The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) will be the lead agency in partnership with Council of San Benito County Governments (COG), the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC) and the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for the 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (MTP/SCS). In addition, SBtCOG, SCCRTC and TAMC will be the lead agencies for the development of the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) for San Benito County, 2040 RTP for Santa Cruz County and 2040 RTP for Monterey County, respectively. The 2040 MTP/SCS is the metropolitan long‐range transportation plan for the three counties and will compile transportation projects and programs included in the County RTPs. Pursuant to §15082 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), AMBAG is soliciting input on the scope and content of the EIR.
Project Description: As the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the tri‐county region of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties, AMBAG is charged with developing a MTP/SCS. The 2040 MTP/SCS is the metropolitan long‐range transportation plan for the three counties. SBtCOG, SCCRTC, TAMC are the state‐designated Regional Transportation Planning Agencies (RTPAs) for San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties, respectively. Each RTPA prepares a county‐level long‐range Regional Transportation Plan. The EIR will serve as the Program EIR for the AMBAG 2040 MTP/SCS and for the RTPs prepared by the RTPAs for San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties.
The 2040 MTP/SCS is used to guide the development of the Regional and Federal Transportation Improvement Programs, as well as other transportation programming documents and plans. The MTP/SCS outlines the region’s goals and policies for meeting current and future mobility needs, providing a foundation for transportation decisions by local, regional, and State officials that are ultimately aimed at achieving a coordinated and balanced transportation system.
The SCS component of the MTP is required by California Senate Bill 375, the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (SB 375). SB 375 mandates regional greenhouse gas reduction targets for passenger vehicles and, pursuant to that law, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has established and will update 2020 and 2035 GHG reduction targets for each region covered by one of the state’s MPOs. AMBAG is required to prepare an SCS that demonstrates how updated GHG reduction targets could be met through integrated land use, housing, and transportation planning. If the SCS is unable to meet the GHG reduction targets, then an Alternative Planning Scenario must be prepared.
Project Location: San Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, and all incorporated cities and unincorporated areas contained therein. Projects identified in the 2040MTP/SCS are located on state highways, rail lines, county and city roads, locally owned streets, airport property, and transit district property.
Probable Environmental Effects to be Addressed in the EIR: Aesthetics, agricultural resources, air quality and health impacts/risks, biological resources, climate change/greenhouse gases, cultural and historic resources, energy, geology/soils, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology/water quality, land use, mineral resources, noise, population and housing, recreation, traffic and circulation, utilities/regional water supply, cumulative impacts, and growth inducing impacts.
Comment Period Dates: The scoping comment period began Dec.21, 2015 and closes January 29, 2016. Please submit comments before the close of the comment period to Heather Adamson at AMBAG, 445 Reservation Road, Suite G, Marina, CA 93933 or to hadamson@ambag.org.
Scoping Meetings: AMBAG will host three public scoping meetings to solicit input on the scope and content of the EIR. The date, time and location of the meetings are as follows:
- In San Benito County on January 11, 2016 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the County of San Benito Board of Supervisors Chambers, 481 Fourth St. in Hollister
- In Santa Cruz County on January 27, 2016 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at the Aptos Library, 7695 Soquel Drive, Aptos.
- In Monterey County on January 28, 2016 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at the Cesar Chavez Library, 615 Williams Road, Salinas.
For more information, visit www.ambag.org or call (831) 883-3750.