What’s New
Southern California plan makes impressive strides
Workshops to be held February 21st
The Southern California Draft 2035 RTP/SCS is the culmination of three years of work by Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG) staff, committees, and Regional Council. The plan makes some impressive strides, but it needs to take some additional steps to ensure that the region moves forward together and the plan becomes reality. Details can be found in this Southern CA letter, the ClimatePlan sign-on letter, and our recent blog post. Thanks to all of our partners that signed on to our comment letter! The SCAG Regional Council & Policy Committee will discuss the draft plan and EIR on February 21st. Immediately after, the California Air Resources Board will host a workshop to discuss its review of the plan. Details for these meetings can be found here. Adoption of the final plan is expected in April.
Southern California’s SCS sets lofty goals – but can it reach them?
February 7, 2012
The draft SCS for Southern California’s 6-county megaregion hit the streets in December. The plan’s nearly 2000 pages and whopping $525 billion pricetag are reminders of just how much is at stake. The good news is that if all the components of the plan come to fruition, Southern California will achieve its air quality goals, grow its economy, reach its targets for per capita greenhouse gas emissions, reduce traffic for many residents, and expand and diversify the region’s housing options. But there are two pieces of bad news. The first is that some of the most critical components of these plans may not come to pass – and if they don’t, business as usual may just continue.
Read more
About the Region
The Southern California region includes six counties and has 190 cities with more than 19 million residents – over half of California’s population.
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is the agency responsible for developing the Sustainable Communities Strategy. Orange County and the Gateway Cities are doing their own SCSes that will be incorporated into the region-wide SCS.
The SB 375 GHG reduction targets are 8% per capita reduction for 2020 and 13% per capita reduction for 2035.
About the Sustainable Communities Strategy
A Draft Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy was released in December 2011. The draft plan meets the 2020 GHG reduction target of 8% and exceeds the 2035 target by three points, but the news is not all good. Read more analysis of the plan in our February 7th blog post. You can find the plan, its appendices, and draft EIR here.
The comment period for the plan extends through February 14th. Click here to submit comments electronically. SCAG is planning to adopt the final plan in April 2012.
To get involved and learn more, see the websites of partner groups below. Contact ClimatePlan for help getting connected.
Regional Resources
Poll says most voters in L.A. region favor more public transit
LA Times, L.A Now Blog – November 4, 2011
By Ari Bloomekatz
Two-thirds of voters in Southern California think elected officials should prioritize investments in public transportation — not roads, according to a new survey. The poll of 758 registered voters in the six-county region was released this week by the nonprofit transit advocate Move LA, the American Lung Assn. in California and the Natural Resources Defense Council. In telephone interviews, voters were asked about many issues, including transportation and the environment.
Link to article
Growing Healthy in Southern California
By the American Lung Association in California, November 2011
This new analysis quantifies the clean air and societal benefits that Southern Californians will experience through smart growth strategies that reduce the need to drive. It demonstrates that the region could avoid $16 billion in cumulative health and societal costs and thousands of asthma attacks and respiratory symptoms between now and 2035 through a 20 percent reduction in vehicle miles traveled.
Download the report
Link to press release
Quick Fact
Mixed-use communities designed around transit, walking and biking allow residents to breathe cleaner air and incorporate physical activity into their daily routines. Individuals who live in walkable neighborhoods have a 35% lower risk of obesity.
Materials from July 19th Training: “Embedding Health & Equity in the Regional Transportation Plan”
Health advocates, public health officers, and other stakeholders came together on July 19, 2011 to learn about ways to engage in SCAG’s Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy. This webpage includes links to download the presentations given at the workshop, as well as materials that were developed as part of the training.
Link to webpage
Vision California: Southern California Regional Results
By Calthorpe Associates, September 2010
This analysis assesses the economic, energy, health, and land impacts of different ways to accommodate Southern California’s expected growth. Scenarios were developed to reflect a range of land use choices, from a business-as-usual future based on past trends to more compact options, including those represented by the regional Blueprint plan.
Download the Regional Results Summary
Southern California Climate and Economic Development Project
The Southern California Association of Governments is working with its partner agencies, local business leaders, and technical experts from the region to identify a range of options to meet the region’s needs for equitable economic development, pollution reduction, housing and transportation planning.
Climate and Economic Development website
ClimatePlan’s Southern California Sign-on Letter to ARB
June 23, 2010
Download the comment letter
Trends in Diabetes: A Reversible Public Health Crisis
By the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department, November 2010
This report reveals that from 1997 to 2007, diabetes increased from 6.6% to 9.1% among all adults in Los Angeles County. Type 2 diabetes, which is primarily caused by obesity, accounts for over 90 percent of all diabetes cases in the county. This coincides with rising rates of obesity which increased from 14.3% to 22.2% (1997-2007) in adults.
Download Report
Click here for ClimatePlan’s complete Resource Library
What They’re Saying…
“As a real estate industry professional I believe that the state’s historic SB 375 smart growth law will help prevent future housing bubbles and collapses and drive the city-centered development that consumers want.” – Michael Dieden, CEO of Creative Housing Associates in Los Angeles
Partners in the Region
American Lung Association in California
Breathe Los Angeles
Clean Air Now
Endangered Habitats League
Global Green
Kennedy Commission
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
Move LA
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Nature Conservancy
Public Law Center
Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing
Transportation For America
