SACOG Conformity Determination

In July 2005, SACOG approved another interim plan, called the Metropolitan Transportation Plan
2027 (MTP 2027) that unified all six counties in one plan. For the Sacramento Air Basin, the MTP
2027 simply incorporated the Interim MTP. Because the Yuba-Sutter Air Basin area had been
covered by the MTP 2025, which was expiring in July 2005, the MTP 2027 update was needed so
that projects could continue to be implemented. Again, this plan was developed to enable the
region to continue to build and operate projects in the period during which a new ROP SIP was
being developed, as well as an MTP usable as a base from which to restore the original vision of
the MTP 2025.
This 2006 MTP, which restores the MTP 2025 while extending the horizon year to 2027 and
adding a few projects, has been developed by SACOG concurrently with the ROP SIP for the
Sacramento Air Basin that has been developed by the local air districts. This SIP is expected to be
approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by April 2006, as is the 2006 MTP that
relies upon it for air quality conformity determinations.
Two excerpts from related documents have been appended to this MTP for informational purposes.
First, Appendix N includes excerpts from the Air Quality Conformity Determination on the 2006
MTP and the 2006/08 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) for the
Sacramento Ozone (ROG and NOx) Nonattainment Area, Carbon Monoxide (CO) Maintenance
Area, and Particulate Matter (PM-10) Moderate Nonattainment Area. Second, because this plan
restores the MTP 2025, Appendix O includes the analysis of environmental justice issues from the
Environmental Impact Report for the MTP 2025.
WHAT ABOUT FUTURE MTPs?
Looking forward to 2007, SACOG will be using the SACOG Board-adopted 2050 Blueprint
Preferred Land-Use Alternative to develop a 2030 land use base for a next-generation MTP. The
Blueprint project, which has been a major initiative at SACOG over the past several years, has
educated the public and encouraged local jurisdictions commitment to the use of smart growth
principles in their General Plans. This MTP will also incorporate a new 8-hour SIP for the
Sacramento air basin and a new integrated transportation-land use travel demand model.
WHAT WILL THE FUTURE BRING TO THE SACRAMENTO REGION?
The six-county Sacramento region has changed dramatically in many ways since 1975, and
can expect equally dramatic changes looking forward to 2027. Back in the mid-1970s, the
region's population had reached about 1.1 million. The only major job center was found in
downtown Sacramento. The regional transportation system, focused on radial access between
suburbs and downtown Sacramento, consisted of freeways designed in the 1960s with twenty years
of spare capacity. By the mid-1970s, the region’s decision-makers had decided not to expand the
freeway system further, and instead built two new radial light rail lines, completed by the mid-
1980s. Surrounding communities of that time -- Elk Grove, Davis, Woodland, Yuba City,
Marysville, Roseville, and Folsom -- enjoyed easy access to and from Sacramento, even on twolane
roads. Daily traffic congestion was essentially non-existent.
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