Executive Director’s Monthly Report, October 2026
Regional Housing Needs Assessment Overview Presented and Local Planning Survey Opens
Staff from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) joined SCAG’s Regional Council meeting on Oct. 1 to provide an overview of the 7th Cycle of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) process. David Zisser, deputy director for housing policy development; Melinda Coy, assistant deputy director for housing accountability; and Zach McRae, assistant deputy director for fair housing and tribal affairs, provided an overview of key milestones and the timeline for the RHNA process, which kicked off this summer and will take place through 2028.
SCAG is in the early stages of this process, forming the RHNA Subcommittee in August and launching the RHNA survey packet in September to gather information from member jurisdictions for the development of its proposed RHNA methodology.
The RHNA survey packet includes two separate surveys-one on local planning factors and one on affirmatively Infurthering fair housing (AFFH). The input collected from local jurisdictions will help SCAG better understand local planning and housing conditions as it develops the proposed methodology. Final decisions on the methodology will be made by SCAG’s RHNA Subcommittee, Community, Economic, and Human Development Committee, and the SCAG Regional Council, and will be subject to HCD approval.
Throughout the 7th Cycle RHNA process, SCAG will engage jurisdictions, stakeholders, and community members to share information about the process, discuss related topics, and hear input. All SCAG jurisdictions are encouraged to complete the survey by 5 p.m. on Jan. 29, 2027. Read more about RHNA and the survey at SCAG News.
SCAG Celebrates Signing of SB 1087 to Modernize California’s Sustainable Communities Strategies Program
SCAG applauds Governor Newsom’s Sept. 30 signing of Senate Bill (SB) 1087 (Cabaldon), which will update SB 375, the landmark 2008 law that established California’s sustainable communities strategies (SCS) program.
SB 375 created planning requirements to align transportation, housing, and environmental goals, resulting in the SCS portion of SCAG’s Connect SoCal regional plan. SB 1087 updates the SCS program to better balance current housing and climate goals, increase transparency in the California Air Resources Board’s target-setting and review processes, and optimize regional resources to advance local projects. Read more about this important achievement at SCAG News.
Regional Council Adopts Framework to Guide Connect SoCal 2050 Policy Development
The SCAG Regional Council adopted the Connect SoCal 2050 Policy Development Framework, an important step in preparing the region’s next long-range transportation and land use plan. The framework will guide how SCAG updates key policies and strategies for the Connect SoCal 2050 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities strategy.
The framework will focus policy discussions on three major regional issues: changing demographics and economic conditions, transportation technology and the future of transit, and complete communities and housing. The framework also incorporates feedback from SCAG members by considering resilience across these topics and highlighting the safety and comfort of transit riders.
With the framework in place, SCAG will engage the Connect SoCal 2050 Subcommittee, policy committees, partner agencies, and stakeholders to update and prioritize policy elements over the next year. This work will help shape the draft Connect SoCal 2050, expected for public review in fall 2027.
SCAG Releases June 2026 Biannual ‘Transportation Trends Report’
SCAG released the June 2026 “Transportation Trends Report,” a snapshot of how people and goods move throughout the six-county region. Published twice a year, the report examines transit ridership, roadway travel, goods movement, and remote work trends to provide a comprehensive picture of post-pandemic travel behavior and regional mobility patterns.
With data from transit operators, highway performance systems, freight activity, and workforce surveys, the report presents a holistic point-in-time analysis of the region’s mobility. Transit ridership recovery continued across all modes, with light and heavy rail reaching 92 percent of pre-pandemic levels in June 2026, compared with 84.9 percent for bus and 68.5 percent for commuter rail. Bus ridership maintained the strongest average recovery over the past 12 months, while commuter rail remained the furthest below pre-pandemic levels. Vehicle miles traveled have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels, and remote work continues to influence congestion and commuting trends across Southern California.
Read more about SCAG’s latest “Transportation Trends Report” on SCAG News.
REAP 2.0 Funding Advances Safety and Mobility at Spring and Alameda
SCAG joined the city of Los Angeles in September for the groundbreaking of the Spring/Alameda Safety and Mobility Project, which takes important steps toward creating safer streets and more transportation options for all. SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise spoke at the ceremony alongside Mayor Karen Bass, councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Ysabel Jurado, Los Angeles Department of Transportation General Manager Laura Rubio-Cornejo, Public Works Commissioner John Grant, City Engineer Crystal Lee, and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chief Planning Officer Ray Sosa.
Partially funded with a grant from SCAG’s Regional Early Action Planning Grant Program of 2021 (REAP 2.0), the Spring/Alameda Safety and Mobility Project will bring protected bicycle lanes, safer pedestrian crossings, high-visibility crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps, protected left-turn phasing, and street resurfacing to the Spring Street and Alameda Street corridors.
The project reflects regional priorities for improved safety, connections to jobs, and a more sustainable transportation network. The project also helps the region prepare for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games and create a transportation legacy that will benefit Southern Californians and visitors for generations.
REAP 2.0 Disburses $5 Million to Anaheim Local Housing Trust Fund
SCAG continues to invest in regional lending programs through the Regional Early Action Planning Grant Program of 2021 (REAP 2.0), with a $5 million disbursement to Anaheim’s Local Housing Trust Fund. The investment expands the trust fund’s capacity to provide gap financing for workforce housing developments near major job centers and helps address funding timing constraints that can delay multiple housing phases from advancing concurrently. The REAP 2.0 contribution will leverage approximately $6 million in local matching funds and support the development of affordable housing on Anaheim Housing Authority-controlled infill sites within Priority Growth Areas and Southern California’s fourth-largest job center. This investment strengthens a long-term, locally managed funding source to accelerate affordable housing production in the region.
REAP 2.0-Funded Project Helps Identify Housing Redevelopment Opportunities in the South Bay
The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) presented its Commercial Redevelopment into Housing Phase 2 project to the October Community, Economic, and Human Development Committee meeting. As part of the Regional Early Action Planning Grant Program of 2021 (REAP 2.0), SCAG allocated $325,159 to SBCCOG for this effort to build upon a Regional Early Action Planning Grant Program of 2019 study that identified the redevelopment of underutilized commercial sites as a meaningful pathway to adding housing in the South Bay region. The REAP 2.0 project takes the analysis further by developing a geographic information systems (GIS)-based site inventory tool, performing test fits and financial pro forma analyses on key sites, and partnering with three local jurisdictions to explore site-specific opportunities. The GIS inventory tool, intended for city planning purposes, will be made available to South Bay member cities to support affordable housing planning and redevelopment efforts. Read the staff report for more information on the project’s findings and recommendations.
SCAG Publishes ‘Southern California Zero Emission Truck Infrastructure Study’
SCAG’s “Southern California Zero Emission Truck Infrastructure Study,” published online on Sept. 9, creates strategies and recommendations for expanding a regional network of public charging and fueling stations for zero-emission trucks and supports statewide efforts to transition medium- and heavy-duty trucks to alternative fueling technologies. The study recommends a phased approach to station deployment and infrastructure for various truck markets as they transition to zero-emission fleets. A technical advisory committee of public and private sector stakeholders contributed comprehensive perspectives on the developing zero-emission landscape.
The study focused on battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell truck technologies, assessing their infrastructure requirements and integration into a regional network of fueling sites. The study identified how zero-emission truck infrastructure can support diverse operational models and regional zero-emission goals. The study also outlined how different technologies could complement each other to address varying operational needs of different service sectors. The recommendations reflect a mix of technologies and operational needs.
To read more, visit SCAG News.
SCAG Awarded $1.2 Million by the California Office of Traffic Safety
The SCAG Regional Council approved a resolution to accept $1.2 million in grant funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).
One of the two recently awarded OTS grants for $600,000 will support continued development of a web-based regional transportation safety predictive modeling and analysis platform. The platform will model, predict, and analyze safety risks on Southern California’s multimodal transportation system. The platform will leverage innovative technologies and newly available safety data resources, including in-vehicle information systems and emerging collision modeling capabilities.
OTS awarded SCAG an additional $600,000 grant to support the continuation of SCAG’s Go Human program, which was launched in 2015 to reduce traffic collisions and improve safety for people walking and biking. With this grant funding, Go Human will continue its safety strategies through Sept. 30, 2027, including capacity-building workshops for traffic safety partners, direct support for traffic safety events, and funding for local community experts to facilitate traffic safety education across the region.
SoCal Greenprint Demonstration Connects Web-Mapping Tool to Funding Opportunities
On Sept. 15, SCAG hosted a Toolbox Tuesday session demonstrating SCAG’s new SoCal Greenprint tool, a web-mapping application to help users make land use and transportation infrastructure decisions and support conservation investments.
Attendees learned how to use the tool to secure state and federal funding and advance mitigation planning initiatives in the SCAG region.
The entire session is available to watch on YouTube. Read more about the presentation on SCAG News.
New Cohort for SCAG’s Future Leaders Initiative Accepting Applications
Building on the success of its inaugural cohort, SCAG has launched the application process for a second cohort of the Future Leaders Initiative, a six-month civic leadership program designed to equip emerging leaders with the knowledge, skills, and connections to engage in regional planning and civic decision-making to understand long-term change across Southern California. The second year of the program will include expanded opportunities for hands-on learning, including interactive workshops, discussions with planning professionals and elected officials, site visits, and participation in Connect SoCal workshops.
Through the Future Leaders Initiative, SCAG continues to invest in the next generation of civic leaders to shape their communities for decades to come. Applications for the second cohort will be accepted through Oct. 27. For more information, visit SCAG News.
SCAG Issues 2026 California Clean Air Day Proclamation
The SCAG Regional Council on Oct. 1 issued a proclamation pledging SCAG’s support for the 9th Annual California Clean Air Day, which will be held on Oct. 7. In 2025, 5,377 Californians pledged more than 22,000 clean air actions, 169 organizations participated, 22 transit agencies provided free rides, and more than 500 events were held across California in support of California Clean Air Day.
SCAG continues to participate in the annual California Clean Air Day by signing the organizational pledge, encouraging SCAG staff to take the California Clean Air Day pledge, and encouraging its member jurisdictions to explore actions and pledges that improve air quality on Clean Air Day and throughout the year. SCAG’s regional planning policies, programs, strategies, and initiatives, as reflected in the adopted Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, as amended, and the 2027 Federal Transportation Improvement Program, will continue to play an important role in improving air quality and protecting public health throughout the SCAG region.
Read more about Clean Air Day and SCAG’s clean air initiatives on SCAG News.
Southern California Clean Cities Coalition Recognized for Connecting Stakeholders
SCAG’s Clean Cities Coalition was recognized at the 2026 Clean Cities & Communities National Training Workshop in Kansas City, Missouri in early September. The coalition was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Connecting Stakeholders, along with Western Riverside’s Clean Cities Coalition, for their recent joint effort developing and hosting the Inland ZEV Forum in August in Riverside. The Clean Cities Coalition Network is a nationwide partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to foster alternative transportation energy choices nationwide.
Go Human and Planning for Main Streets Team Up for San Bernardino Safety Demonstration
As part of SCAG’s Planning for Main Streets initiative, SCAG supported the development of a street improvement planning project along State Route 18 in San Bernardino with a Go Human traffic safety demonstration in front of Golden Valley Middle School on Sept. 29. Held at the intersection of 38th Street and State Route 18, the demonstration borrowed treatments from the Go Human Kit of Parts Lending Library to highlight proposed improvements. At the demonstration, residents provided feedback on the improvement plan and enjoyed safety giveaways, including pedestrian reflective gear and bicycle helmets.
APA OC Recognizes Latino Health Access with Excellence Award
On Sept. 10, Latino Health Access was recognized at the Orange County Section of the American Planning Association’s 2026 Annual Awards Night, hosted at the Quail Hill Community Center in Irvine. Latino Health Access received the Award of Excellence in the Communications Initiative and Outreach Award category for its Go Human-funded project, “Ride, Walk, & Roll, Orange County.” The project included a three-year educational traffic safety campaign to raise awareness among working-class communities on road safety and infrastructure improvements. Reaching over 68,000 residents, the project included opportunities to navigate traffic calming infrastructure through educational traffic safety videos produced by youth, facilitated engagement led by community health workers and promotoras, distributed helmets and other safety materials to community members, designed a community mural, and hosted walking tours and a temporary traffic safety demonstration project.
SCAG Presents to the Pico Rivera City Council
SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise presented to the Pico Rivera City Council on Sept. 22, highlighting regional planning, funding, and partnership opportunities available to local communities. The presentation included a SCAG 101 introduction, an overview of the vision and funding priorities included in the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, and examples of SCAG’s direct work with Pico Rivera—including a $411,000 Regional Active Transportation Program award that funded Pico Rivera’s Active Transportation Master Plan, a Go Human partnership with the city’s World Spirit Festival, and the city’s participation in a SCAG Regional 2028 Games Transportation Demand Management forum. SCAG Regional Council Member Andrew Lara invited Ajise to showcase the SCAG’s regional work to the city council and city staff.
