Members of the San Joaquin Council Of Governments Board has voted to adopt the 2018 Regional Transportation Plan, which identifies a revenue forecast and a package of transportation investments that meet regional priorities for mobility and transportation needs in San Joaquin County through the year 2042. This vote completes more than two years of work to update the plan last adopted in 2014, and represents the collective vision for the region as voiced by the public, stakeholder groups, and the SJCOG policy board through the extensive public outreach process.
The 2018 RTP lays out a plan for investing an estimated $11.5 billion in local, state, and federal transportation funds expected to come into the region over the next 25 years.
Some highlights from the plan include:
• Expanded ACE Service to Ripon, Modesto and Ceres;
• 38 percent of investments or $4.5 billion for roadway maintenance, safety and operations;
• $320 million for bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
Along with the 2018 RTP, the Board adopted the Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) and the associated Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The SCS details how the region will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to state-mandated levels over time.
“Today’s vote is another step forward in improving the region’s transportation network and protecting our quality of life,” said San Joaquin County Supervisor Kathy Miller, who serves as the COG Board Chair. “Stakeholders throughout the region have worked hand-in-hand with the MPO staff to develop this plan. Great attention has been given to the selection of projects to ensure that our limited transportation funds make the greatest impact.”
The federal government mandates that all Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) plan 20 plus years into the future, and account for all regionally‐significant road, transit, freight, technology, and walking and biking projects in their respective planning areas. Revenue forecasts are based on a conservative growth rate for present‐day funding levels from all federal, state, and local sources. Proposed improvements are intended to help alleviate traffic congestion, provide more transportation choices, improve system operations, and meet the region’s economic development goals over the next quarter century.
The plan rests on the view that transportation infrastructure is more than just a tool to improve mobility – it is a significant contributor to the overall health, sustainability, prosperity, and character of a place – whether that is a small community or a large metropolitan region.
The Regional Transportation Plan and other related documents including the programmatic Environmental Impact Report and Air Quality Conformity Analysis can be viewed on SJCOG’s website at www.sjcog.org/rtp.
San Joaquin Council of Governments is a joint powers authority comprised of the County of San Joaquin and the cities of Stockton, Lodi, Manteca, Tracy, Ripon, Escalon, and Lathrop. The agency serves as the federally-designated metropolitan planning organization, the state-designated regional transportation planning agency, the implementing agency for the habitat conservation program, the local transportation authority (overseeing Measure K, the local half-cent transportation sales tax), and as a technical resource for the San Joaquin region. For more information, visit sjcog.org, follow SJCOG on Facebook and Twitter, or call 209-235-0600.
