1. What is the MTP? And why do we need one?
2. How does the MTP relate to the California Clean Air Act?
3. What is the MTP budget?
4. Where do MTP funds come from?
5. How was this plan created and who was involved?
6. How were the "results" included in revisions or modifications to the plan prior to board and public review?
7. What is the process for further Community Input?
8. What is the Board adoption process?
9. How does the MTP lead to projects getting built?
10. What projects get built from this plan during the next three to five years?
11. How do projects get prioritized?
12. What federal and state requirements must be met?

The Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) for 2035 is a long-range transportation plan. It provides the regional vision for surface transportation, within the constraints of funding the region can reasonably expect to receive. If a city, county, or public agency in the region wants to use of federal or state transportation funding for projects or programs, the projects must be contained in, or be consistent with, this Metropolitan Transportation Plan.

Under federal law, SACOG is responsible for long-range transportation planning in the six-county area — Sacramento, Yolo, Yuba, Sutter, El Dorado and Placer Counties (excluding the Tahoe Basin). This area is designated a "federal non-attainment area for ozone," meaning that for the region to be eligible to receive federal transportation funds, the region's transportation system must meet particular air quality standards.

Transportation systems are best planned at a regional level because people don't confine their trips to a local area. Federal law established regional agencies for the purpose of area-wide transportation planning in the 1970s, so that planning for highways, roads, and public transit would be comprehensive and cooperative between local agencies. SACOG must prepare a long-range regional transportation plan covering at least a 20-year planning horizon and update it every four years.

Federal legislation requires each state with areas that have not met federal air quality standards to prepare a State Implementation Plan, or SIP. The sweeping 1990 amendments to the California Clean Air Act (CCAA) established new air quality requirements for the development of metropolitan transportation plans (MTPs) and programs. The California Clean Air Act (or CCAA) sets even tougher state goals. The CCAA provides a planning framework for attainment of California Air Quality Standards. Local air districts in violation of state standards are required to prepare air quality attainment plans.

The MTP2035 must meet requirements to achieve air quality attainment. For air quality of each class (moderate, serious, severe), the CCAA specifies air quality management strategies that must be adopted. For all classes, attainment plans are required to demonstrate a five percent per year reduction in emissions of air pollutants or their precursors.

Approximately 16% come from the federal sources, 22% from state sources and 62% from local sources. Chapter 3 of the Draft Final MTP2035 explains these assumptions.

From the very beginning of the planning process, the MTP2035's focus has been to use broad public outreach combined with extensive input from elected officials, community groups and citizen planners at every phase in the process. During Phases I and II of the process, SACOG conducted over 150 presentations, 17 community workshops and an Elected Officials Summit.

During Phases III and IV, SACOG held a regional TALL Order Forum for area residents, partnered with KCRA 3 to hold the first-ever regionally televised "town hall" on transportation issues, conducted public opinion research through a variety of methods, and continued the dialogue with the SACOG Board of Directors and the planning and public works departments of local governments.

The SACOG Board of Directors, in its policy role overseeing long-range transportation planning in the region, is ultimately responsible for the MTP.

Valley Vision, a regional organization of business and community leaders, provided support in getting residents involved in the MTP development. Valley Vision was a key partner for community engagement for the award-winning Blueprint Project as well as the last MTP.

Public input from MTP workshops identified priorities for transportation improvements across the six-county region. SACOG staff used public input to develop scenario maps with various investment packages. The maps were then used in computerized traffic models to determine how specific investments perform on a variety of performance measurements including vehicle miles traveled per household, vehicle miles traveled per household in congestion, percentage of dwelling units and jobs within ½ miles or 15 minutes of peak transit service, percentage of travel by mode, and statistics related to new miles of roads, rail transit and bus transit. The performance measurements were made available in electronic and print formats for review by the general public, transportation planning staff in SACOG's 28 member jurisdictions and to the SACOG Board of Directors. Materials may still be viewed on the MTP website (www.sacog.org/mtp/2035/wrapups/), by mail or by calling 916-321-9000.

View a diagram here (opens a pop-up window)

Cities, counties, transit districts and Caltrans build projects. The MTP provides a long-range plan for the Sacramento region's transportation. SACOG receives state and federal transportation funds and assigns them to specific projects (programming) two to four years into the future. Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs) are redone every three years, and sometimes in between, if new funding becomes available. For construction to begin on a project receiving federal or state funds, it must first be included in the MTP and then the TIPs.

