Our Work
- Connect SoCal
- Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Awareness
- Programs & Projects
- Housing
- Economy & Demography
- Federal & State Compliance
- Sustainability
- Transportation
- Active Transportation
- Aviation Program
- Regional Pilot Initiatives Program
- The Future Communities Initiative
- Transportation Demand Management
- Transit Program
- FreightWorks
- Passenger Rail Program
- Corridor Planning
- Transportation Safety
- Transportation Finance
- Intelligent Transportation Systems
- Southern California Transportation Study
- Local Resources
- Funding & Programming
- Legislation & Advocacy
- Publications & Reports
Our Work
Every four years, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) updates Connect SoCal, the Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) as required by federal and state regulations.
The plan was developed through a four-year planning process involving rigorous technical analysis, extensive stakeholder engagement and robust policy discussions with local elected leaders. Connect SoCal 2024 outlines a vision for a more resilient and equitable future, with investment, policies and strategies for achieving the region’s shared goals through 2050. The Plan elements that are necessary to bring this vision to fruition are organized within the pillars of Mobility, Communities, Environment and Economy. However, the conditions of our region and impacts of our decisions are all intertwined. Investment decisions for our transportation system impact the quality of our environment and the resilience of our economy, while our decisions about how to develop our communities impact demands on our transportation system and our residents’ access to opportunities.
The most recent RTP/SCS was approved by SCAG’s Regional Council in April 2024.
Technical Reports
- Aviation and Airport Ground Access
- Congestion Management
- Demographics and Growth Forecast
- Economic Impact Analysis
- Equity Analysis
- Goods Movement
- Housing
- Land Use and Communities
- Mobility
- Performance Monitoring
- Project List
- Public Participation and Consultation
- Transportation Conformity Analysis
- Transportation Finance
- Travel and Tourism
Related Materials
Supporting Documents
- 2023 Federal Transportation Improvement Program Consistency Amendment #23-26
- Clean Technology Compendium
Outreach Resources
Connect SoCal 2024 PEIR
Connect SoCal 2024 PEIR is available by visiting scag.ca.gov/peir
Amendment #1
Amendment #1 to the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy allows project sponsors to update regionally significant transportation projects in the Connect SoCal 2024 Project List. Since Connect SoCal 2024’s adoption, some of these projects have experienced time-sensitive changes. In addition, county transportation commissions have identified new project priorities and projects that are no longer priorities.
On Sept. 5, 2024, the SCAG Regional Council adopted the Connect SoCal 2024 Amendment #1 (Amendment 1) and 2025 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP).
On June 6, the SCAG Regional Council authorized the executive director to release the draft Amendment #1 and draft 2025 FTIP for a 30-day public review and comment period from July 12, 2024, until Aug. 12, 2024.
During the public comment period, SCAG hosted two public hearings accessible by telephone and video conference. The draft Amendment 1 received eight comments: one comment on the demographics and growth forecast, one general comment, and six project-specific comments. No comments affected transportation conformity. SCAG staff responded to and incorporated comments into the final document where appropriate.
Available Downloads
In July 2020, SCAG’s Regional Council adopted Resolution 20‐623‐2, affirming its commitment to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout Southern California. The resolution called for the formation of an ad hoc Special Committee on Equity & Social Justice to further develop SCAG’s response to advancing equity. The Committee met on a quarterly basis starting in September 2020 and concluding in March 2021, culminating in the development of an early action plan.
On May 6, 2021, SCAG’s Regional Council adopted the Racial Equity Early Action Plan, which will guide and sustain SCAG’s regional leadership in service of equity and social justice over the years to come. The Early Action Plan provides a definition of equity and establishes goals, strategies, and a set of “early actions” to advance racial equity through SCAG’s policies, practices and activities. Highlights from the Early Action Plan are listed below.
Defining Racial Equity
The Special Committee on Equity and Social Justice, SCAG staff, and stakeholder groups developed a working definition of racial equity to guide work moving forward. This definition forms the foundation of the Early Action Plan. The goal is to lead with racial equity as a focal point in addressing the pervasive and deep inequities faced by peoples of color and support the overarching goal of the creation of a just and equitable society.
“As central to SCAG’s work, racial equity describes the actions, policies, and practices that eliminate bias and barriers that have historically and systemically marginalized communities of color, to ensure all people can be healthy, prosperous, and participate fully in civic life.”
