Planning for 2 million additional Bay Area residents in 25 years, three regional agencies will tie transportation funding to land use development to promote medium and high density housing within 1/2 mile of transit centers.
A plan has been developed by the 3 Bay Area regional agencies: Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Association of Bay Area Governments, and Bay Area Air Quality Management District, to steer new development in the 9-county Bay Region along its transit corridors, such as BART in the East Bay and Caltrain on the Peninsula.
The 3 agencies have come together in the "Joint Policy Committee" where they are unveiling the plan, initially through seminars to public officials, underwritten by state grants for two years.
"What that development might look like ranges from skyscrapers in metropolitan downtowns to two- to five-story buildings along the Peninsula, according to officials. "There won't be a one-size-fits-all solution, so the type of growth that would fit in San Francisco or Oakland wouldn't necessarily make sense in less urban areas," said Janet McBride, planning director for the Association of Bay Area Governments."
The goal is to ensure the least expense in infrastructure for the population growth by having developments be more transit oriented, while protecting open space.
"To encourage housing near transit, the MTC has begun attaching strings to more than $27 million in annual transportation monies it hands out to local governments, (MTC) agency spokesman John Goodwin said."
"More than 84 percent of the 21 million trips taken on an average weekday by Bay Area residents are by automobile, according to the MTC.
By creating more housing, experts also hope to drive the ever-increasing cost of home ownership in the nine-county Bay Area. "Recent estimates indicate that only about 12 percent of Bay Area households could afford a median-priced home, were they to try and purchase today," officials said.
FULL STORY: Area growth plan: Build Near Transit

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie