MTC, ABAG start building Plan Bay Area 2050+

MTC and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) today officially kicked off a two-and-a-half-year effort to develop Plan Bay Area 2050+, a limited and focused update to Plan Bay Area 2050, the visionary long-range regional plan adopted by the agencies in 2021.

At today's meeting of the Joint MTC Planning Committee with the ABAG Administrative Committee, staff also provided an update on a parallel planning process known as Transit 2050+ to overhaul six transit-related strategies identified in Plan Bay Area 2050 and to help inform the development of the Plan Bay Area 2050+ Final Blueprint scheduled for completion in 2024.

A robust public engagement campaign set to begin in late July – including pop-up workshops, webinars and an online survey – marks the first step on the path toward Plan Bay Area 2050+ adoption in late 2025. Pop-ups will be held throughout the nine-county region at locations such as farmers markets, community colleges, street festivals and fairs. An online/SMS text survey will be made available to allow members of the public to provide input and recommendations.

At the heart of Plan Bay Area 2050 are 35 strategies covering transportation, housing, the economy and the environment that together chart a course for making the Bay Area more affordable, connected, healthy and economically vibrant for all residents, as well as more resilient in the face of unexpected challenges. Plan Bay Area 2050+ is an opportunity to refine these strategies and to integrate lessons learned during, and in the wake of, the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Transit 2050+ aims to address the challenges posed by the Bay Area's fragmented transit system, and to account for rapid changes in commute patterns brought about by the pandemic and significant reductions in anticipated transit revenues through 2050. Transit 2050+ planning will be led by MTC and transit agency staff, supported by a Project Management Team consisting of staff representatives from the Bay Area's seven largest transit operators and four of the region's smaller transit agencies.

Plan Bay Area 2050+ will be developed in consultation with a wide range of public and partners, including community organizations and local, county, regional, state, federal and tribal governments, as well as the general public. For more details on pop-up workshop dates and locations, or to sign up for the Plan Bay Area mailing list, visit planbayarea.org.