REGION – The Board of Directors of the San Diego Association of Governments unanimously voted today to develop a new transportation plan for the county, putting the expected completion date of the agency’s 2019-2050 Regional Plan in jeopardy.
SANDAG had, until this point, expected to complete and adopt the Regional Plan by the end of the year, when it would begin serving as a roadmap for future development around the county. With the development of a new
transportation plan and network, the plan could take until 2021 to be completed and adopted, according to the agency.
“Our region needs and deserves a big vision for our transportation system,” said SANDAG Board Chair and Poway Mayor Steve Vaus. “While there are risks in extending development of the Regional Plan, we believe this is the best path toward a truly transformative plan that meets all of our region’s goals.”
The details of the new transportation concept are nebulous for now. The board did not extrapolate exactly how drastic changes to the county’s transportation system will be, and the agency has yet to even begin developing the new plan.
SANDAG intends to develop the plan in such a way that exceeds the county and state’s target reductions in greenhouse gas emissions while remaining on the forefront of transportation innovation. The agency also intends to revolutionize the way people and things move through the county, even if that means shifting the county’s transportation network away from fossil-fuel burning vehicles.
“With the development of this bigger and bolder vision for our region’s future, we are striving not just to meet, but to exceed, state climate targets,” said SANDAG Executive Director Hasan Ikhrata. “The action plan the board approved today calls for a fast and safe transportation system with true alternatives that are as good as, if not better, than driving.”
The agency plans to begin drafting the plan later this year, with the release of a conceptual framework targeted for November. SANDAG officials stressed that the development process will include myriad opportunities for public input and feedback.
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The housing law is also a fraud. The state housing agency, HCD’s mandated housing allocations in 2011 and 2012 for the 5th cycle housing element were widely different. Some counties were given low numbers to divide up among the cities in each county. SCAG, the region agency for southern California had such low numbers that many cities only had to find places for 2 low income houses. HCD approved the housing elements of Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Malibu, Laguna Beach, Costa Mesa, Hermosa Beach, and Compton and each city only has to build 2 low income houses. All those high density developments near transit will leave a mass of people without the promised transportation. Not good planning. Why didn’t the SANDAG Board investigate why the San Diego region was mandated by the state housing agency to build more low income restricted housing than other counties. A lower amount of housing would also have made a difference in the transportation tax use.
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