Regional transportation plans.

Existing law requires certain transportation planning activities by designated regional transportation planning agencies, including development of a regional transportation plan. Certain of these agencies are designated under federal law as metropolitan planning organizations. Existing law requires metropolitan planning organizations to adopt a sustainable communities strategy or alternative planning strategy, subject to specified requirements, as part of a regional transportation plan, which is to be designed to achieve certain targets for 2020 and 2035 established by the State Air Resources Board for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and light trucks in the region. Existing law requires the state board to prepare, approve, and update a scoping plan for achieving the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. This bill would require the state board by September 1, 2018, and every 4 years thereafter, to prepare a report that assesses progress made by each metropolitan planning organization in meeting the regional greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set by the state board. The bill would require the report to include changes to greenhouse gas emissions in each region and data-supported metrics for the strategies utilized to meet the targets. The bill would also require the report to include a discussion of best practices and the challenges faced by the metropolitan planning organizations in meeting the targets, including the effect of state policies and funding. The bill would require the report to be developed in consultation with the metropolitan planning organizations and affected stakeholders, and to be transmitted to the Assembly Committee on Transportation, the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources, the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing, and the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality.