Deadline: 13-Nov-20
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) announces the 2020 Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) – Active Transportation & Safety Supplement (ATS) Call for Applications.
Since 2005, SCAG’s various sustainability planning grant programs (Compass Blueprint, Sustainability Planning Grants, Sustainable Communities Program) have provided resources and direct technical assistance to jurisdictions to complete important local planning efforts and enable implementation of the Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS), which today is called Connect SoCal.
The SCP aims to:
- Provide needed planning resources to local jurisdictions for active transportation and multimodal planning efforts, sustainability, land use, and planning for affordable housing;
- Promote, address and ensure health and equity in regional land use and transportation planning and to close the gap of racial injustice and better serve the communities of color;
- Encourage regional planning strategies to reduce motorized Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly in environmental justice communities where there is the highest need for air quality improvements;
- Develop local plans that support the implementation of key strategies and goals outlined in Connect SoCal’s Sustainable Communities Strategy;
- Develop resources that support the Key Connections as outlined in Connect SoCal, including Shared Mobility and Mobility as a Service, Smart Cities and Job Centers, Accelerated Electrification, Go Zones, and Housing Supportive Infrastructure;
- Support a resilient region that looks to climate adaptation and public health preparedness as key strategies to address community prosperity, transportation safety, economic recovery and sustainability;
- Increase the region’s competitiveness for federal and state funds, including, but not limited to the California Active Transportation Program and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds.
The Sustainable Communities Program Active Transportation & Safety Category (SCP-ATS) will fund planning and quick build projects that result in increased rates of walking and biking, promote traffic safety, expand opportunities for multimodal transportation options, and better position local jurisdictions to be competitive for implementation funds.
By directing funding toward projects that implement Connect SoCal, SCAG aims to achieve the following goals:
- Prioritize historically disinvested and communities of color, which comprise the majority of the Regional High Injury Network to strategically invest resources;
- Increase the proportion of trips accomplished by biking, walking, and rolling;
- Increase safety and mobility of people walking, biking, and rolling;
- Continue to foster jurisdictional support and promote implementation of the goals, objectives, and strategies of Connect SoCal;
- Seed active transportation concepts and produce plans that provide local agencies with the project prioritization, conceptual renderings, and cost estimates required for future ATP applications;
- Prioritize alignment and integration of Key Connections outlined in Connect SoCal, including Shared Mobility and Mobility as a Service, Smart Cities and Job Centers, Accelerated Electrification, Go Zones, and Housing Supportive Infrastructure; and
- Integrate multiple funding streams to increase the overall budget for active transportation planning and capacity building projects.
Type of Projects
- Project Type: Community or Area Wide Plans
- Active Transportation Focused Plans: Applications submitted for this project type should support the implementation of the Core Vision: Complete Streets and Active Transportation strategies as outlined in Connect SoCal.
- Transportation Safety Focused Plans: Safety Action Plans should include a focus on protecting people walking and biking but may also address vehicle to vehicle collisions.
- Project Type: Quick Build Projects: Quick Build projects are interim capital improvement projects that further the goals of the ATP and serve as design/build opportunities based on community feedback. These projects require minor construction activities, support workforce development needs, and are typically built with durable, low to moderate cost materials. Quick Build projects may be implemented for one to five years.
- Network Visioning and Implementation: Due to incomplete networks, high stress streets, increased fatalities/serious injuries, the SCAG region’s walking and biking potential has not been maximized and as a result, community benefits of active transportation have not been capitalized upon. To respond to this need, SCAG is offering a network visioning project category to better position local jurisdictions to install targeted, complete, and low stress active transportation networks that can significantly improve safety, trigger economic development and contribute to sustainability efforts.
Funding Information
- Active Transportation Focused Plans: maximum award per project: $500,000
- Transportation Safety Focused Plans: maximum award per project: $250,000
- Quick Build Projects: maximum award per project: $900,000
- Network Visioning and Implementation: maximum award: $1,250,000
Eligibility Criteria
The following entities, within the SCAG region, are eligible to apply for SCP-ATS funds:
- Local or Regional Agency – Examples include cities, counties, councils of government, Regional Transportation Planning Agency and County Public Health Departments.
- Transit Agencies – Any agency responsible for public transportation that is eligible for funds under the Federal Transit Administration.
- Natural Resources or Public Land Agencies – Federal, State, or local agency responsible for natural resources or public land administration.
- Public schools or School districts
- Tribal Governments – Federally-recognized Native American Tribes.
For more information, visit http://sustain.scag.ca.gov/Pages/DemoProjApplication.aspx