What is SCAG?
Founded in 1965, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is an association of local governments and agencies that voluntarily convene to create holistic plans that achieve unified goals and elevate the region. Under federal law, SCAG is designated as a metropolitan planning organization and under state law as a regional transportation planning agency and a council of governments.
The SCAG region encompasses six counties (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura) and 191 cities in an area covering more than 38,000 square miles.
The agency develops long-range regional transportation plans that include sustainable communities strategies and growth forecasts, regional transportation improvement programs, regional housing needs allocations, and a portion of the Air Quality Management Plans in the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
What is Connect SoCal 2024?
Connect SoCal 2024 (also known as the 2024 -2050 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS or the “Plan”), represents the vision for Southern California’s future, including policies, strategies, and projects for advancing the region’s mobility, economy, and sustainability through 2050. The plan details how the region will address its transportation and land use challenges and opportunities to achieve its regional emissions standards and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets. Connect SoCal 2024 builds from the policy direction established in Connect SoCal 2020 as well as more recent policy direction from SCAG’s Regional Council policy committees and special subcommittees to reflect emerging issues such as equity, resilience, and the economy.
Connect SoCal 2024 is required by federal and state legislation to qualify project sponsors for federal funding. SCAG is required to update this long-range planning document every four years.
What is included in Connect SoCal 2024?
Connect SoCal 2024 contains the following core components:
- Vision, policies, strategies and performance measures: Contains an overarching vision, regional planning policies, list of regional transportation goals and implementation strategies and measures for evaluating the region’s performance in achieving those goals.
- Forecasts: Projects future distribution of population, households, employment, land use, and housing needs.
- Financial plan: Identifies reasonable expected revenues over the 25-year plan horizon.
- List of projects: Includes projects anticipated for initiation and/or completion by 2050.
- Analysis of the following focus areas: Includes technical reports on active transportation, aviation, congestion management, equity and environmental justice, goods movement, highways and arterials, housing land use including farm and natural lands conservation, and transportation conformity.
How were projects selected for inclusion in Connect SoCal 2024?
Early in the planning process, SCAG asked that each of the six-county transportation commissions (CTCs) submit updated project lists for inclusion. The CTCs are responsible for adding, removing, or updating projects from Connect SoCal 2020 based on jurisdictional needs. These projects were then considered for inclusion in Connect SoCal 2024.
What is SCAG’s role in developing Connect SoCal 2024?
SCAG is the lead agency in facilitating the development of the region’s long-range transportation planning. SCAG understands the importance of input and consensus and utilizes a collaborative process over several years to create Connect SoCal 2024. This includes working with local jurisdictions through a process known as the Local Data Exchange (LDX) as well as working directly with county transportation commissions (CTCs). Throughout the development of Connect SoCal 2024, SCAG staff are guided by its policy committees, with input from and consultation with CTCs, subregions, local governments, several state and federal agencies (including Caltrans), environmental and business communities, tribal governments, non-profit and community-based organizations, as well the public. The end result of this process is a collaborative and comprehensive document that reflects public consideration and addresses the region’s needs.
How does Connect SoCal 2024 affect me?
Given the geographic diversity and size of the SCAG region, a coordinated transportation system that is well integrated with land uses and operates efficiently is imperative to the mobility and quality of life of Southern California residents. By employing a regional focus on transportation and land use planning, SCAG seeks to improve the region’s mobility, economy, and sustainability.
And although it doesn’t commit funds to specific projects, Connect SoCal 2024 does set the framework for how transportation tax dollars will be spent in the SCAG region over the coming years and decades. The future of the SCAG region will be shaped by the goals and policies set forth in Connect SoCal 2024.
Why do we need Connect SoCal?
Southern California is expected to add nearly 1.7 million people in the next 25 years. Connect SoCal 2024 lays out a vision for accommodating that growth, while at the same time maintaining quality of life and protecting the environment.
Who will approve Connect SoCal?
Various elements of Connect SoCal 2024 will be brought before SCAG’s policy committees for review, and then before SCAG’s 86-member Regional Council for approval. The Regional Council is made up of elected representatives from the region’s cities and counties as well as one representative for the Southern California Native American Tribal Governments.
How is the public involved?
Public hearings for the draft Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy have concluded.
To develop Connect SoCal 2024, SCAG hosted several interactive community workshops, pop-ups and engagements, and presented regularly to various working groups and technical advisory committees.
SCAG released the draft Connect SoCal 2024 for public review and comment from Nov. 2, 2023, to Jan. 12, 2024. During this period, SCAG hosted elected official briefings and public hearings. SCAG is required to respond to or address all comments and responses received during the public review and comment period. The final Plan will include a Public Participation and Consultation Technical Report to catalog and archive comments received.
Although the public hearings have concluded, SCAG invites you to view the presentation and other related materials.
Where can I learn more about the Local Data Exchange (LDX)?
To learn more about the LDX, please visit the LDX frequently asked questions website.
