Executive Director’s Monthly Report, January 2025

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2025 Federal Transportation Improvement Program Receives Federal Approval

The 2025 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) has been officially approved by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. This approval supports over 1,100 transportation projects in the SCAG region, totaling more than $38.8 billion in investments over the next six years. These projects include highways, transit, rail, bus, and active transportation improvements, and align with SCAG’s Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy, which aims to enhance mobility, foster livable communities, support a vibrant economy, and improve environmental sustainability. SCAG continues to collaborate with local, state, and federal partners to deliver these vital investments in support of the region’s long-term transportation goals.

To share more about the projects, SCAG created the FTIP Interactive Project Search (eFTIP) tool with an interactive map and details for transportation projects programmed in the current FTIP.

For more information and to access the eFTIP, visit SCAG News.

SCAG to Participate in Transportation Access Pilot Program

SCAG is one of several regional and state agencies selected to participate in the Federal Highway Agency’s (FHWA) new Transportation Access Pilot Program (APP), funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, for state departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, and regional transportation planning organizations to improve accessibility measures and data, including modeling and analysis. The APP cohort will receive technical assistance, engage in peer reviews and critiques, publish and promote methodologies and results through the FHWA, and inform future data and analysis practices.

Through APP, SCAG will explore improvements to accessibility metrics in a testing environment with input from practitioners familiar with the barriers to this work. The scope of SCAG’s APP project includes expanding accessibility measures in the equity analysis for the Connect SoCal Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy to include access to healthy and fresh foods. SCAG will also develop methods to assess project-level impacts of transportation investments on access to everyday destinations for the Federal Transportation Improvement Program.

Go Human Hosts Safe and Active Streets Working Group

On Dec. 12, SCAG Go Human hosted SCAG’s Safe and Active Streets Working Group meeting. SCAG Go Human staff and guest speakers presented an update on the Sustainable Communities Program – Active Transportation and Safety Project and Contingency Project List; an update on 2025 regional traffic safety targets, a review of public engagement best practices from the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Bus Stop Safety and Accessibility Plan; promotion of the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grants program; a review of the Caltrans Complete Streets Action Plan; a review of Go Human engagement strategies and outcomes in 2024; and a request for public feedback to inform future Go Human program strategies.

SCAG Immediate Past President Art Brown Retires

SCAG Regional Council Immediate Past President Art Brown officially retired in December. Hon. Jan Harnik (Riverside County Transportation Commission) will fill the role of immediate past president for the remainder of the fiscal year. Harnick served as Regional Council president in fiscal year 2022-23.

Regional SCAG Chief Operating Officer Darin Chidsey attended a December Buena Park City Council meeting to present a proclamation recognizing Past President Brown’s service to the community, the region, and the nation. After serving for multiple decades in multiple branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, Past President Brown spent 32 years as a member of the Buena Park City Council, including eight years as mayor, where he worked to improve and maintain the quality of life in Buena Park. Past President Brown served as president of the SCAG Regional Council in fiscal year 2023-24, when, under his leadership, the Regional Council adopted the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy.

SCAG Networks Through the End of 2024

SCAG staff continued the important work of connecting with stakeholders throughout the region during the busy holiday season in December.

SCAG Regional Council members and Government Affairs staff attended the “All Cities Holiday Reception” hosted by the League of California Cities in partnership with the California Contract Cities Association and the Independent Cities Association. Among the leaders from throughout Los Angeles County, League of California Cities CEO Carolyn Coleman joined Regional Council members Hon. Frank Yokoyama (Cerritos); Hon. Thomas Wong (Monterey Park); Hon. Margaret Clark (Rosemead); and Hon. Mark Henderson (Gardena), and SCAG Chief Government and Public Affairs Officer Javiera Cartagena.

SCAG leadership joined regional business leaders at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual holiday event at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, BizFed's 2024 holiday party at Fox Studios in Century City, and the Port of Long Beach’s Holiday Reception at Hotel Mayou.

SCAG staff also attended the Orange County Public Affairs Association's Regional Holiday Mixer at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa, joining elected council members and government relations staff from throughout Orange County.

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