Executive Director’s Monthly Report, October 2024
2024 Southern California Demographic Workshop Navigates the ‘New Growth Reality’
More than 460 people attended the 2024 Southern California Demographic Workshop on Sept. 24 for a fact-based discussion about how to plan for the future of Southern California as demographic trends diverge from the rapid population growth of past decades. The 35th annual event was hosted by SCAG and the USC Price School of Public Policy.
Highlights of the 2024 Southern California Demographic Workshop included the presentation and publication of a new report by SCAG demographers providing insight into American Community Survey data released earlier in September by the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year data released on Sept. 12, 2024, provide comprehensive data on Southern California’s social, demographic, economic, and housing conditions, capturing the region’s recovery following the pandemic.
The 2023 ACS data shows that real household income growth in Southern California outpaced national growth over the past year and last decade, reflecting long-term economic well-being for the region’s median household. The new ACS data also reveal population growth stabilizing in Southern California—counter to the prevailing media narrative about the decline of California’s population—which will require new thinking from local and regional planners to expand the economy and improve quality of life for all Southern Californians.
The event also included two panels; keynote speaker Bill Fulton, FAICP; and a series of roundtables for participants to consider how the demographic trends of the past decade, including the historic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, will impact the economic realities of the region and day-to-day considerations like mobility and public health.
To read more about the report and the event, visit the SCAG website.
Federal Planning and Demonstration Grants Include $88 Million for Southern California
In September, the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) announced awards for the second round of the 2024 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant, which includes more than $88 million in investments for the SCAG region. These awards include Planning and Demonstration grants to 14 local jurisdictions (Anaheim, Burbank, Calabasas, Carson, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Moreno Valley, Palm Springs, Pasadena, Placentia, Port Hueneme, Temecula, and Westminster) and a Tribal government (Pechanga Band of Indians). The funding announcement also includes implementation grants for Long Beach, Riverside, San Bernardino, the Housing Authority of Los Angeles, and Los Angeles County. Throughout the application period, SCAG coordinated with prospective applicants and provided letters of support to ensure alignment with its own SS4A-funded activities. In 2023, U.S. DOT awarded $12 million to fund the development of a Regional Safety Action Plan, Go Human traffic safety initiatives, and quick-build projects. The third and final round of 2024 SS4A awards is expected to be announced in November 2024.
Sustainable Communities Program – Active Transportation and Safety Call for Applications Now Closed
On Sept. 27, the call for applications closed for the Sustainable Communities Program – Active Transportation and Safety. Staff will lead application evaluation this fall and anticipate preparing a project list for Regional Council approval in January 2025. An awards announcement will follow in June 2025 after the California Transportation Commission approves the project list.
This component of the Sustainable Communities Program aims to improve the mobility and safety of the region’s transportation system in alignment with Connect SoCal 2024. It is funded by Cycle 7 of the Active Transportation Program and the Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
SCAG Tours the Imperial County on Mobile Workshop
On Thursday, Sept. 26, and Friday, Sept. 27, SCAG Regional Council President Curt Hagman joined other council members for the Imperial County Mobile Tour. SCAG attended the California League of Cities Imperial County Division Dinner on Thursday evening, where President Hagman reinforced his and SCAG’s commitment to collaborating with Imperial County and regional partners. Many local elected officials and representatives from Imperial County attended the dinner.
On Friday, Sept. 27, SCAG coordinated a tour with Imperial County’s Natural Resources Office to highlight the county’s ongoing efforts to develop “lithium valley.” The Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA) around the Salton Sea has been identified as one of the most lithium-rich areas on the planet. Imperial County is working with various industry sectors, academia, and government stakeholders and partners to support this potential industry cluster in creating a comprehensive development opportunity to spur strong economic growth and competitive advantage in the region. The tour included stops at the various areas around the KGRA to highlight this opportunity, as well as participation from Imperial County local elected officials, several SCAG Regional Council members, and other local stakeholders. The event concluded at the Brawley Stockmens Club, with lunch hosted by Regional Council member and Imperial County Board of Supervisors Chairman Luis Plancarte.
Full Funding Grant Agreement between the Federal Transit Administration and Metro for the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Project
SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise attended a ceremony for the signing of the Full Funding Grant Agreement for $893 million between the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Project. Several local, state, and federal elected officials attended, including FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, and U.S. Congressman Tony Cardenas. The 6.7-mile ESFV light rail project will add an at-grade north-south connection between Pacoima and Van Nuys to improve mobility for the eastern San Fernando Valley.
