MTC – Plan Bay Area 2040 – Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Meetings

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY and NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETINGS
Metropolitan Transportation Commission Plan Bay Area (PBA) 2040
Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy Draft Environmental Impact Report
Date:
To:
From:
Comment Period:
April 14, 2017
Interested Agencies, Organizations and Individuals
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
April 17, 2017 to June 1, 2017 (45 days)

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) (SCH# 2016052041) for Plan Bay Area (PBA) 2040, the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)/Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) (proposed Plan) for the San Francisco Bay Area is now available for review. Public comment on this document is invited for a 45-day period extending from April 17, 2017 to June 1, 2017. Additional information and public comment meeting dates are provided below.

The proposed Plan is a regional strategy for accommodating household and employment growth projected to occur in Bay Area region through 2040, and a transportation strategy for the region based on expected revenues. The primary objective of the proposed Plan is to achieve mandated reductions of greenhouse (GHG) emissions and to provide adequate housing for the projected 2040 regional population level pursuant to The Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (Senate Bill (SB) 375, Statutes of 2008). The proposed Plan sets forth a transportation and land use blueprint for how the Bay Area can address transportation mobility and accessibility needs, regional housing responsibilities, economic conditions and forecasts, environmental concerns, and GHG emissions reduction requirements through the year 2040.

The region includes nine counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma) totaling approximately 4.4 million acres (7,000 square miles). In 2015 the region had 4.01 million jobs, 2.76 million households, and 7.57 million people. The proposed Plan would accommodate projected growth for an additional 688,000 jobs, 666,000 households, and 2,056,000 people by 2040 with a transportation investment strategy of $303 billion. MTC is required under State and Federal law to update the RTP/SCS every four years.

The Draft EIR has been prepared on behalf of MTC and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA),) to analyze and disclose the potentially adverse significant impacts associated with implementation of the proposed Plan. The Draft EIR identifies the potential for significant effects in the following areas: Transportation, Air Quality, Land Use and Physical Development, Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases, Noise, Biological Resources, Visual Resources, Cultural Resources, Public Utilities and Facilities, Hazards, and Public Services and Recreation.

A Final EIR will be prepared following public review and comment on the Draft EIR. The Final EIR will consist of changes to the Draft EIR and written responses to comments submitted during the comment period on the Draft EIR. MTC and ABAG will consider this information during their deliberations on certification of the Final EIR and adoption of the proposed Plan.

Beginning April 17, 2017, the Draft EIR will be available for public review online at the web link provided below. Interested parties may review the draft on the web site or obtain a free electronic copy by contacting MTC at the contact information provided below. The document also will be available for public review in at least one library in each of the nine member counties (list of locations also available beginning April 17) at the URL listed below:


You may submit comments on the Draft EIR during the 45-day review period, which begins April 17, 2017 and ends June 1, 2017. All comments received or postmarked by June 1, 2017 will be accepted as timely. Please refer to Plan Bay Area 2040 RTP/SCS EIR in your comments and direct them to:
MTC Public Information
375 Beale Street, Suite 800
San Francisco, CA, 94105
415. 778.6757 office
415.536.9800 fax
eircomments@mtc.ca.gov
MTC will be conducting three public meetings to receive comments on the Draft EIR during the review period. All interested agencies, organizations, and individuals are welcome to submit comments and/or participate in the public meetings for the Draft EIR. Oral comments will be accepted during these meetings. 
 
May 12, 2017
   Joint MTC Planning Committee with the ABAG Administrative
Committee (9:40 am of immediately following the
Legislation Committee, whichever occurs later) at
Bay Area Metro Center, 375 Beale Street, San Francisco, CA
 
May 16, 2017
    MTC Public Meeting (6:00 pm) at Martin Luther King Jr. Library,
150 E. San Fernando Street, Room 225, San Jose, CA
 
May 18, 2017
   MTC Public Meeting (6:00 pm) at Vallejo Naval and Historical
Museum, Hall of History, 734 Marin Street, Vallejo, CA
            
The following statement is required to be included in this notice:  Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15087(c)(6), the nine county Bay Area region contains hazardous waste sites as enumerated under California Government Code Section 65962.5.
Public comment on the Draft Plan Bay Area 2040 is currently being sought pursuant to a separate notice.  
Do you need an interpreter or any other assistance in order to participate? Please call us at 415.778.6757. We require three days’ notice in order to provide reasonable accommodation.
為了便於參加,您需要口譯員或其他任何協助嗎?請致電415.778.6757聯絡我們。我們需要提前3天通知才能提供合理的輔助服務。
¿Necesitas un intérprete o cualquier otra asistencia para participar? Comunícate al 415.778.6757. Necesitamos aviso con tres días de anticipación para proporcionar asistencia razonable.
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