SCH Number 2015092038

Project Info

Title

2020 Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy

Description

The proposed project is the Butte County 2020 RTP-SCS, which updates BCAG’s previous 2016 RTP adopted in December 2016. BCAG, as both the federally-designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO) and the State-designated regional transportation planning agency (RTPA) for Butte County, is required by both federal and State law to prepare a long-range (at least 20-year) transportation planning document known as a Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The RTP is an action-oriented document used to achieve a coordinated and balanced regional transportation system. California Government Code Section 65080 et seq. and Title 23 United States Code (USC) Section 134 require Regional Transportation Planning Agencies (RTPA) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) to prepare long-range transportation plans to: 1) establish regional goals, 2) identify present and future needs, deficiencies and constraints, 3) analyze potential solutions, 4) estimate available funding, and 5) propose investments. State Statutes require that the RTP serve as the foundation for the short-range transportation planning documents: the Regional and Federal Transportation Improvement Programs (RTIP and FTIP). BCAG has the responsibility to prepare a SCS as part of the RTP, pursuant to the requirements of California Senate Bill 375 as adopted in 2008. The SCS sets forth a forecasted development pattern for the region, which, when integrated with the transportation network and other transportation measures and policies, is intended to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from passenger vehicles and light trucks to achieve the regional GHG reduction targets set by the California Air Resources Board (ARB). Under both federal and State law, BCAG must update its RTP every four years. The 2020 RTP-SCS is the long-range planning, policy, action, and financial document for the Butte County Region. The RTP-SCS covers a 20-year period from 2020 to 2040 and is an update of the 2016 RTP-SCS. The RTP-SCS identifies the region’s transportation needs and issues and sets forth actions, programs, and projects to address those needs and issues. The RTP-SCS adopts policies, sets goals, and identifies financial resources to encourage and promote the safe and efficient management, operation, and development of a regional intermodal transportation system that would serve the mobility needs of goods and people. As described above, BCAG does not propose any land use changes, but rather the land use patterns envisioned by the RTP-SCS are based on the General Plan land use and zoning designations of the local agencies (the five incorporated cities and the county). The RTP-SCS would be consistent with the land use and zoning designations in the incorporated and unincorporated areas. The 2020 RTP-SCS reflects changes in legislative requirements, local land use policies, and resource constraints since the most recent RTP was adopted on December 8, 2016. The 2020 update to the RTP- SCS is focused on implementation of the 2016 RTP, with minor updates to ensure consistency with federal, state and local planning requirements.

6 documents in project