Racial Equity Early Action Plan
The Racial Equity Early Action Plan provides a framework for internal- and external-focused actions and was meant to identify new actions and commitments to improve regional equity through SCAG’s policies and programs and in partnership with other agencies and institutions, across sectors, putting community in the center of efforts.
The Racial Equity Early Action Plan Final Update summarizes work on each early action which created a strong foundation for SCAG to center racial equity and took a critical step toward ensuring that SCAG’s equity-related work continues to advance and endure for years to come.
The framework of the Racial Equity Early Action Plan was informed by Equity in the Center’s publication, Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture, which provides insights, tactics, and best practices to shift organizational culture and operationalize equity, and by consultation with Mr. Charles Brown of Equitable Cities.
- FRAMEWORK OF THE EARLY ACTION PLAN INCLUDES FOUR GOALS
- Shift Organizational Culture – Focus SCAG’s internal work and practices on inclusion, diversity, equity, and awareness.
- Center Racial Equity in Regional Policy & Planning – Bring equity into SCAG’s regional planning functions.
- Encourage Racial Equity in Local Planning Practices – Promote racial equity in efforts involving local elected officials and planning professionals.
- Activate and Amplify – Communicate broadly SCAG’s commitment to racial equity and join with others in different fields and sectors to amplify impact.
- EACH OF THESE GOALS IS ADVANCED THROUGH THREE STRATEGIES
- Listen & Learn – Develop a shared understanding of our history of discrimination and the structural barriers that continue to perpetuate the inequities experienced today.
- Engage & Co-Power – Create an environment where everyone is included, able to share their experiences, and equipped to talk about racial equity and inequities.
- Integrate & Institutionalize – Center racial equity in all aspects of work through internal and external systems change.
- THE EARLY ACTION PLAN INCLUDES A TOTAL OF 29 ACTIONS FAIRLY EVENLY SPLIT ACROSS ALL THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES
Examples of actions include:
- Update SCAG’s Strategic Plan to incorporate an equity vision and goals to guide the agency’s work plans.
- Develop equity goals, policies, and metrics as part of Connect SoCal update, and conduct equity-focused outreach and engagement.
- Provide resources through the Sustainable Communities Program to promote Environmental Justice.
- Expand Toolbox Tuesday trainings to include sessions on racial equity.
- Explore developing a Research Program with University Partners.
- Explore opportunities to partner to establish a “Planning University” for community-based organizations and stakeholders.
Baseline Conditions
Prior to developing a Racial Equity Early Action Plan, SCAG needed to acquire a better understanding of the agency and the region’s existing conditions. SCAG staff developed a preliminary baseline assessment of racial equity in Southern California to inform future planning efforts. This baseline conditions report is meant to serve as a starting place for future assessment of equitable conditions in the region.
Read the newly released 2022 Racial Equity Baseline Conditions Report.
Get Involved
- Regional Planning Equity Working Group
Consider attending a quarterly meeting of SCAG’s Equity Working Group (EWG). The group functions as a forum for SCAG staff to engage stakeholders on regional and local planning activities as well as share efforts from across the region to eliminate racial bias and barriers in land-use and transportation planning. Discussions focus on equity-related plans, programs, projects, tools, resources, and best practices, and address multiple planning areas such as Environmental Justice (EJ) and Public Health. Meetings occur on a quarterly basis and are open to all interested in advancing equity, including EJ and Public Health stakeholders, community-based organizations, academic partners, local jurisdiction staff and other government agencies. More information regarding EWG meetings and other regional planning working groups can be found here.
- Toolbox Tuesdays
Acquire new equity-related skills and knowledge at an upcoming Toolbox Tuesday training. As a part of implementing the Racial Equity Early Action Plan, SCAG now hosts quarterly equity-focused Toolbox Tuesday trainings for practitioners. SCAG has held trainings on equity-related topics such as:
- Evaluating Baseline Community Conditions
- View the Fact Sheet for more information on how to develop a baseline conditions report and the Potential Equity Indicators handout for a list of potential equity indicators.
- Equitable Engagement
- Developing and Utilizing Equity Tools
- Taking Action to Advance Equity: Action Plans and Frameworks (April 2022)
- Evaluating Baseline Community Conditions
- Equity Resource Guide
Interested in taking on equity work, but not sure where to start? Review examples of equity-in-action in SCAG’s newly developed Equity Resource Guide. The guide is a collection of local, state, and national examples of practices and approaches, to help support government agencies in advancing equity. The guide promotes and amplifies best practices for equitable and inclusive planning and is intended to be used as a resource to support subregional and local efforts to advance equitable plans, projects, programs, and policies.
