Advisory Committees

The Board has established a number of advisory committees as a means of obtaining advice from citizens, key interest groups in the community, and partner planning agencies on a variety of subjects. SACOG seeks advice from local agencies on transportation and land use plan content and investment decisions. SACOG works not only with the agency staff, but with governing boards, technical committees, and advisory committees. These advisory committees typically include representatives of citizens’ advocacy groups, the private sector, major colleges and universities, transportation management professionals, and private citizens unaffiliated with any of the above groups. Committees are augmented, restructured, added to, or discharged from time to time based upon the issues and concerns faced by the Board. Currently these committees are:

Airport Advisory Committee

A fifteen-member committee composed of managers of the public use airports located within SACOG’s Regional Transportation Planning Agency boundary, as well as representatives from Beale Air Force Base. The committee provides recommendations to the SACOG Board of Directors regarding the Regional Aviation Capital Improvement Plan, prepared biennially, and advises SACOG staff and the SACOG Board on aviation issues of regional concern. (Meets on call)

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee

A committee of about 80 members made up of representatives from local bicycle advocacy groups as well as local government and nonprofit groups involved in bikeway planning. The committee advises SACOG on the non-motorized content of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan and on priorities for non-motorized projects. (Meets on call)

5310 Regional Evaluation Committee

The role of the committee is to objectively review and score local project applications for the FTA Section 5310 Capital Grant Program. The program provides funds on a statewide competitive basis for the purchase of equipment to transport elderly and disabled persons. Eligible applicants are private, nonprofit organizations and public bodies that coordinate transportation service. The established scoring criteria are project need, project effectiveness, ability of the applicant, and service coordination efforts. (Meets annually)

Goods Movement Advisory Group

The movement of goods or freight has always been one of the most important functions of the transportation system and is certainly of vital importance to the health of the economy and to ensuring a high quality of life. SACOG works with the region’s jurisdictions as well as other state and local agencies and the private sector through its Goods Movement Advisory Group (GMAG) to make certain that planning for goods movement is incorporated into the overall transportation planning process. SACOG looks to build on the work of the recently completed Regional Goods Movement Study to identify specific projects and areas of study to evaluate further. The GMAG serves as both an advisory committee for these activities as well as a regional forum for goods movement issues. (Meets quarterly or as needed)

Planners Committee

A twenty-eight-member committee consisting of the planning directors or their designees of each of SACOG’s member jurisdictions. The committee was originally formed to advise SACOG on the development of the Blueprint Project and is now advising on Blueprint implementation and the Regional Housing Needs Allocation process. (Meets on call)

Public Participation Committee

A committee made up of members of organizations required under SAFETEA-LU and includes representatives of the disabled, pedestrian walkways, bicycle transportation, public agencies, transit operators, goods movement, private providers of transportation, and other interested parties.

Regional Planning Partnership

A committee with close to 100 representatives from local, regional, state, federal agencies, and tribal governments, as well as representatives of business, environmental, and minority organizations and associations. The Partnership assists SACOG with its transportation and air quality planning responsibilities. It also serves as the primary forum for interagency and public consultation requirements of federal transportation and air quality regulations. (Regional Planning Partnership page) (Meets bi-monthly)

SACMET Travel Demand Model Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

The SACMET TAC is composed of planning and engineering professionals from local public agencies, as well as consultants and others who are registered users of the SACMET travel demand model. The TAC has two roles: one is to provide SACMET users with training and technical support on the model; the other is to provide a forum for discussion of issues related to SACMET. Proposed SACMET changes and improvements and the results of changes and improvements made are presented for information and discussion. Modeling issues of a more general nature, but germane to SACMET or the Sacramento region, are also discussed. The SACMET TAC meets two or three times per year, on an as-needed basis. SACMET TAC mailings go to about 50 people. (Meets as needed)

Sacramento Emergency Clean Air and Transportation (SECAT) Air Quality Policy Group

A ten-member committee consisting of representatives from each of the air districts within the Sacramento federal ozone nonattainment area, Federal Highway Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board, and SACOG. The committee assists SACOG and its air quality planning partners in developing a strategy or strategies that focus available resources on achieving both attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone and conformity goals. (Meets on call)

Sacramento Emergency Clean Air and Transportation (SECAT) Technical Advisory Committee

An eleven-member committee consisting of representatives from each of the air districts within the Sacramento federal ozone nonattainment area, Federal Highway Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board, Caltrans, and SACOG. The committee advises the SECAT Policy Group on guidelines and criteria for evaluating and approving projects under the SECAT program. (Meets on call)

Sacramento Region Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Partnership

A forum for technical staff to share information, coordinate on project planning and implementation, and provide advice and input to SACOG on ITS funding advocacy efforts. (Meets quarterly)

Social Service Transportation Advisory Council

Three councils have been established, one each for Sacramento and Yolo counties, and a joint Sutter-Yuba county council. Each council is composed of potential transit users who are elderly, handicapped, low-income or general public; representatives of agencies that provide social services or transportation for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and persons with low incomes; representatives from the local Consolidated Transportation Services Agency; and a representative of a transit operator. Each council participates in the identification of transit needs in the county or counties it serves; makes recommendations regarding unmet transit needs; and advises the Board on other major transportation issues, including the coordination and consolidation of specialized transportation services. These councils are required by state law. (Meets on call)

Transit Coordinating Committee (TCC)

The Committee provides a forum for the discussion of transit plans and issues, coordinates transit studies and systems on a regional basis, disseminates federal, state and local transit information, reviews and comments on the MTP and the MTIP, and gives input into SACOG’s Overall Work Program. (Meets at least quarterly)

Transportation Demand Management Taskforce

The Task Force advises the SACOG Board of Directors on the operations and marketing of the Rideshare Program and on the demand management content of the MTP. (Meets quarterly)