Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)

09/19/2024

S**G Regional Council President and San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman and S**G Executive Director Kome Ajise represented S**G at the ITS World Congress in Dubai this week. Pres. Hagman participated in a panel about leveraging connected and automated vehicles (CAV) to improve fuel economy. President Hagman spoke about priorities for his leadership at S**G regarding emerging technologies in the region, addressing transportation technology regionwide and in state policies and projects. Kome participated in a panel on electrification, which is rapidly emerging as a frontline solution in the global battle against climate change.

09/18/2024

S**G Executive Director Kome Ajise, S**G Director of Government and Public Affairs Javiera Cartagena, and S**G Regional Council First Vice President Cindy Allen joined Olympic and Paralympic athletes, civic leaders, and LA28 at a ceremony to install the Olympic and Paralympic flags at Los Angeles City Hall last week. S**G is working with LA28, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Planning Authority (Metro), Caltrans, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, and Metrolink—a group collectively known as the Games Mobility Executives—to develop mobility plans and strategies and pursue state and federal funds to support the transportation infrastructure needed for the region during the Olympics.

09/17/2024

Get the facts on Southern California population growth trends and what they mean for the future of the region at the 2024 Southern California Demographic Workshop, hosted by S**G and the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. Registration closes on Sept. 20, so sign up today before time runs out: https://ow.ly/kZxG50Tki5q

09/16/2024

The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) is looking for feedback on its Long Range Multimodal Transportation Plan (LRMTP). SBCTA is hosting virtual public meetings to gather input on strategic priorities for the LRMTP on September 17 and 19 at 6pm. The meetings will be held virtually via Zoom and Spanish interpretation will be available for both. The SBCTA is also circulating a survey on regionally significant projects included in the LRMTP. Learn more about how to give feedback at the LMRTP website:

We want to hear from you! Share your input on upcoming projects in your area to help us develop a comprehensive transportation vision for the county. Take our survey to share your thoughts and for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card!

09/04/2024

Thank you to the Port of Hueneme and Port CEO Kristen Decas for hosting S**G Regional Council board members and staff on a tour of the port last week. The tour included visits to a BMW processing facility and a banana distributor, a boat tour, and a ceremony in honor of the late S**G board member Carmen Ramirez. Regional Council President Curt Hagman, Second Vice President Ray Marquez, and Riverside Mayor S**G Legislative/Communications Committee Chair Patricia Lock Dawson were in attendance, along with Regional Council and policy committee members Rocky Rhodes, Jenny Crosswhite, Laura Hernandez, Vianey Lopez, Elaine Litster, and Daniel Ramos.

09/03/2024

On Aug. 29 S**G hosted the 5th meeting of the California State Transportation Agency “Transit Transformation Task Force.” The task force is developing policy recommendations to grow transit ridership and improve the user experience for transit riders throughout the state, and will report findings and policy recommendations to the legislature by October 2025. S**G worked with Move LA, Metrolink, and Metro to coordinate a transit ride along prior to the meeting to highlight recent improvements.

08/27/2024

Celebrate Pedestrian Safety Month in September by registering for a Sept. 3 Toolbox Tuesday session exploring public art and placemaking projects that improve safety for people walking and biking. Using case studies from Go Human Community Streets Grant Program awardees and pop-up demonstration projects, this session invites speakers to discuss arts engagement, creative placemaking, and place-keeping strategies to bolster community engagement and improve active transportation safety. https://ow.ly/2Fh850T6ZZY

08/22/2024

What’s in the program for the 2024 Southern California Demographic Workshop, hosted by S**G and the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy on Sept. 24?

Expert panels: Demographic Check-Up; What Does the New Growth Reality Mean for Regions?; and Evolving Diversity in Southern California Neighborhoods.

Roundtable discussions: U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates and Projections; Population Estimates, Census Data, School Enrollment, and More; and The Neighborhood Data for Social Change Platform.

Keynote address by Bill Fulton.

Don’t miss this chance to gather with experts and leaders to discuss the future of Southern California. Register today to attend in person or online: https://ow.ly/9LQR50T2spJ

08/21/2024

Celebrate Pedestrian Safety Month in September by registering for a Sept. 3 Toolbox Tuesday session exploring public art and placemaking projects that improve safety for people walking and biking. Using case studies from Go Human Community Streets Grant Program awardees and pop-up demonstration projects, this session invites speakers to discuss arts engagement, creative placemaking, and place-keeping strategies to bolster community engagement and improve active transportation safety. https://ow.ly/1tXw50T2os9

08/01/2024

S**G’s Economic Roundtable met for its third 2024 quarterly discussion on the state of the regional economy. In addition to discussing the economic outlook, the labor market and small businesses, economists discussed the causes and implications of challenges in the California insurance market and the outlook for the region’s logistics industry.

