Executive Director’s Monthly Report, December 2024
SCAG Receives $6 Million for Transportation Safety During the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics
In November, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded SCAG a $6 million Safe Streets and Roads for All grant to help the region prepare for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The grant will fund a partnership between SCAG and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to create safe street reconfigurations along corridors on the high injury network that will also expect high volumes of travel during the 2028 Games. This demonstration project will prioritize safety for walking, biking, and riding transit and will allow SCAG to establish regional best practices for permanent projects in the future. Read more about the grant award on SCAG News.
December Regional Council Features ‘2024 Southern California Economic Update’
SCAG’s December Regional Council meeting included a presentation of the “2024 Southern California Economic Update,” featuring SCAG’s annual economic reporting, presentations from SCAG’s Economic Roundtable, and in-depth discussion about the state of the economy among Regional Council members.
SCAG Regional Council President and San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman delivered the opening remarks to the presentation. Kate Gordon, chief executive officer of California Forward, moderated the event, with members of the SCAG Economic Roundtable presenting reports on the overall regional economy and each of SCAG’s six counties. In addition, David Roland-Holst, managing director of Berkeley Economic Advising and Research, gave a presentation on regional sustainability, and Beth Tamayose, research director at the University of California, Riverside, School of Public Policy, gave a presentation on economic equity. A round of questions from members of the Regional Council followed the presentations.
SCAG also published the “2024 Southern California Economic Update” during the event. SCAG publishes this annual economic update with analysis covering the entire region as well as providing specific insight into the economies of Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial counties. The “2024 Southern California Economic Update” reviews the past year and highlights economic trends to watch for in the coming year to assist Southern California policymakers in planning for the next 30 years. To read more about the update and download the full report, visit SCAG News.
SCAG hopes to continue the spirit of this discussion while working toward the implementation of the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy in the coming months and years. We look forward to continuing the conversation at our next event. Please mark your calendars for the upcoming 2025 Regional Conference and General Assembly on May 1-2, 2025, in Palm Desert.
2024 Sustainable Communities Program – Active Transportation and Safety Awards
On Dec. 5, the Regional Council approved the 2024 Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) – Active Transportation and Safety Project List and Contingency Project List. The 2024 SCP – Active Transportation and Safety awards include active transportation-related plans and quick-build projects that support the implementation of mobility policies included in the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. Projects will be funded through the state’s Active Transportation Program (ATP) Cycle 7 regional funds, a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant, and SCAG matching state funds (to address the ATP Cycle 7 budget cuts). A total of 40 applications were evaluated, and 13 projects were selected for funding. To read more about the 2024 SCP – Active Transportation and Safety awards, visit SCAG News.
Final REAP 1.0 Update
SCAG staff presented a final program update on the 2019 Regional Early Action Planning program (REAP 1.0) to the Executive/Administration Committee and the Community, Economic and Human Development Committee (CEHD). Through REAP 1.0, SCAG funded over 100 housing development and infrastructure planning projects, supporting communities in meeting the growing demand for affordable and sustainable housing. The REAP 1.0 program resulted in a range of adopted land use plans, development streamlining tools, financing strategies, and planning strategies that have identified best practices and can be scaled across the region.
Among the many takeaways of the program, REAP 1.0 has highlighted SCAG’s role as a critical bridge between state and local policy. SCAG submitted all its final processed invoices and program closeout materials to the California Department of Housing and Community Development on Nov. 21, 2024. SCAG has published the full REAP 1.0 project list.
The CEHD presentation on Dec. 5 highlighted select REAP 1.0 projects, sharing outcomes and lessons learned. A video of the committee meeting will be published soon on the CEHD webpage of the SCAG website.
Call for Nominations Open for the 2025 Sustainability Awards
Nominations are now open for SCAG’s 2025 Sustainability Awards. The SCAG Sustainability Awards recognize projects for contributing to the goals of the Connect SoCal Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy and for achieving progress toward a more mobile, sustainable, and prosperous region.