The Equity Resource Guide covers several equity focus areas including: equity resolutions, definitions, glossaries and key terms, indicators and baseline conditions, community engagement, communications and messaging, amplifying equity, audits and inventories, frameworks and action plans, trainings, and tools. SCAG anticipates that this document will evolve as new practices and approaches for advancing equity surface.
View the SCAG Equity Resource Guide.
- Funding Opportunities
Need funding to support your work? SCAG’s Sustainable Communities Program provides resources and direct technical assistance to jurisdictions for local implementation and will release a Call for Applications for programs and projects centered on Civic Engagement, Equity, and Environmental Justice in Fall 2022. For more information, please view updates here.
- Resources
A foundational strategy in the Early Action Plan is to listen and learn to develop a shared understanding of our history of discrimination and the structural barriers that continue to perpetuate inequities. Below is a list of resources to support agencies and individuals as they work to advance equity.
- Government Alliance on Race & Equity – (GARE) is a national network of government working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. GARE provides best practices, tools and resources, including Advancing Racial Equity and Transforming Government: A Resource Guide, Getting to Results, and .
- National Equity Atlas – Contains data on demographic change, racial and economic inclusion, and the potential economic gains from racial equity for the largest 100 cities, largest 150 regions, all 50 states, and the United States as a whole.
- Othering and Belonging Institute – Publishes a suite of resources including the United States Segregation Map, which examines how racial residential segregation has changed across the country.
- Race Forward – In partnership with communities, organizations, and sectors, Race Forward builds strategies to advance racial justice in policies, institutions, and culture to catalyze movement building for justice. Race Forward is home to the Government Alliance on Race and Equity.
- Racial Equity Tools Glossary – Defines many key terms such as power, privilege, racism, and oppression.
- Justice Map – Visualize race and income data for a neighborhood, city, state, or the United States.
- Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America – Tool to map historic redlining across the United States.
- Race Counts – Analyze racial disparity and impacts by population size of counties and cities in California.
- SCAG’s Connect SoCal Environmental Justice Technical Report (2020) – Included as an appendix to SCAG’s 2020 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS), or Connect SoCal, which is designed to create region-wide benefits that are distributed equitably, while ensuring that any one group does not carry the burdens of development disproportionately.
- SCAG’s Connect SoCal Public Health Technical Report (2020) – Included as an appendix to SCAG’s 2020 RTP/SCS, or Connect SoCal; it provides an overview of health outcomes in the SCAG region as they relate to the built environment and the impacts of the RTP/SCS.
- Orange County Equity Map – A data platform developed by Advance OC that spotlights social and health disparities in Orange County neighborhoods across multiple dimensions, with a specific focus on the impact from COVID-19.
- Los Angeles Equity Index – Maps existing disparities in the City of Los Angeles.
- California Healthy Places Index – A data visualization tool developed by the Public Health Alliance of Southern California to assist communities in exploring local factors that measure life expectancy and compares health outcomes across the state.
- This List of Books, Films and Podcasts About Racism Is A Start, Not A Panacea – A compiled list of books, films and podcasts from National Public Radio about systemic racism to further learning.
SCAG serves as the regional forum for cooperative decision-making by local government elected officials and its primary responsibilities in fulfillment of federal and state requirements include the development of the Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy; the Federal Transportation Improvement Program; the annual Overall Work Program; and transportation-related portions of local air quality management plans.
SCAG’s other major functions include determining the regional transportation plans and programs are in conformity with state air quality plans; periodic preparation of a Regional Housing Needs Assessment; and intergovernmental review of regionally significant development projects.
SCAG serves as the unified voice of the region, advocating for the legislative and funding needs of Southern California’s diverse and growing communities, and creating a strong coalition that can achieve more together.
- Legislation
- Legislative Platforms
- Legislative Tracking
- Legislative Delegation
- Bill Position Tracker
- Advocacy
Legislation
SCAG maintains a state and federal legislative program, which consists of the Regional Council’s positions on policies and legislative initiatives related to SCAG’s core planning and policy areas—transportation, air quality, freight/goods movement, housing, environmental impact, sustainability, economic recovery, and job creation—that need the leadership and support of the U.S. Congress and California State Legislature.