Read the full report: https://ow.ly/82bV50SPCwJ

07/30/2024

Announcing the keynote speaker for the 2024 Southern California Demographic Workshop: Bill Fulton, FAICP. Fulton is a former mayor and planning director, with a long career in public service as one of the planning profession’s pre-eminent authors and thought leaders. Fulton’s keynote will respond to recent population projections for the region and state, and share lessons from other states on how to harness new demographic trends to improve the quality of life for all who live and work in Southern California. Register today: https://ow.ly/LAb250SMKW3

07/29/2024

The Silicon Valley Clean Cities Coalition is hosting a free webinar on Aug. 8 to address the operational and budgetary impacts of the California Air Resources Board's new Advanced Clean Fleets regulation. David Worthington, Santa Clara County fleet manager, will be keynote speaker at the event.

The ACF regulation is the latest development in CARB’s decades long history of setting increasingly stringent emission standards for mobile sources to protect the public health and welfare of Californians. The webinar will cover regulatory details such as fleet types and vehicle sizes affected by the regulation; charging and hydrogen fuel station infrastructure time extensions; procurement contract, sales, administrative, and documentation requirements; available resources; and more. Register online:

Join Silicon Valley Clean Cities for a free webinar addressing the Operational and Budgetary impacts of the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation that was implemented on January 1st, 2024. Our Presenter will be David Worthington, Fleet Manager for the County....

07/25/2024

S**G wants your input on transportation infrastructure barriers like highways, rail lines, airports, or major roads that separate neighborhoods from nearby schools, jobs, parks, or other destinations. Take the survey now through Aug. 11 to help S**G identify good places for grant programs to reconnect communities: http://bit.ly/S**GH2BSurvey?utm_source=facebook&utm_content=Survey-Reminder&utm_campaign=Highways-to-Boulevards

07/25/2024

Join S**G for an Aug. 20 Toolbox Tuesday session exploring how communities implement quick-build projects for low-cost design and infrastructure improvements that increase safety, comfort, and accessibility for all road users. Planners can also use feedback generated by community engagement with quick-build projects to evaluate and improve future street designs. This session will introduce quick-build projects and review cases from the S**G region. Attendees will learn the many forms quick-build projects can take and hear from consultants and local agency staff about their experiences designing, implementing, and evaluating quick-build projects.

Please click the link to complete this form.

07/23/2024

S**G officials attended a press conference last week where U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced $77.5 million in Low or No Emission Grant Program funds from the Federal Transit Administration for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) Zero-Emission Bus and Charging Infrastructure Project. "With funding made possible by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we're helping connect even more people across L.A. County with affordable, reliable public transportation," said Secretary Buttigieg. The funding will allow Metro to procure battery-electric buses, charging equipment, and supporting infrastructure to provide reliable zero-emission service along bus routes operating from Bus Division 7 in West Hollywood.

07/22/2024

S**G will receive $50 million to reduce pollution from goods movement—part of nearly $500 million in grants for Southern California included in $4.3 billion in investments announced this week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. S**G achieved the funding award through a collaborative application led by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, outlining a coordinated, large-scale regional effort for zero-emission vehicles and fueling infrastructure improvements to support the regional goods movement network. https://ow.ly/rQzF50SHy5T

07/19/2024

S**G joined the Long Beach community to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, a long-awaited centerpiece of a series of improvements to the port rail network. The new facility will double the size of the existing Pier B rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres and more than triple the volume of on-dock rail cargo the Port of Long Beach can handle annually, from 1.5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 4.7 million TEUs. Dignitaries present included congressmembers Robert Garcia and Grace Napolitano, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Stephanie Wiggins, and many others.

07/18/2024

🚲🌴🚶🏻‍♀️ This summer, local content creator Michelle Moro ( on IG and TikTok) partnered with S**G and Go Human to raise bicycle and pedestrian safety awareness in Southern California by sharing personal bicycling experiences and important safety tips. Watch the video to learn more about Go Human’s efforts to make Southern California communities safer and more livable.

🚲🌴🚶🏻‍♀️ This summer, local content creator partnered with S**G Go Human to raise awareness about important bicycle and pedestrian safety work...

07/16/2024

The draft 2025 Federal Transportation Improvement Program and draft Connect SoCal 2024 Amendment 1 are available for public comment. The 2025 FTIP allocates $38.8 billion across 1,100 projects to improve safety, asset conditions, air quality, and accessibility, while Amendment 1 updates Connect SoCal 2024 to align with evolving regional transportation needs and regulatory standards. S**G will hold two public hearings to gather input on July 23 and July 30.

