Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG)
About SBCAG
The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) is a regional planning agency comprosed of Santa Barbara County and all eight incorporated cities within the county. SBCAG distributes local, state, and federal transportation funds and acts as a forum for addressing regional and multi-jurisdictional issues.
SBCAG’s acts as the region’s designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO), regional transportation planning agency, airport land use commission, local transportation authority and congestion management agency.
Members: County of Santa Barbara; Cities of Buellton, Carpinteria, Goleta, Guadalupe, Lompoc, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Solvang
Transportation and SB 375
Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy
SBCAG is required by federal and State law to prepare and update a regional transportation plan (RTP) every four years. The RTP is a long-range transportation plan that must plan ahead for a minimum of twenty years. For the first time the RTP includes a Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS), as required by Senate Bill 375.
The sustainable communities strategy shows how SBCAG can achieve State-approved greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets by integrating population growth, land use, housing need and the transportation network and policies. SBCAG targets are zero per capita increase in greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles and light trucks in 2020 and 2035 when compared to 2005 emissions.
SBCAG adopted the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy on August 15 2013.
Public Participation Plan
SBCAG’s 2007 Public Participation Plan describes the agency’s public education and outreach activities, including lists of media outlets, organizations serving environmental justice (typically underserved) communities and resource agencies that SBCAG communicates with.
In August 2011, SBCAG adopted the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan & Sustainable Communities Strategy Public Participation Plan, which serves as an addendum to the 2007 plan. The purpose of which is to provide opportunity for meaningful input and involvement in development of the region’s SCS by the general public, stakeholders, and member agency officials and staff, as well as interested State and federal agencies, while satisfying the requirements of California Senate Bill (SB) 375.
Housing
The California Department of Housing & Community Development estimates the number of additional housing units needed to accommodate both existing and projected housing need for all income levels. For Santa Barbara County, SBCAG allocates a share of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) to the County and each city in the region in four income categories. State law also requires the RHNA allocation to be consistent with the Regional Transportation Plan-Sustainable Communities Strategy.
SBCAG adopted its most recent RHNA Plan, which covers 2014-2022 in July 2013.
Other Programs and Projects
Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning
SBCAG is working on a Regional Bikeway Plan that meets the requirements of the California Bicycle Transportation Act as well as encourages implementation of a consistent set of bikeway policies and standards region-wide.
