SCAG Approves $280 Million in Improvements for Regional Transportation Systems

Today, the SCAG Regional Council approved a project award list of 62 projects totaling $279.7 million for Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) funding. Collectively, the STBG/CMAQ/CRP programs will fund diverse multimodal transportation projects throughout the region to implement the mobility and sustainability goals from the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy.

The federal STBG program funds projects to preserve and improve the conditions and performance of highways, bridges, public roads, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and transit capital projects.  

The federal CMAQ program funds transportation projects and programs that reduce congestion and improve air quality in areas that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, or particulate matter (i.e., nonattainment areas) and for former nonattainment areas now in compliance (i.e., maintenance areas).

The CRP is a new program established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021 to fund transportation projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions from on-road transportation sources. As required by the IIJA, Caltrans established a framework for eligible priority project categories to reduce transportation emissions by funding zero-emission vehicles and supporting infrastructure, active transportation, rail and transit and conversion of existing highway lanes to priced managed lanes. 

The project award list includes 10 fully funded projects in Imperial County ($3.1 million), 18 in Los Angeles County ($147.9 million), 10 in Orange County ($48.5 million), five in Riverside County ($34.5 million), eight in San Bernardino County ($34.2 million) and 11 in Ventura County ($11.6 million). In addition to the full list of 62 projects the SCAG Regional Council also approved a contingency list of projects estimated at $101 million. 

After launching the STBG/CMAQ/CRP call for applications in January, SCAG collaborated with county transportation commissions from each of the six SCAG counties to solicit project nominations. Eligible project sponsors submitted nominations through their respective county transportation commissions and were scored according to criteria outlined in the STBG/CMAQ and CRP Guidelines.   

Awarded project sponsors may now program these projects into the Federal Transportation Improvement Program and begin the obligation process. For more information on STBG/CMAQ/CRP funding and award lists, visit SCAG’s STBG/CMAQ and CRP websites.