In recent years, dozens of organizations have gotten involved to help Regional Transportation Plans and Sustainable Communities Strategies better promote healthy, equitable regions throughout California. And these long term Regional Transportation Plans have taken great strides forward.

It’s been a make-or-break week for land use and transportation legislation in Sacramento, ending with a dramatic vote on high speed rail.  As the Legislature packs up its bags and heads off to summer recess, here is our rundown of the week’s highs and lows--

In recent months, we’ve been working to improve coordination on smart growth legislation in California, a challenging endeavor in this crazy fiscal and political environment! Major policy problems such as the gaping hole left by redevelopment’s dissolution have become the norm, and now there’s an urgent need to work with legislators to solve these problems. Fortunately, ClimatePlan partners and allies are working fast and furiously to ensure that these problems are addressed by smart and effective legislation.

Today, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) continues their legacy of leadership in regional planning, with the adoption of the 2012 Metropolitan Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy.  The plan is an impressive achievement, one that could guide the Sacramento area to a more sustainable economic and environmental future, but its successful implementation could be jeopardized by sprawling projects on the exurban fringe.

This week marks another installment in California’s quest to build a high speed train connecting the Bay Area and Los Angeles.  On Thursday,  the High Speed Rail Authority will vote to approve a new business plan. Given the Authority’s checkered past  – and Governor Brown’s recent housecleaning – I was curious to see if the new leadership has finally figured out a way to turn this train around, so to speak.