MTC/ABAG award $8 million for environmental and community projects

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission this week awarded $8 million to 16 Bay Area projects through the Priority Conservation Area (PCA) Grant Program. These grants support the goals of Plan Bay Area, the region’s long-range plan for housing, the economy, transportation, and the environment. 

The PCA Grant Program is a key tool used by MTC and ABAG to protect and enhance natural and agricultural lands, expand public access to open space, and invest in climate resilience and community-driven environmental stewardship. The 2026 awardees reflect a diverse mix of planning, restoration, acquisition, and access projects across all nine Bay Area counties. 

These 16 projects were awarded after a multi-step application and evaluation process that initially received over 50 proposals requesting nearly $36 million in funding.

• Wooden Bridge Replacement Feasibility Study (City of Alameda) – $500,000 to plan replacement of a critical Bay Trail connection threatened by sea level rise and aging infrastructure, serving over 1,000 daily users.
• Restoring Connections: Deep East Oakland Community Stewardship, Creeks, & Shoreline Access (Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation) – $450,000 to advance community-led stewardship, outdoor learning, and improved shoreline access in urban neighborhoods.
• McNeil Park (City of San Pablo) – $500,000 to transform a vacant school site into a multi-benefit community park with recreation amenities, green infrastructure, and inclusive design features.
• Canal Boatyard Urban Park Connection (City of San Rafael) – $800,000 to plan a new shoreline park and pedestrian bridge in the Canal neighborhood, improving access to open space in an Equity Priority Community.
• Resilient Suscol Creek: Climate-Ready Habitat Planning (Napa County RCD) – $440,000 to develop restoration designs to improve climate resilience and ecological function across approximately 100 acres of habitat.
• Twin Peaks Promenade – Bay Area Ridge Trail Connection & Habitat Restoration (San Francisco Recreation & Park Department) – $500,000 to convert a former roadway into a multi-use trail with habitat restoration and improved Ridge Trail connectivity.
• Fire & Flora: Resilient Foothills Initiative (Grassroots Ecology) – $210,000 to reduce wildfire risks and restore native plant communities while training volunteers and workforce participants.
• Bay Trail SFO Gap Closure Project – Phase 1 (San Mateo County Transportation Authority) – $600,000 to advance design and environmental review for a 2.5-mile segment closing a major gap in the Bay Trail.
• Highway 17 Wildlife & Ridge Trail Crossings and Connections (Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District) – $750,000 to reconnect wildlife habitat and close a critical gap in the Ridge Trail with new crossings and trail construction.
• North Coyote Valley Wildlife & Trails Study (Peninsula Open Space Trust) – $250,000 to evaluate trail alignments that balance recreation access with wildlife connectivity in a regionally significant corridor.
• Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Outreach & Awareness Campaign (UC Cooperative Extension) – $200,000 to build public support for agricultural land conservation through storytelling, education, and community engagement.
• Farm to Market Phase 4 (Solano County Department of Resource Management) – $800,000 to improve multimodal access to agricultural areas, supporting local farms and active transportation options.
• South Fork Gualala River Acquisition (Western Rivers Conservancy with Kashia Band of Pomo Indians) – $750,000 to protect 298 acres of river corridor and redwood forest, supporting habitat restoration and Tribal cultural uses.
• Petaluma River Park (Petaluma River Park Foundation) – $550,000 to advance design and construction of a new riverfront park featuring habitat restoration and expanded recreational access.
• Osprey Hill Ranch (Sonoma Land Trust) – $450,000 to plan a public trail network across a 365-acre coastal property while protecting sensitive natural and cultural resources.
• Improving Habitat Quality and Bike/Ped Connectivity on PCA Creeks (City of Sonoma with Sonoma Ecology Center) – $250,000 to enhance creek ecosystems while improving regional trail safety and connectivity.

The PCA Grant Program—funded through the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) program and administered by the San Francisco Estuary Partnership—has supported more than 85 projects and invested over $46 million in conservation and access improvements across the region since its inception in 2013.