Overview of the RTP
The Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is
the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s
25-year, $100+ billion blueprint for how
transportation funding will be spent in the
Bay Area – and a huge opportunity to shape
how the Bay Area grows. It’s where we can
win the projects, programs, and policies
needed to create a Bay Area with fast,
reliable, and accessible public transit
connecting communities that are great places
for everyone to walk, bike, live, work, and
play. This update of the RTP is especially
exciting and important because MTC has stated their
interest in prioritizing climate change and
land use in decision making.
More information is available about
MTC's vision process
for developing the RTP.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission
has embarked on an 18-month process to
develop the 2009 Regional Transportation
Plan. MTC’s staff and Planning Committee
have created a “vision,” which
establishes targets for reducing traffic
congestion, vehicle miles traveled and
greenhouse gas emissions, improving safety
and maintenance, and for making
transportation more affordable for
low-income individuals. MTC has analyzed
different transportation investment, land
use, and pricing scenarios to determine what
it would take to reach, or get close to some
of the ambitious targets.
In early 2008, MTC will begin developing
a “financially constrained plan,” which
defines projects and programs to be included
given the funding available in the Regional
Transportation Plan. This plan will rely on
input from county-level agencies and other
stakeholders.
During spring of 2008 MTC will adopt initial
funding recommendations. A draft RTP will be
complete by October 2008, and the final RTP
will be adopted by MTC in February 2009.
For this long and extremely important
process, we need individuals and
organizations across the nine counties of
the Bay Area to get involved and join us as
we advocate for projects and policies that
will create a more sustainable and socially
just region!
May 2008 update
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is getting closer to making
decisions about which transportation projects and programs will receive funding
in the 2009 Regional Transportation Plan. Throughout May, MTC is holding
workshops in each Bay Area county to find out about residents' transportation
priorities, with a goal of defining a preliminary investment package by early
July. This is a tremendous opportunity to voice your support for bicycle and
pedestrian access, transit affordability, and important projects that connect
and enhance transit like the Transbay Terminal and Bus Rapid Transit. With your
help we can drive home the message that Bay Area transportation dollars should
fund healthy choices that benefit everyone. Expensive highway projects that just
promote more driving and pollution should pay for themselves through user fees.
See the list of county meeting below. For questions
and to sign up for email alerts about the RTP, contact Carli Paine at
carli@transcoalition.org or
510-740-3150 x315.
January-March 2008
MTC has issued a call for projects to
the nine counties. Each county has until
March 5 to submit a list of projects and
programs for potential inclusion in the
Regional Transportation Plan. MTC will
evaluate all projects and programs based on
how well they support the regional goals
that have been established.
As the counties develop their lists, MTC’s
Commission continues its discussions of
regional policies about how much funding is
available, what regional policies should be
for spending it, and regional priorities.
Throughout these processes, the
Transportation and Land Use Coalition will
continue to advocate for performance-based
funding decisions that reduce our greenhouse
gas emissions, support walkable and bikeable
communities, and create quality
transportation choices for everyone. We’ll
also be advocating at the county level for
projects and programs that achieve these
goals.
