Smart Growth

I-80 Interregional Smart Growth Study

DOWNLOAD: (PDF)

Over the next two decades, growth pressures will increase significantly in both the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sacramento regions, specifically along the I-80/Capitol Corridor through Solano, Yolo, Sacramento and Placer counties. As the two regions try to manage this growth through a variety of incentives and planning efforts aimed at promoting more compact development patterns, they are doing so with only a minimal ability to exchange information, demographic data, and lessons learned.

Caltrans has funded a new joint planning project through its Partnership Planning Program to create a new interregional collaboration among public agencies, businesses, citizen groups and local governments along the corridor. The purpose of this interregional smart growth study is to:

Compile the two region’s demographic forecasts and smart growth scenarios to compare and contrast key assumptions related to housing, employment, and travel growth trends;
Compare the joint interregional projections with both local general plans along the corridor and the predicted future market demand for infill development and transit-oriented housing;
Evaluate the transportation investment and air quality impacts of the two region’s smart growth scenarios for the corridor; and
Use the findings and analysis from the compiled interregional projections to define key policy implications for the corridor from both transportation and land use perspectives, and assist in the upgrades of statewide, regional and local travel and growth models that cover the corridor.
- Full Study Scope of Work (PDF)

The project will be guided by an interregional steering committee (PDF) comprised of staff from the regional agencies, Caltrans, the air districts, and local governments along the corridor, along with representatives from economic, equity and environmental interests. The geographic focus will be on those areas along the I-80/Capitol Corridor, including Solano, Yolo, Sacramento and Placer counties. In addition, the project will have the added benefits of:

Promoting a better understanding of transportation and air quality impacts of smart growth planning for a heavily traveled corridor;
Building a stronger link between local land use plans, interregional forecasts and smart growth planning;

Facilitating the implementation of both region’s smart growth visions;
Understanding and planning for increased truck travel and goods movement-related land uses along the corridor;
Coordinating future transportation investments and corridor planning;
Improving growth forecasts for both regions;
Providing a model for interregional cooperation that could provide assist similar efforts statewide.

For more information, contact the I-80 interregional smart growth study project manager:

Doug Johnson
Senior Planner
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Oakland, CA 94607
djohnson@mtc.ca.gov
(510) 817-5846

Back to main Smart Growth page