The 2025 Sustainability Awards are open to governmental agencies, non-governmental agencies, community-based organizations, nonprofits, universities, and more. Applicants are encouraged to submit a joint entry for projects that span multiple agencies, sectors, and geographies. Projects completed or adopted between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2024, are eligible for nomination. The deadline for nominations is Dec. 13, 2024. More information about the awards and the nomination guidelines is available at the Sustainability Awards page on the SCAG website.
SCAG will announce the winners of the 2025 Sustainability Awards at the 2025 Regional Council Conference and General Assembly at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Palm Desert on May 1.
SCAG Hosts First ‘Freight Industry Forum’ to Prepare for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games
On Nov. 20, SCAG hosted the first Freight Industry Forum to gather a diverse set of participants—including the Games Mobility Executive partners, SCAG regional partners, industry stakeholders, and other agency representatives—to discuss the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The meeting included overviews of logistics planning for the 2028 Games and lessons learned from past Olympic Games in Paris and London. Industry stakeholders want to ensure that 2028 Games events locations and routes are well understood and that communication is clear before and during the events.
SCAG’s Freight Industry Forum will continue to advise in the preparation leading up to the 2028 Games, with the next meeting anticipated for this winter.
SCAG Attends Organizational Session in Sacramento
On Dec. 2, SCAG’s Legislative Team and Executive Director Kome Ajise traveled to Sacramento to represent SCAG while the California State Legislature conducted its “Organizational Session” and swearing-in ceremony.
Of the assemblymembers and senators sworn in, 33 are brand new to the legislature. The next year will be important for building relationships and providing education on the needs of our region.
During this trip, the team met with Senator Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), who is leading the charge to prioritize state funding for the LOSSAN line, Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton), who played a central role in protecting the REAP program, and Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Fairfield), chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee.
‘Big 4’ State Metropolitan Planning Organizations Gather for SB 375 Discussion
On Nov. 17-18, the California Association of Councils of Government hosted a meeting for executive directors of the state’s “Big Four” metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and key members of leadership teams to discuss shared goals for Senate Bill (SB) 375 reform and priorities for the upcoming legislative sessions.
The group also met with executive officers from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), California Transportation Commission, and Caltrans to discuss next steps in working together on SB 375 implementation and potential reform.
MPO representatives emphasized our commitment to climate goals and improving the process without abandoning SB 375 and discussed technical challenges with the current SB 375 process, including modeling, data, and metrics. MPO representatives also expressed concern over the growing cost of these activities and a desire to simplify plan submittal processes to put more funding toward implementation.
The meeting concluded constructively, with an agreement to continue discussions and a commitment from CARB to follow up on next steps regarding a pause in Sustainable Community Strategy guidelines.
Following the meetings, SCAG staff had additional conversations with CARB staff on the process for addressing outstanding technical issues regarding CARB’s approval of SCAG’s greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment for the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. Based on these conversations, SCAG will be preparing additional analysis on the plan’s work-from-home assumptions and electric vehicle strategies to further support that the plan would meet GHG targets if implemented.
SCAG Mobile Workshop Visits North America’s First Hydrogen-Powered Home
A SCAG delegation gathered in Los Angeles County on Nov. 22 to participate in the third mobile workshop under the leadership of SCAG Regional Council President Curt Hagman. Members were provided with an exclusive tour of the “Hydrogen Home” created by the SoCalGas [H2] Innovation Experience. The [H2] Innovation Experience is North America’s first clean, renewable, hydrogen-powered microgrid and home. The mobile tour of the Hydrogen Home in the city of Downey explored the exciting potential of hydrogen energy—a technology that could help shape the future of sustainable, low-carbon communities.
The SCAG delegation was enthusiastic to broaden their understanding of the important role of hydrogen in helping the state achieve its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Innovations like the Hydrogen House are key in reducing emissions and creating a smarter, more sustainable future for California, the nation, and the world. SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise, Chief Operating Officer Darin Chidsey, and Regional Council President Curt Hagman were among those in attendance.
Legislative/Communications and Membership Committee Studies the 2024 General Election
On Nov. 19, Paul Mitchell, the owner of Redistricting Partners and Vice President of Political Data Inc., joined the SCAG Legislative/Communications and Membership Committee to share data and statistics about the 2024 General Election. Mitchell shared expertise and insight on the 2024 elections, with electoral maps to illustrate the election results, delving into voter turnout trends and the most competitive races across the state. A video of the Nov. 19 meeting is available on the Legislative/Communications and Membership page on the SCAG website.
