OneBayArea Grant Program

PROGRAM INFORMATION

The OneBayArea Grant Program (OBAG) establishes program commitments and policies for investing roughly $800 million over the four-year Cycle 2 period (FYs 2012-13 through 2015-16), funded through continuations of the current surface transportation legislation currently known as SAFETEA (the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act) or the new surface transportation authorization currently under congressional consideration.  

The OneBayArea Grant Program is a new funding approach that better integrates the region’s federal transportation program with California’s climate law (Senate Bill 375, Steinberg, 2008) and the Sustainable Communities Strategy. Funding distribution to the counties will consider progress toward achieving local land-use and housing policies by:

• Rewarding jurisdictions that accept housing allocations through the Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) process and produce housing using transportation dollars as incentives.
• Supporting the Sustainable Communities Strategy for the Bay Area by promoting transportation investments in Priority Development Areas (PDAs) and by initiating a pilot program that will support open space preservation in Priority Conservation Areas (PCA).
• Providing a higher proportion of funding to local agencies and additional investment flexibility by eliminating required program investment targets. The OBAG program allows flexibility to invest in transportation categories such as Transportation for Livable Communities, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, local streets and roads preservation, and planning activities, while also providing specific funding opportunities for Safe Routes to School (SR2S) and Priority Conservation Areas.

Questions regarding OBAG may be directed to Craig Goldblatt of MTC staff at cgoldblatt@mtc.ca.gov or 510-817-5837