Projects being proposed for state and federal funding must be identified in a Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), which the Agency updates on a 4-year cycle for Monterey County. The regional plan is a long-range planning document with a 20-year horizon that includes three main components: 1) A Policy Element communicating goals and measurable objectives for improving the transportation system, 2) a Financial Element that includes a forecast of revenues over the life of the plan, and 3) an Action Element that includes a list of projects to be funded within the capacity of the funding forecast, which meet the goals and objectives identified in the document. The RTP does not approve any particular project, but does review the environmental impacts of proposed projects on a "program level."
The Agency has been working with the Association of Monterey Governments (AMBAG) on a technical update to the 2014 RTP to be included in the 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy Update. Attached is a summary from AMBAG about the update process, as well as a timeline for the update.
The Regional Transportation Plan includes a listing of regionally significant projects on the regional road, highway, rail and transit networks planned over the time horizon of the plan, which add capacity and need to be included in the AMBAG Regional Travel Demand Model. The plan must also identify all other planned local street, bike/pedestrian and transit projects that may use state or federal funding.
The Agency worked with local jurisdictions during the fall of 2016 to update local lists of projects to be included in the RTP. The final list of projects identified in the plan must be consistent with the needs, goals and priorities identified in the policy element and the total cost of those projects must fall within the funding capacity of the long range revenue forecast.
The attached project list represents the input received from these jurisdictions, as well as the public input gather through the public outreach for the Measure X Expenditure Plan. Major changes to the list include removal of projects that have been completed or are currently under construction, inclusion of the regional projects listed in Measure X, and removal of the SR 68 Fort Ord Bypass.
At this time, staff is seeking to update the Board on progress made with the current Regional Transportation Plan update and 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy Update, and have the Board approve the final project list to be studied as part of the 2018 RTP and 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy Update.