Go Human Hosts Arts and Active Transportation Safety Session for September Toolbox Tuesday
In honor of Pedestrian Safety Month, the Sept. 3 Toolbox Tuesday highlighted three outstanding speakers from community-based organizations and jurisdictions from across the SCAG region, including Santa Ana Active Streets, Arts Council for Long Beach, and the city of Laguna Niguel. Speakers focused on active transportation projects that use asphalt art to improve safety for people walking and biking, presenting arts engagement and creative placemaking and placekeeping strategies to bolster community engagement and increase active transportation safety.
A recording of the session is available on the SCAG website.
Go Human Program Completes Summer Traffic Safety Activities
Coinciding with California Pedestrian Safety Month in September, SCAG’s Go Human program completed traffic safety and community engagement projects that provided approximately $500,000 in direct support to more than 40 local partners in more than 30 jurisdictions in the region.
The 2024 Community Streets Grant Program awarded more than $430,000 to 15 community-based organizations in all six counties of the region. Awardees distributed more than 2,200 safety materials, including helmets and bike lights; held 25 capacity-building workshops; collected more than 400 surveys; and produced 23 videos. Since 2018, Go Human’s community grants program has distributed more than $1.7 million to approximately 130 traffic safety projects through six funding rounds.
SCAG expanded the reach of the Go Human traffic safety advertisement campaign by distributing 1,600 co-branded safety advertisements to 14 local partners. SCAG’s partners utilized this resource to create local traffic safety advertising campaigns, resulting in an estimated 10 million impressions. In preparation for the 10th year of Go Human programming in 2025, SCAG also conducted research to inform content update recommendations. These research activities collected data from 25 interviews, more than 600 surveys, and 12 focus groups.
SCAG Go Human supported 11 complete streets pop-up demonstrations using its Kit of Parts Lending Library, reaching more than 5,000 people. SCAG additionally provided four sponsorships to support local traffic safety events and co-developed educational materials with 11 community traffic safety experts.
SCAG Participates in Mobility 21
SCAG Chief Operating Officer Darin Chidsey and Chief Planning Officer Sarah Jepson represented the agency at the annual Mobility 21 Summit, participating in panel discussions related to federal and state funding, and the human equation in transportation innovation. Both highlighted recent SCAG funding and projects, such as the Safe Streets and Roads 4 All grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the $50 million funding award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Last Mile Freight Program, the Go Human program, and current and future work on regional collaboration for the LA28 Olympics. Several SCAG staff, Regional Council members, and policy committee members were also in attendance.
SCAG Represents Southern California at ITS Dubai
Executive Director Kome Ajise and Regional Council President Curt Hagman represented SCAG at the ITS World Congress in Dubai in late September. Organized by ERTICO (ITS Europe) and hosted by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, this year’s World Congress united international professionals from mobility, technology, and policy sectors to discuss and showcase advancements in smart mobility. With 20,000 attendees, 200 sessions, 850 international speakers, and 500 exhibitors, the event covered mobility driven by intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Kome and President Hagman were invited to participate in panels about leveraging connected and automated vehicles and electrification: a green revolution against climate change. They spoke to SCAG’s work and state and regional priorities and projects.
SCAG Joins California Delegation for European Study Trip on Transportation Innovation
SCAG was honored to participate in a professional field study trip co-hosted by California Air Resources Board Chair Liane Randolph and Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator Chief Executive Officer Matt Petersen. SCAG Regional Council First Vice President Cindy Allen and Chief Government and Public Affairs Officer Javiera Cartagena joined a California delegation to London, Oslo, and Munich to explore innovative policies, technologies, and business models to inspire California’s transportation and clean energy infrastructure. The study trip focused on passenger vehicle electrification, multi-modal transit expansion, and electrification of goods movement. The delegation met with European policymakers, businesses, and organizations committed to bold transportation electrification, climate, and air quality goals.
