates to an active transportation plan or local road safety plan (LRSP) or only apply to cities that don’t currently have a plan in place?
Updating an active transportation plan or LRSP (with a focus on active transportation) is an eligible scope of work for a community/areawide plan.
Does the ATP have any guidance or restrictions on the level of design (e.g., conceptual 30 percent, versus full 100 percent design) that can be completed as part of developing a plan?
Is an applicant required to have an existing active transportation-related plan to apply for a quick-build project?
No.
Is [element] an eligible quick-build element?
A quick-build element requires minimal construction (no excavation) to install, move, and remove. Caltrans’ Quick-Build Supplemental Guidance provides examples of quick-build elements.
Does the SCAG-procured consultant prepare and sign the design plans?
Yes, a licensed professional engineer will prepare and sign the design plans.
Does a quick-build project have to be along one corridor with one quick-build element, or can a quick-build project be a combination of elements across a community?
A quick-build project may be along one corridor or across multiple segments or intersections in a community. Quick-build projects with multiple elements, such as high-visibility crosswalks, curb extensions, and signage, are encouraged to increase the potential impact of the safety improvements.
Although a quick-build project is not required to be in a disadvantaged community, are quick-build projects in disadvantaged communities preferred?
Quick-build projects located in or adjacent to a disadvantaged community will be more competitive per the evaluation criteria, which allocates up to 10 points for a project’s relation to a disadvantaged community. While five points are based on the project’s geographic proximity to a disadvantaged community, the other five points are based on the project’s benefit to a disadvantaged community. Therefore, if a project is not physically located in or adjacent to a disadvantaged community, the project can still receive up to five points if the applicant were to compellingly describe how the project would benefit a disadvantaged community (i.e., if members from disadvantaged communities access the project area).
If an applicant would like to pair the quick-build implementation with a resurfacing project, could the jurisdiction implement the quick-build project through a contractor from the resurfacing on-call/bench?
Contractor procurement must comply with the bidding requirements as outlined in the Local Assistance Procedures Manual and applicable regulations (e.g., 2 CFR 200, State Contracting Manual, etc.) and determine if the jurisdiction’s procurement process to establish the on-call bench is in compliance. The jurisdiction’s procurement staff should be able to provide guidance or confirm this.
For ATP-funded quick-build projects, which local agency staff time is reimbursable for quick-build implementation?
