SCAG Presents ‘2026 Sustainability Awards’ to Honor Regional Excellence

The SCAG Sustainability Awards recognize projects for outstanding contributions to the local implementation of the Connect SoCal Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy for a more mobile, sustainable, and prosperous region. 

Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability

At the 2026 Regional Conference and General Assembly, SCAG awarded its top award, the “Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability,” to the city of Riverside’s Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Mitigation Bank Pilot Program.

The VMT Mitigation Bank Pilot Program is an innovative, first-in-county initiative that provides developers with a streamlined, low-cost option to fully mitigate VMT impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), at the lowest known statewide rate of $98 per VMT reduced. The program offers cost certainty and faster entitlements while generating a dedicated funding source to deliver citywide infrastructure projects that improve safety, reduce emissions, and expand multimodal access—which has funded 16 such projects so far. Developed through extensive stakeholder and community engagement, the program also modernized the city’s CEQA thresholds, traffic impact guidelines, and introduced the TREDLite tool to expedite VMT analysis and decision-making. 

The 2026 Sustainability Awards recognized nine projects in total:

Mobility

Active and Clean Mobility Award 

Coachella Valley Link (CV Link); Coachella Valley Association of Governments 

CV Link is a first-of-its-kind, 40-mile, multi-jurisdictional active transportation corridor providing a safe pathway, separated from vehicle traffic, for walking, biking, and low-speed electric vehicles across the Coachella Valley. Completed in 2025, the project connects residents and visitors to jobs, schools, services, and destinations while delivering measurable benefits in mobility, public health, air quality, equity, and economic vitality, particularly for disadvantaged communities. 

Transportation Innovation Award

Experience Metrolink; San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, Metrolink, and Riverside County Transportation Commission 

Experience Metrolink is a fare-free, technology-enabled rail incentive program led by the Riverside County Transportation Commission and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority in partnership with Metrolink and IE Commuter. By providing up to 90 days of free Metrolink travel, the program lowers cost barriers to encourage lasting mode shift to rail and expands equitable access to jobs and services. 

Communities

Great Places Award

Farm Block; Cottage Industries and the City of Garden Grove 

The Farm Block is an adaptive reuse and placemaking project in Garden Grove that transforms six historic homes and underutilized parcels into a walkable, mixed-use community destination centered on local food, small businesses, and urban agriculture. Delivered through a public-private partnership with Cottage Industries, the project provides affordable commercial space, a half-acre community garden, and vibrant public gathering areas. 

Housing for Sustainability Award

Housing Accessibility Initiative; City of Lancaster 

The Housing Accessibility Initiative (HAI) is the city of Lancaster’s comprehensive strategy to rapidly expand diverse, high-quality housing options and meet 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Assessment obligations. The HAI enables unprecedented housing production across market-rate, affordable, special-needs, senior, and accessory dwelling unit-integrated projects. 

Environment

Adaptation and Resilience Award

Regional Community Wildfire Protection Plan for the San Gabriel Valley; San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments 

The Regional Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the San Gabriel Valley is a comprehensive, science-based framework that coordinates wildfire preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery across jurisdictions affected by the recent Bobcat, Bridge, and Eaton fires. The CWPP integrates advanced hazard and social vulnerability analyses to prioritize life safety, protect critical infrastructure, and support nature-based and built-environment resilience. 

Climate Leadership Award

Pico Rivera Climate Action and Adaptation Plan; City of Pico Rivera 

Adopted in January 2025, Pico Rivera’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) establishes an implementation-focused framework to cut greenhouse gas emissions, improve public health, and build climate resilience, with a goal of carbon neutrality by 2045. The CAAP prioritizes near-term, community-scale actions in electricity, transportation, and waste. 

Economy

Economic Resilience Award

Calexico East Port of Entry Bridge Widening Project; Imperial County Transportation Commission   

The Calexico East Port of Entry Bridge Widening Project eliminated a longstanding bottleneck at this commercial freight corridor, strengthening the efficiency and competitiveness of California's freight system while supporting trade flows essential to both U.S. and Mexican economies. For Imperial County residents, the project delivers measurable quality-of-life improvements: reduced exposure to harmful vehicle emissions, safer pedestrian crossings, and reliable access to cross-border employment and services. 

Carmen Ramirez Award for Equity

Safe Travels in Nyeland Acres; Nyeland Promise

Nyeland Promise is a community-rooted nonprofit advancing equity, safety, and quality of life in Nyeland Acres through multilingual, resident-led planning and advocacy. The organization delivers people-first initiatives—such as Safe Travels in Nyeland Acres—that improve active transportation, traffic safety, and environmental health for vulnerable populations while elevating community voice. 

SCAG accepted nominations for the 2026 SCAG Sustainability Awards from Nov. 17, 2025, to Jan. 5, 2026, before convening a jury to select the winning projects according to criteria in the Sustainability Awards Call for Nominations. 

For more on SCAG’s 2026 Sustainability Awards, visit the SCAG website.