Decongestion Fee System
One of the most innovative and effective solutions for alleviating traffic is the option to pay for gridlock-free roadways within a designated area, at certain times of the day when congestion is at its worst. In some of the most congested cities in the world, including London, Stockholm, and Milan, adding a decongestion fee system during peak hours has dramatically increased mobility, as well as improved public health and reduced traffic collisions. Fees collected are reinvested in transit options and safer streets.
Read about decongestion fee systems being proposed and implemented around the world:
Apr 25, 2018 - Seattle Asks: Can Congestion Pricing Be Equitable?, Next City
Apr 25, 2018 - Cars Are Ruining Our Cities, The New York Times
Apr 21, 2018 - Hate Traffic? Learn to Love Congestion Pricing., Reason
Apr 13, 2018 - Ideal of Congestion Pricing Faces Real-Life Roadblocks in Seattle, The Seattle Times
Apr 11, 2018 - London’s Congestion Charge Is Showing Its Age, CityLab
Apr 09, 2018 - Congestion Pricing Plan for Manhattan Ran Into Politics. Politics Won., The New York Times
Apr 05, 2018 - Is Seattle Ready to Consider Widespread Tolling to Ease Traffic Congestion?, The Seattle Times
Mar 31, 2018 - Congestion Pricing Falters in New York, Again, The New York Times
Mar 23, 2018 - You Want Congestion Pricing? Be Specific., CityLab
Mar 22, 2018 - Congestion Pricing Benefits Everyone, TransitCenter
Mar 21, 2018 - Is Your E-ZPass the Key to Congestion Pricing?, The New York Times
Mar 13, 2018 - Congestion Pricing Can Improve Traffic, Fund Transit, Save Lives, StreetsBlog SF
Mar 13, 2018 - State Bill to Create Pilot Programs for Congestion Pricing in CA Could Mean ‘Go Zones’ are Coming to a City Near You, KPCC
Mar 11, 2018 - Congestion Pricing Revival: State Bill Would Allow SF to Charge Cars for Downtown Entry, San Francisco Examiner
Mar 07, 2018 - A New Report Shows Highway Widening Won’t Solve Portland’s Congestion Woes, The Portland Mercury
Mar 02, 2018 - London Congestion Charge: Why It’s Time to Reconsider One of the City’s Great Successes, The Conversation
Mar 01, 2018 - A Chance to Transform Urban Planning, The Economist
Feb 26, 2018 - 3 Far-Flung Cities Offer Clues to Unsnarling Manhattan’s Streets, The New York Times
Feb 13, 2018 - Could Paying People Not to Drive Help Reduce Congestion?, The Source
Feb 07, 2018 - Are Traffic-Clogged US Cities Ready for Congestion Pricing?, The Conversation
Jan 22, 2018 - How to Ease Traffic Congestion, CommonWeatlh
Jan 19, 2018 - Could Congestion Pricing Finally Work for New York City?, CityLab
Jan 09, 2018 - New, Higher Tolls for 2018, Stateline
Jan 03, 2018 - Road Pricing for All Vehicles, Not Just Ride-Hailed Ones, City Observatory
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.