Comment before the end of the 30-day public review period on Aug. 12. Read more details and learn how to submit comments and register for a hearing: https://ow.ly/7k7850SCzAT

07/15/2024

For a century, fast population growth defined Southern California as a magnet for migrants. However, population growth has slowed in the past decade, consistent with national and global trends. Register for the 2024 Southern California Demographic Workshop, presented by S**G and the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy in Downtown L.A., with an online attendance option, on Sept. 24, to discuss how changing population growth affects regional planning—from accommodating development to improving quality of life and cultivating the economy. https://ow.ly/giTv50SBQa3

07/11/2024

S**G wants your input on the transportation infrastructure, like highways, major roads, and railroads, that create barriers in your community. Your input can help identify opportunities for projects to repair communities and neighborhoods for S**G's “Highways to Boulevards Regional Study.” Use the QR code or the link to take the survey: https://app.maptionnaire.com/q/6xv4d6dfj427

07/10/2024

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority is expanding the Mobility Wallet Pilot Program, funded in part by a Regional Early Action Planning 2.0 grant from S**G. The Mobility Wallet is part of the larger Universal Basic Mobility program, led by the city of Los Angeles to expand transportation options and provide a minimum level of mobility to all members of society regardless of age, ability, location and socioeconomic status. Read more about the Mobility Wallet at Mass Transit magazine:

Phase I of the program, which ran between May 2023 and April 2024 in collaboration with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, provided an all-in-one way to pay for multiple...

07/09/2024

S**G Executive Director Kome Ajise today joined Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez in a celebratory press conference to announce the official launch of the Reconnecting MacArthur Park project. The MacArthur Park project will revitalize the heart of the Westlake neighborhood by reconnecting the two sides of the park and transforming the area into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, and green community space.

Thanks in part to local grant partners of the project, the council office successfully secured a combined $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation and S**G to complete the planning stage of the Reconnecting MacArthur Park project. S**G awarded $500,000 in funding for the Reconnecting MacArthur Park Project through the Sustainable Communities Program – Civic Engagement, Equity, and Environmental Justice call for applications to study the traffic impacts of closing a portion of Wilshire Boulevard where it runs through the middle of MacArthur Park.

Kome personally congratulated Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, and the entire team at Central City Neighborhood Partners for their work initiating this historic effort and vision for a more equitable and resilient future.

07/08/2024

S**G’s Sustainable Communities Program – Active Transportation and Safety call for applications is now open. Eligible applicants include community plans, area plans and quick-build projects that encourage active transportation (e.g., walking, biking, transit) and improve roadway safety. The application period closes Sept. 27. Program details and application assistance available at https://ow.ly/MoI850SxiSZ

07/03/2024

S**G Executive Director Kome Ajise and Chief Planning Officer Sarah Jepson visited the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) to provide updates to S**G Regional Council and policy committee members. Topics of discussion included the Regional Early Action Planning program, transportation finances, the California State Transportation Agency Transit Task Force, and more. Thank you to all members and staff who attended. It was also Hawaiian shirt day—S**G policy committee member Hon. Daniel Ramos (City of Adelanto) won the competition.

06/27/2024

Join S**G for the July 9 Toolbox Tuesday to learn how to use the latest Census data to analyze neighborhood conditions—a critical step in the local planning process due to a variety of housing and environmental planning requirements. This session will demonstrate how to analyze neighborhood-level characteristics within cities using the free R statistical programming language to extract, wrangle, and visualize data. R provides a free, open-source software environment for integrated handling a wide range of data analytics tasks. The session is oriented toward American Community Survey data—the nation’s most current and accessible source for data on critical planning topics. Register online today: https://form.jotform.com/S**Gweb/toolbox-tuesday

06/26/2024

S**G staff attended the 2024 NARC Annual Conference & Exhibition in Atlanta, Georgia this week. S**G Deputy Director of Planning Elizabeth Carvajal also participated in a panel titled “Exploring the Regional Role in Housing: Strategies & Solutions,” discussing the most pressing issue in regional planning alongside co-panelists from Utah and Georgia. Elizabeth spoke about S**G’s REAP programs and housing strategies in the Southern California region.

06/24/2024

S**G Executive Director Kome Ajise, along with government affairs staff and Regional Council members, recently attended the Western Riverside Council of Governments General Assembly & Leadership Conference. This year’s keynote speaker was Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, who talked about the importance of relationships when working for a greater good and goal. Regional Council members Jan Harnik (Palm Desert), Andrew Masiel (Tribal Representative), Karen Spiegel (Riverside) and Damon Alexander (San Bernardino) attended the event, along with policy committee members Crystal Ruiz (San Jacinto), Valerie Vandever (San Jacinto), Linda Molina (Calimesa), Joseph Morabito (Wildomar) and Dale Welty (Canyon Lake).

06/20/2024

The S**G Legislative/Communications and Membership Committee this week hosted California Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton), who shared enthusiasm for protecting housing programs in the state budget. S**G is grateful to have strong leaders, like Assemblymember Quirk-Silva, in the region!

06/17/2024

DEV Partnerships, with support from S**G Go Human, will showcase safer, redesigned streets at their community-led Juneteenth Jam event in the city of Rialto on June 19 from 4-9 p.m. at Fergusson Park. You’re invited to test a temporary artistic crosswalk, a median refuge island, and a curb extension, all intended to make the streets safer for everyone. Visit the Stronger Together Now Instagram page for more information: https://www.instagram.com/strongertogethernow_ie/p/C62Fq48P_Hu/