SCAG Sponsors CoMotion LA
SCAG sponsored the CoMotion LA event held in November at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles. SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise spoke on the “Driving Change: Electrification of Drayage for Sustainable Logistics” panel, focusing on the electrification of drayage and how ports are investing in innovative infrastructure to reduce carbon footprints. Major freight hubs have already received significant federal investments in clean energy infrastructure within the ports of California, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, and New Jersey with Climate Pollution Reduction Grants through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. SCAG Regional Council Member Suely Saro and additional SCAG executives also attended the event.
2024 California Resource Management Association ‘Vision’ Conference
SCAG staff was invited to speak at the annual California Resource Management Association ‘Vision’ conference on Nov. 14 in Buena Park to present information on SCAG’s regional greenhouse gas reduction efforts, with a focus on Senate Bill 743-related vehicle miles traveled (VMT) analysis requirements and mitigation strategies. The one-hour presentation included an overview of SCAG’s collaboration with local agencies to develop VMT mitigation analysis tools and mitigation strategies, the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy performance monitoring program, and the land use strategies promoted through Connect SoCal 2024 to reduce single occupancy vehicle dependency in the region, including Priority Development Areas and Green Region Resource Areas.
SCAG Participates in the 2024 Facing Race Conference and GARE Annual Meeting
Staff facilitated the session “Building Strong Peer Networks for Advancing Racial Equity: Strategies and Insight from Local to National Levels” at the 2024 Facing Race and 2024 GARE Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, from Nov. 20-22. The session focused on sharing the origin and experiences of different peer networks (such as the MPO Equity Working Group and Sacramento Area Practitioners Network) and conducting a mapping activity to help other agencies and organizations start their own networks. At the end of the session, the presenters wanted participants to understand there is no perfect way to address and advance equity and that it is a work in progress, and developing or having a peer network can help create a foundation for lasting impact.
SCAG Attends ITS America Workforce Development Community of Practice Presentation
SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise participated in the Intelligent Transportation Society of America’s (ITS America) Workforce Development Community of Practice meeting. The ITS Workforce Development Community of Practice is focused on understanding and addressing future workforce gaps and needs in the transportation industry, particularly as related to the growth of intelligent transportation systems. Ajise shared his personal workforce journey along with his thoughts on future workforce needs and SCAG’s workforce development efforts.
SCAG Staff Mentors Future Planners at the California Transportation Foundation Education Symposium
In November, SCAG sponsored the California Transportation Foundation’s annual Transportation Education Symposium, an intense two-day, hands-on workshop that pairs undergraduate engineering and planning students from across the state with a professional mentor for one-on-one coaching. Student teams collaborate to develop a grant application, with professionals role-playing as stakeholders and decision-makers. The 29th Annual Transportation Education Symposium was held on Nov. 7-8 in Fresno. SCAG’s Principal Modeler Bayarmaa Aleksandr attended the event as a mentor, taking on the role of a climate scientist and stakeholder.
SCAG Supports the WTS-LA Scholarship Gala
SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise, Chief Planning Officer Sarah Jepson, Chief Government and Public Affairs Officer Javiera Cartagena, Department Manager of Partnerships, Innovation, and Technology Kate Kingongo, and additional SCAG staff joined WTS-Los Angeles on Nov. 12 at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles to honor industry trailblazers and award scholarships to exceptional young women shaping the future of transportation. SCAG proudly awarded Emily Tang a scholarship to continue studies at Cal Poly Pomona in mechanical engineering.
SCAG Presentation Provided to Graduate Students at the University of California, Irvine
On Nov. 6, Executive Director Kome Ajise gave a lecture to a “Transportation Planning and Policy” graduate-level class at the University of California, Irvine’s Institute of Transportation Studies. The presentation provided an overview of SCAG’s governing structure and core responsibilities, the Connect SoCal Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, the housing crisis, SCAG’s success with the Regional Early Action Planning program, and other key issues.