The early year MTP projects will be included in a MTIP amendment that will be adopted (anticipated) in early 2008. Projects will not change significantly until the anticipated air quality State Implementation Plan (SIP) is approved in the fall of 2008, and the MTIP 2009/12 can be amended and updated.

This Plan anticipates further progress and completion of projects started in past TIPs and currently underway, and directs the start of new high priority projects called for in the Plan. Presently, SACOG staff is coordinating with local agency partners to confirm the MTP investments that have short term expenditures. The key challenges for this effort include meeting financial constraint (balancing revenues & expenditures) and ensuring that SACOG can meet air quality attainment year targets.

For the projects that start in the early years, some may be completed in as little as two years; others will take ten years or longer. The completion year identified are subject to change as these projects move from environmental studies to engineering/design to right-of-way acquisition to construction at different paces, depending on complexity, external pressures and approvals, and funding.

• Anyone can propose a transportation project based on an identified need, but ultimately these projects need to be sponsored by agencies authorized under federal law.
• Transportation planners and engineers determine how these projects benefit the regional transportation network and local sponsors prioritize programs or projects according to the goals set forth for their respective jurisdiction. Public involvement efforts described earlier in the FAQ further prioritize key investments for the future transportation network.
• Priorities from technical analysis and public involvement undergo testing for financial constraints and conformity to federal air quality standards. These findings are incorporated into a Draft MTP project list for public review.
• Initial review of the draft MTP project list occurs through a 45 day comment period. Efforts are made to solicit input from private, non-profit or civic organizations that can coordinate with a government agency at the federal, state, county or municipal level.
• Comments from the draft MTP project list are reviewed and incorporated into a draft final plan that expands the project list to include maps, figures, tables and more detail on the policies supporting the proposed investments.
• The draft MTP is released for a 45-day official public comment period. SACOG responds to comments, and these are made available to the public at-large.
• The MTP goes before SACOG committees and Board for consideration and eventual adoption.
• The first four years of the highest priority projects are evaluated for inclusion into the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP).
• Draft TIP is released for official public comment.
• The MTIP goes before SACOG committees and Board for consideration and eventual adoption.
• The MTIP goes to state and federal authorities for approval.
• Funds flow to project sponsors to begin capital investments that typically involve preliminary engineering and right-of-way acquisition.

• SAFETEA-LU

  The federal transportation law, SAFETEA-LU (the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act, A Legacy for Users) authorizes funding through 2009 and establishes new requirements for statewide and metropolitan transportation planning.

  This Act requires SACOG to develop a long-range metropolitan transportation plan and requires the MTP to, among other things: develop a long-range plan every four years, with a financial plan, congestion management plan and visual aides (maps, graphics); involve all interested parties (the public and Federal, State and tribal wildlife, land management, resource agencies and regulatory agencies) in decision-making and planning; consider social, economic and environmental effects; analyze existing conditions, projections of urban area economic, demographic, and land use and projections of potential transportation; evaluate alternative transportation; refine the current transportation system; identify operation & management strategies and capital investments; and include safety elements.

• California Transportation Plan

  The California Transportation Plan (CTP) is a statewide, long-range transportation policy plan that provides for the movement of people, goods, services, and information. The CTP offers a blueprint to guide future transportation decisions and investments that will ensure California's ability to compete globally, provide safe and effective mobility for all persons, better link transportation and land use decisions, improve air quality, and reduce petroleum energy consumption. The CTP is the product of extensive public outreach and consultation with transportation partners and stakeholders, presents a vision for California's future transportation system and defines goals, policies, and strategies to reach the vision. The CTP vision is one of a fully integrated, multimodal, sustainable transportation system that supports the three outcomes that define quality of life - prosperous economy, quality environment, and social equity.

• CEQA/NEPA

  The MTP is subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the State CEQA Guidelines. CEQA requires that state and local government agencies consider the environmental consequences of projects over which they have discretionary authority before taking action on those projects. SACOG originated the proposed programs and actions for the MTP and, as such, is the lead agency for the purpose of developing and distributing environmental documentation.

  The MTP is not subject to environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).