SCAG Attends the Ken Grody Ford Fleet Solutions Expo
Jillian Labador, junior planner from SCAG’s Goods Movement and Aviation Unit, and Jonathan Davis, SCAG senior government affairs officer, attended the Ken Grody Ford Fleet Solutions Expo on Sept. 15 at the Buena Park Mall to promote the Last-Mile Freight Rebate Program (LMFP).
SCAG’s LMFP Rebate Program is now accepting a second round of applications, offering $49.1 million in rebate funding for last-mile freight operators in the Los Angeles – Long Beach – Anaheim and the Riverside – San Bernardino – Ontario metropolitan statistical areas. The application period will remain open through Jan. 11, 2027.
The program, in partnership with the South Coast Air Quality Management District and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s INVEST CLEAN initiative, supports the deployment of battery-electric commercial vehicles and the scrappage or conversion of existing diesel or gasoline vehicles used in last-mile freight operations. The LMFP Rebate Program completed its review of first-round applications in January 2026.
For more information about the LMFP Rebate Program, visit SCAG News.
SCAG Brings Regional Perspective to the National Mobility Summit
Sarah Jepson, SCAG chief planning officer, joined national transportation leaders for the 2026 National Mobility Summit on Sept. 14 and participated in a panel on the critical role of performance-driven planning and infrastructure delivery, from strengthening system reliability and freight competitiveness to advancing multimodal integration and making strategic investments in an era of constrained resources.
Organized by the National Center for Understanding the Future of Travel Behavior & Demand, the summit brought together transportation leaders, researchers, and practitioners to explore how data, research, and emerging technologies can translate into measurable improvements in mobility. Bringing a regional perspective to the panel, Jepson shared insights on aligning federal program goals with state, regional, and local delivery realities and the importance of scaling implementation to turn innovative ideas into meaningful, measurable outcomes.
SCAG Speakers Featured on Multiple Panels at the 2026 AMPO Annual Conference
SCAG staff participated in multiple panels at the 2026 Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) Annual Conference in Sacramento, where metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) from across California and the country came together to share ideas, strengthen partnerships, and discuss the future of planning.
SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise joined MPO executive directors from throughout California on the conference’s introductory panel, highlighting the important role of MPOs in advancing regional priorities and delivering transportation solutions that benefit our communities. Additionally, several SCAG planners participated as panelists throughout the conference, sharing their expertise and perspectives on the innovative work underway across Southern California.
SCAG Participates in the Reconnecting Communities Institute’s ‘P3s in Practice: Presidio Parkway’ Panel
On Sept. 23, SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise participated in the Reconnecting Communities Institute “P3s in Practice” panel, which highlighted the Presidio Parkway Project. The panel was part of a broader workshop on public-private partnerships and their potential to help advance community reconnection projects. Ajise was joined by Tilly Chang, executive director of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, and Peter van der Waart van Gulik, chief operations officer for the Meridiam Group. The panel was moderated by Tim Treharne, Arup America’s advisory services leader. The panel discussion highlighted the value in exploring and implementing public-private partnerships as important project delivery tools.
SCAG Sponsors Port of Hueneme’s Annual Banana Festival
SCAG sponsored the 13th Annual Port of Hueneme Banana Festival on Sept. 26, a community event drawing about 15,000 visitors. The Port of Hueneme is one of the most productive and efficient commercial trade gateways for niche cargo on the West Coast, consistently ranking among the top ten U.S. ports for automobiles and fresh produce. Port operations support the community by bringing $2.8 billion in economic activity and creating 24,997 trade-related jobs.
SCAG Attends 13th Annual Women of Los Angeles City Hall Event
SCAG Chief Government and Public Affairs Officer Javiera Cartagena attended the 13th Annual Women of Los Angeles City Hall celebration, an event honoring Regional Council members Heather Hutt, Ysabel Jurado, and Imelda Padilla for their leadership, impact, and service as members of the Los Angeles City Council. The celebration brought together community leaders, advocates, and changemakers to recognize the women shaping Los Angeles city government both in front of and behind the scenes.
