MTC adopts Plan Bay Area 2050+
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) has adopted Plan Bay Area 2050+ and certified the plan’s associated Environmental Impact Report, which gives final approval to the Bay Area’s long-range plan for transportation, housing, economic resiliency and environmental sustainability.
Defined by 35 strategies for transportation, housing, the economy and the environment, Plan Bay Area 2050+ lays out a set of policies and investments that define what it would take to make the nine-county region more affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and economically vibrant for all residents through 2050 and beyond. From housing and transportation strategies that would reduce cost of living and construct more affordable housing to investments in public transit that prioritize service improvements in equity priority communities, MTC says the goal of a more equitable Bay Area is interwoven throughout the plan. With a major focus on climate change, strategies also are crafted for resilience, including protection from hazards such as sea level rise and wildfires.
“Today, our communities face rising costs, widening inequality and persistent housing shortages,” said ABAG Executive Board President and Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos. “This is not the future we want for the generations of Bay Area residents to come. Plan Bay Area 2050+ charts a course for how we can bring about our shared vision for a Bay Area where everyone has access to opportunity and a better quality of life.”
According to the MTC, unique to this plan cycle is the parallel Transit 2050+ planning effort, developed in partnership with Bay Area transit agencies, which culminated in the re-envision of the future of public transportation across the region.
“Plan Bay Area 2050+ will help shape the vital service improvements and funding solutions we need to keep Bay Area transit running while also making it faster, more frequent, more reliable, safer and better connected,” said MTC Commission Chair and Pleasant Hill City Councilmember Sue Noack. “Plan Bay Area 2050+ lays the groundwork for how our region can meet the challenges of today, while also advancing a shared vision for an even better tomorrow.”