SCAG’s legislative efforts result from a bottoms-up process whereby the Legislative/Communications and Membership Committee, comprised of elected officials from throughout the region, identifies and recommends specific legislative action for consideration by the Regional Council with respect to state and federal legislation affecting the SCAG region. The Regional Council takes formal legislative positions and directs the agency’s advocacy efforts on all legislative matters.
Legislative Platforms
SCAG’s 2024 state and federal legislative platforms are the agency’s policy recommendations stemming from the Legislative/Communications and Membership Committee, and adopted by the Regional Council. These legislative platforms encompass broad, policy-oriented objectives of the agency that build upon long-standing, Regional Council-adopted policies, while also taking into account new and evolving issues.
- State Legislative Platform
2024 State Legislative Platform
2024 State Legislative Priorities Booklet
2023 State Legislative Platform
2023 State Legislative Priorities Booklet
2022 State Legislative Platform
2021 State Legislative Platform
- Federal Legislative Platform
2024 Federal Legislative Platform
2024 Federal Legislative Priorities Booklet
2023 Federal Legislative Platform
2023 Federal Legislative Priorities Booklet
2022 Federal Legislative Platform
Legislative Tracking
SCAG staff continuously monitors legislative activity in Sacramento. The Legislative Tracking Report provides a list of bills SCAG is tracking in the current session of the California State Legislature.
Legislative Delegation
SCAG regularly interacts with members of our state and federal delegation on a variety of issues of importance to the region. The following members of the U.S. Congress and California Legislature directly represent the SCAG region at the state and federal levels.
- U.S. House
- Congressmember Jay Obernolte (CD-23)
- Congressmember Salud Carbajal (CD-24)
- Congressmember Raul Ruiz (CD-25)
- Congressmember Julia Brownley (CD-26)
- Congressmember George Whitesides (CD-27)
- Congressmember Judy Chu (CD-28)
- Congressmember Luz Rivas (CD-29)
- Congressmember Laura Friedman (CD-30)
- Congressmember Gil Cisneros (CD-31)
- Congressmember Brad Sherman (CD-32)
- Congressmember Pete Aguilar (CD-33)
- Congressmember Jimmy Gomez (CD-34)
- Congressmember Norma Torres (CD-35)
- Congressmember Ted Lieu (CD-36)
- Congressmember Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CD-37)
- Congressmember Linda Sanchez (CD-38)
- Congressmember Mark Takano (CD-39)
- Congressmember Kim Young (CD-40)
- Congressmember Ken Calvert (CD-41)
- Congressmember Robert Garcia (CD-42)
- Congressmember Maxine Waters (CD-43)
- Congressmember Nanette Diaz Barragan (CD-44)
- Congressmember Derek Tran (CD-45)
- Congressmember Lou Correa (CD-46)
- Congressmember Dave Min (CD-47)
- U.S. Senate
- Senator Adam Schiff
- Senator Alex Padilla
- California State Assembly
- Assemblymember Tom Lackey (AD-34)
- Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez (AD-36)
- Assemblymember Steve Bennett (AD-38)
- Assemblymember Juan Carrillo (AD-39)
- Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo (AD-40)
- Assemblymember John Harabedian (AD-41)
- Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (AD-42)
- Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez (AD-43)
- Assemblymember Nick Schultz (AD-44)
- Assemblymember James Ramos (AD-45)
- Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (AD-46)
- Assemblymember Greg Wallis (AD-47)
- Assemblymember Blanca Rubio (AD-48)
- Assemblymember Mike Fong (AD-49)
- Assemblymember Robert Garcia (AD-50)
- Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (AD-51)
- Assemblymember Jessica Caloza (AD-52)
- Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez (AD-53)
- Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (AD-54)
- Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (AD-55)
- Assemblymember Lisa Calderon (AD-56)
- Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (AD-57)
- Assemblymember Leticia Castillo (AD-58)
- Assemblymember Phillip Chen (AD-59)
- Assemblymember Corey Jackson (AD-60)
- Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (AD-61)
- Assemblymember Jose Luis Solache (AD-62)
- Assemblymember Bill Essayli (AD-63)
- Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco (AD-64)
- Assemblymember Mike Gipson (AD-65)
- Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (AD-66)
- Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (AD-67)
- Assemblymember Avelino Valencia (AD-68)
- Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (AD-69)
- Assemblymember Tri Ta (AD-70)
- Assemblymember Kate Sanchez (AD-71)
- Assemblymember Diane Dixon (AD-72)
- Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (AD-73)
- Assemblymember Laurie Davies (AD-74)
- California State Senate
- Senator Steve Padilla (SD-18)
- Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (SD-19)
- Senator Caroline Menjivar (SD-20)
- Senator Monique Limón (SD-21)
- Senator Susan Rubio (SD-22)
- Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares (SD-23)
- Senator Benjamin Allen (SD-24)
- Senator Sasha Renée Peréz (SD-25)
- Senator Maria Elena Durazo (SD-26)
- Senator Henry Stern (SD-27)
- Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (SD-28)
- Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes (SD-29)
- Senator Bob Archuleta (SD-30)
- Senator Sabrina Cervantez (SD-31)
- Senator Kelly Seyarto (SD-32)
- Senator Lena Gonzalez (SD-33)
- Senator Tom Umberg (SD-34)
- Senator Laura Richardson (SD-35)
- *VACANT* (SD-36)
- Senator Steve Choi (SD-37)
- Senator Catherine Blakespear (SD-38)
Bill Position Tracker
SCAG’s Bill Position Tracker makes it easy to stay informed on the status of bills in the California State Legislature on which the Regional Council took a formal position. The SCAG Bill Position Tracker monitors bills cover several policy areas such as transportation, planning, environment, finance, government, and economic development.
