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On Friday, March 10 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced $66 million in outreach grants to fund projects to expand participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).  SCAG will be awarded $500,000 of the ACP Outreach Grant Program funds to utilize in helping bridge the digital divide through implementing innovative strategies to reach historically underserved and unserved communities across jurisdictions. This grant is aligned with SCAG’s resolution to assist in helping close the gap in digital equity.  

Despite showing economic resilience, Southern California is likely to follow the nation into a recession and faces several challenges ahead, including potential new supply chain constraints, labor and equitable growth, according to the latest quarterly update from SCAG’s Economic Roundtable. 

The Roundtable, a consortium of regional economic experts that met in January to update the region’s economic outlook and discuss challenges and opportunities facing the six counties that comprise SCAG. The consensus was that the region and nation continue to face significant economic uncertainty during what has been an uneven post-pandemic recovery. 

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) on Thursday urged significant investment in infrastructure, technology and systems to support the region’s role as a global supply chain hub and an economic engine that directly or indirectly accounts for more than one-third of all jobs in the six counties.

A resolution adopted by SCAG’s Regional Council called on local, state and federal partners to continue investing in a “safe, secure, clean and efficient multi-modal transportation system, including both highways and rail, to support the movement of goods across the region.”

The Southern California Association of Governments is in receipt of the 2023 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) Amendment #23-05 for Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties. The Public Review period starts on March 1, 2023 and will conclude at 5:00 p.m. on March 10, 2023.

A copy of the Project Listing is located on the SCAG FTIP website Proposed Amendment link at /2023-proposed-amendments.

Please note that some of the changes or project additions may be for projects funded with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 funds. This public involvement opportunity is provided to meet the public involvement requirements for the program of projects.

The Southern California Association of Governments is in receipt of the 2023 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) Amendment #23-14 for Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties. The Public Review period starts on August 2, 2023 and will conclude at 5:00 p.m. on August 11, 2023.

A copy of the Project Listing is located on the SCAG FTIP website Proposed Amendment link at /2023-proposed-amendments.

Please note that some of the changes or project additions may be for projects funded with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 funds. This public involvement opportunity is provided to meet the public involvement requirements for the program of projects.

Curious how communities can temporarily redesign streets and advocate for safety improvements? Go Human’s Activations Playbook simplifies this process in 5 steps, using materials from the Go Human Kit of Parts Lending Library.

SCAG’s Economic Roundtable met for its quarterly discussion on the current state of the regional economy last week. Labor market conditions were a major focus of the conversation and several overarching themes emerged: 

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) on Thursday released its draft Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, outlining direction for the region to meet federal transportation air quality standards and state greenhouse gas emission targets through $750 billion in transportation investments and a regional development pattern. Notable in this plan update are new strategies for addressing the housing crisis and homelessness, adapting to climate change and investing in underserved communities. 

SCAG is now accepting applications for the 2024 SCAG Sustainability Awards, SCAG’s annual recognition of plans and development projects that best exemplify the core principles of sustainability. These plans and projects are integral to accomplishing the goals of the , and they promote a cleaner, healthier and happier Southern California.  

With a rise in vehicle ownership, rideshare companies, deliveries and more, over-congested curb space is becoming more common across the Southern California region. In response, SCAG launched the Curb Space Management Study in June 2022.  

The study takes a comprehensive and multimodal approach to reviewing some of the most overburdened curb space locations within the SCAG region and serves as a blueprint for local jurisdictions to transform the curb space in their cities to reduce vehicle miles traveled and promote a balanced transportation system to improve overall quality of life. 

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Lead Agency, has released a Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (Draft PEIR) (State Clearinghouse No.: 2022100337) for the proposed 2024-2050 Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS), also referred to as “Connect SoCal 2024”, “2024 RTP/SCS”, “Plan”, or “Project.” The Draft PEIR serves as a programmatic document that presents a region‐wide assessment of the potential environmental effects of Connect SoCal 2024. 

A copy of the Notice of Availability (NOA) and Connect SoCal 2024 Draft PEIR is available by visiting scag.ca.gov/peir. 

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY & PUBLIC HEARINGS

The Draft Amendment 3 to the Connect SoCal 2020 (2020-2045 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy “2020 RTP/SCS” or “Connect SoCal 2020”) and the Draft 2023 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) Consistency Amendment #23-03 including the associated transportation conformity analysis are available for public review and comment. Information on how to provide public comment is contained in this notice.

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CONNECT SOCAL 2024 SUBCOMMITTEES 

In September 2022, SCAG launched three subcommittees to look at emerging issues for the Connect SoCal 2024 plan. 

Governor Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday afternoon awards of more than $1.3 billion in state funding to transit and rail capital projects in Southern California, providing a major boost to regional efforts to significantly improve transportation, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, congestion and vehicle miles traveled. 

CalSTA’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) is awarding approximately $2.5 billion to 16 existing projects throughout the state, including $1.3 billion for seven projects in the six-county SCAG region.  

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10 SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE FOR HOUSING SUPPORTIVE GRANT APPLICATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

In addition to Permanent Local Housing Allocation application assistance, SCAG is offering technical assistance for jurisdictions an

SCAG is excited to announce a major opportunity for college and university students in the region. The 2022 Student Showcase is a storymapping competition that challenges students to think innovatively and compete for cash prizes in two award categories: Best in Show and Audience Awards.

Student participants are invited to conceptualize, create and submit planning-related ArcGIS StoryMaps using SCAG’s open data. This is a meaningful way to tell a story or provide insight, showcase plans and projects, engage supporters and stakeholders, illustrate the possibilities of data, and highlight the usefulness of open data at the regional level.

With 2022 coming to an end, we extend a sincere thank you on behalf of everyone at SCAG. As we continue to work together to achieve our unified goals, the region is looking toward a brighter future because of our collaboration.

In response the COVID-19 public health crisis, SCAG offices have been closed to the public since March 2020 and Regional Council and Policy Committee meetings have been held in a hybrid format.  

While Regional Council and Policy Committee meetings will continue to be held in a hybrid format for the near future, in January 2023, SCAG offices will reopen to the public to permit participation in SCAG’s legislative body meetings in person. 

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SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise joined Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and local, state and federal representatives on Tuesday, Jan. 11, for a tour of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.