SCAG Regional Council formally adopts Connect SoCal

SCAG Regional Council formally adopts Connect SoCal

$638.6 billion in long-term investments would expand transportation options, improve air quality, increase access to opportunity and support regional economic recovery

Los Angeles – The Regional Council of Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) on Thursday formally adopted a 25-year plan to meet the mobility needs of one of the most robust population and economic centers in the United States.

The plan, Connect SoCal, had previously been approved for conformity purposes by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). With Thursday’s action, the 2020-2045 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy provides a roadmap for sensible ways to expand transportation options, improve air quality and bolster Southern California’s long-term economic viability.

“Formal adoption of Connect SoCal is an important step forward for our region as we confront multiple challenges, from a public health crisis to unprecedented levels of unemployment to confronting longstanding racial inequities,” said SCAG President Rex Richardson, a Long Beach City Councilmember. “Transportation, housing, broadband – and access to opportunity – play a vital role in addressing each of these and improving the overall quality of life in the SCAG region.”

As the metropolitan planning organization for the region’s six counties and 191 cities, SCAG is mandated by law to develop a long-term regional transportation and sustainability plan every four years. Although Connect SoCal itself does not provide actual funding, state and federal dollars for many critical transportation projects are dependent upon having an approved regional plan.

The $638.6 billion in transportation investments identified in Connect SoCal would create an annual average of 168,400 new jobs as a result of construction, maintenance and operations, and another 264,500 new jobs per year due to improved regional economic performance. Other highlights include:

o Reducing overall vehicle-miles traveled and achieving the region’s targets for reducing greenhouses gases from autos and light-duty trucks by 19% per capita, from 2005 levels, by 2035.

o A $3.8 billion savings to local jurisdictions from reduced capital infrastructure and ongoing operations of maintenance costs due to the more efficient development patterns.

o Increased investment in active transportation from $12 billion to $22 billion, including safety improvements and safe routes to school investments.

o An overall return of $1.54 for every $1 spent.

“A key to building an effective regional transportation strategy that supports a resilient and equitable economy is understanding local growth patterns, allowing us to focus attention on those areas with unique opportunities for investments in the necessary multimodal transportation needs. Fully implemented, this plan will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, generate billions of dollars of economic activity, and help us meet our regional goals of sustainability, transportation equity and improved public health and safety,” said Kome Ajise, SCAG Executive Director.

For more on Connect SoCal, visit www.connectsocal.org.

For county-by-county fact sheets on Connect SoCal’s impact, visit:https://www.connectsocal.org/Pages/Factsheets.aspx