SCAG’S Go Human and Partners to Lead Student Day Activities at APA CA 2024 Conference
On Sept. 28, SCAG Go Human staff presented the Kit of Parts Lending Library during a hands-on tactical urbanism workshop at the American Planning Association California 2024 Conference at the Riverside Convention Center. In coordination with the Young & Emerging Planners Committee, staff presented an overview of the Kit of Parts program, project outcomes, and considerations for how attendees can rent the Kit of Parts for their next temporary traffic safety projects. Staff also demonstrated a Kit of Parts outside the convention center, allowing attendees to experience the Kit of Parts firsthand.
For more information on the Kit of Parts program, visit the SCAG website.
CONNECT SOCAL 2024 SUBCOMMITTEES
In September 2022, SCAG launched three subcommittees to look at emerging issues for the Connect SoCal 2024 plan.
The Resilience and Conservation subcommittee, and the Racial Equity and Regional Planning subcommittee concluded last month, and members of both committees unanimously approved a set of recommendations.
The Next Generation Infrastructure subcommittee will meet on Feb. 15 to review their key findings and finalize their own recommendations.
10 SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE FOR HOUSING SUPPORTIVE GRANT APPLICATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
In addition to Permanent Local Housing Allocation application assistance, SCAG is offering technical assistance for jurisdictions and Tribal Governments to prepare and submit applications for housing-supportive funding.
State Agency Meetings
On Nov. 8 and 9, SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise and SCAG Planning Director Sarah Jepson traveled to Sacramento for a series of meetings with executive leadership at the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the California Office of Planning Research (OPR), the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).
REGIONAL EARLY ACTION PROGRAM (REAP) 2.0 PROGRAM UPDATE
Continuing development of the REAP 2.0 program, staff have been conducting outreach to identify priorities for transformative planning and implementation. This has included engaging representatives from disadvantaged and rural communities on their participation in the program. Most recently, staff hosted virtual workshops to provide information and collect feedback from tribal entities and the public.
REGIONAL EARLY ACTION PROGRAM (REAP) 2.0 PROGRAM UPDATE
Since the approval of the REAP 2.0 Program Framework by the Regional Council (RC) in July, staff has continued outreach efforts to develop specific programs using the framework as a guiding document.
33rd Annual Demographic Workshop Dates Announced
The 33rd Annual Demographic Workshop, co-hosted by SCAG and the University of Southern California, will be held virtually on the afternoons of Wednesday, Sept. 14, and Wednesday, Sept. 21. This year’s workshop will explore the demographic trends that have and have not bounced back following the COVID-19 pandemic, how different populations have experienced the rebound in different ways, and the impact of remote work and other emerging trends in our cities. More information will be available soon.
President Harnik Shares Region’s Housing and Transportation Priorities
SCAG President Jan Harnik had the pleasure of hosting a recent meeting with Senate Transportation Committee Chair Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) to discuss our region’s housing and transportation budget priorities, such as the Regional Council’s support for an augmentation to the Infill Infrastructure Grant program and using budget surplus dollars to fully fund the Active Transportation Program.
State Housing Funds Awarded to 29 SCAG Jurisdictions
The California Department of Housing and Community Development approved another 35 jurisdictions for Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) funds, bringing the total to 135 jurisdictions state-wide. Specifically, 29 of the 35 jurisdictions are located in the SCAG region and totaled another $49.4 million in homelessness and affordable housing funds for PLHA’s second round. Total SCAG awards for PLHA’s second round are $121.9 million for 54 jurisdictions.
REGISTER FOR THE 57TH ANNUAL REGIONAL CONFERENCE & GENERAL ASSEMBLY
SCAG’s 57th Annual Regional Conference & General Assembly is just around the corner on May 5–6. Register today for access to high-quality presentations and panels, featuring engaging speakers and thought leaders, and unbeatable networking opportunities filled with collaborative, solution-oriented discussions on fostering change and addressing challenges in our communities.
REGISTRATION FOR THE 57TH ANNUAL REGIONAL CONFERENCE & GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS NOW OPEN!
Join Southern California’s most influential elected officials and policymakers on May 5–6, 2022 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, CA. This two-day event will focus on solution-oriented discussions to address the most pressing problems facing communities, businesses, and families throughout the SCAG region. General admission tickets for the event are $350, but registrations done in advance by Thursday, March 31 using the code EARLYBIRD will receive $100 off the general admission price.
The February 2022 Executive Director’s Report covers the agency’s major activities, key programs, and accomplishments over the past month.
The January 2022 Executive Director’s Report covers the agency’s major activities, key programs, and accomplishments over the past month.