The Bill Position Tracker provides:
- A bill number, topic, and description for each bill.
- SCAG’s position on the bill and the date on which that position was taken.
- Bill status.
Advocacy
- Federal
In federal legislative matters, SCAG provides regional input to congressional lawmakers, the administration, and federal agency officials concerning the broad spectrum of issues encompassing SCAG’s core jurisdictions: transportation, land-use, environment, climate change, energy, sustainability, and water. As the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization, SCAG seeks to both apprise and advocate for its 191 member cities, six member counties and other stakeholders/members on legislative actions in Washington, D.C. that affect the region in these areas.
- State
In state legislative matters, SCAG’s efforts focus on stabilizing and enhancing transportation funding while preserving the authority and flexibility of local government and transportation entities to best utilize available resources to meet the needs of the region. SCAG seeks to implement its Regional Council-adopted legislative priorities to advance policies beneficial to the region in areas such as project acceleration and streamlining, economic development and community reinvestment, cap-and-trade revenue allocation, surface transportation authorization implementation, climate change/greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and housing/affordable housing expansion.
SCAG also pursues legislation consistent with the agency’s economic and growth strategy objectives to spur economic recovery by supporting measures such as the extension of the state’s successful film tax credit program and targeted tax incentives and beneficial regulatory treatment in the green technology industries. In all such legislative efforts, SCAG endeavors to create a collaborative, “bottom-up” approach with its constituent members and local stakeholder partners to achieve legislative policy results that are comprehensive and beneficial to the entire region.
- Advocacy Letters
SCAG advocates for the region at the local, state, and federal levels on key policy issues.
When needed, SCAG will provide policy recommendations through advocacy letters.
2023 Advocacy Letters
- SUPPORT – AB 930 (Freidman) – RISE Districts
- SUPPORT – AB 1181 (Zbur) – Energy Resilience for Multifamily and Affordable Homes
- OPPOSE – AB 1335 (Zbur) – Population Forecasts
- SUPPORT – SB 517 (Gonzalez) – Freight and Supply Chain Coordinator
- SUPPORT – SB 538 (Portantino) – Caltrans Chief Advisor on Cycling and Active Transportation
- SUPPORT – SB 860 (Bradford) – Affordable Connectivity Program Outreach
Every four years, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) updates Connect SoCal, the Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) as required by federal and state regulations.
In July 2020, SCAG’s Regional Council adopted Resolution 20‐623‐2, affirming its commitment to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout Southern California. The resolution called for the formation of an ad hoc Special Committee on Equity & Social Justice to further develop SCAG’s response to advancing equity.
SCAG serves as the regional forum for cooperative decision-making by local government elected officials and its primary responsibilities in fulfillment of federal and state requirements include the development of the Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy; the Federal Transportation Improvement Program; the annual Overall Work Program; and transportation-related portions of local air quality management plans.
SCAG’s other major functions include determining the regional transportation plans and programs are in conformity with state air quality plans; periodic preparation of a Regional Housing Needs Assessment; and intergovernmental review of regionally significant development projects.
SCAG serves as the unified voice of the region, advocating for the legislative and funding needs of Southern California’s diverse and growing communities, and creating a strong coalition that can achieve more together.