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Draft regional plan identifies 219 transportation investments for OC
Connect SoCal 2024 provides a long-term vision for transportation investments throughout the six-county SCAG region
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has identified 219 transportation improvement projects for Orange County as part of the draft Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy released in early November.
Connect SoCal 2024 provides a long-term vision for transportation investments throughout the six-county SCAG region—one of the most vibrant and diverse economies in the United States. SCAG planners spent four years analyzing data and working with local communities to develop this regional vision to improve mobility, meet air-quality goals, create economic opportunities and enhance quality of life. Notable in this plan update are new strategies for addressing the housing crisis, adapting to climate change and investing in underserved communities.
Connect SoCal identifies $750 billion in transportation improvements for the six–county region over the next quarter-century. For Orange County, 219 projects are included, among them:
Find out what's happening in Orange Countyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
o Regional Capacity Program: A master plan of arterial highways ($8.1 billion)
o Countywide bikeways ($3 billion)
Find out what's happening in Orange Countyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
o Mixed-flow and HOT Lane additions on Interstate 405, from State Route 73 to Interstate 605 ($2 billion)
o The OC Streetcar between Santa Ana and Garden Grove ($526 million)
“Making sure these kinds of projects are funded and built is critical to the future of Orange County and Southern California as a whole, connecting communities, creating new business opportunities and ensuring that we’re able to maintain a quality of life we cherish,” said Art Brown, SCAG’s Regional Council president and Buena Park mayor.
Connect SoCal 2024 projects that Orange County’s population will grow by 7% over the next quarter century, to ###a>3.44SCAG updates this long-range planning document every four years to respond to challenges, plan for emerging trends and meet federal and state planning requirements. Following the public review period, a final version of Connect SoCal 2024 is expected to be presented to SCAG’s Regional Council for approval in spring 2024.
The draft Connect SoCal 2024 is available for public comment and review until Jan. 12, 2024. To learn more and submit your comments, visit www.connectsocal.org.
