March Updates  

Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.

The ABAG General Assembly will begin mid-morning and end early afternoon, with the business meeting at noon. It is essential that we have delegates participate in this General Assembly and business meeting.  More information is available at  http://abag.ca.gov/events/ga/2016/   or call 510-464-7900.

During the General Assembly, panelists will discuss both the value and structure of the Association of Bay Area Governments -- your Council of Governments. Hear panels of elected officials and stakeholders describe ways to strengthen and improve regional planning through a greater integration of land use, housing, transportation and economic development work. Participate to expand and enhance the conversation on these critical issues.
Housing Action Agenda Approved on
March 17, 2016

The ABAG Executive Board unanimously approved the Housing Action Agenda on March 17, 2016.   In the coming months, ABAG will develop a detailed work plan to identify actions locally, regionally and statewide to promote, preserve and fund affordable housing in the Bay Area. 
 
The goal of the housing agenda is to make it easier to build new homes in the Bay Area, unlock and preserve affordability of existing homes, and provide jurisdictions with the tools they need to avoid displacement of residents. The Housing Action Agenda compiles a set of actions at the local, regional, and state levels that ABAG can take to tackle the region's chronic housing shortage. Some of the solutions discussed include seeking state-level reforms to various housing-related laws, creating a regional housing trust fund, and continuing ABAG's collaboration with stakeholders to make existing regulations work better for the region. 
 
For more information, download agenda item number eight at http://www.abag.ca.gov/meetings/execboard.html.

Plan Bay Area Regional Forecast

As part of the four-year update of Plan Bay Area, the Association of Bay Area
Governments (ABAG) has modified the regional forecast to 2040. 

This document describes the regional projections of employment, population, household and housing growth from 2010 through 2040, to be used in Plan Bay Area 2040. The forecast presented here was accepted by the ABAG Executive Board in January 2016 and will be the basis for the growth scenarios to be released later this spring and the preferred scenario to be adopted in Fall 2016.


For more information and to view the full forecast, visit the website at http://reports.abag.ca.gov/index.html.
 
Water Bill Savings Act SB 1233 (McGuire)

ABAG has identified an innovative way to help meet California's mandated drought response and greenhouse gas reduction goals.  The Water Bill Savings Act, 
SB  1233 (McGuire) was developed to facilitate large-scale adoption of water efficiency upgrades.  With the Act, local governments can respond to drought in a way that is regionally efficient, financially sustainable, and available to all municipal utilities, large and small.   

This broad scale regional response to California's water  supply issues works by allowing Joint Powers Authorities (JPAs) to pool services and fund voluntary efficiency projects on private property and enables municipal water utilities to offer their customers the tools and incentives to make efficiency upgrades with no up-front costs. 



To view this Water Bill Savings Act, go to  http://abag.ca.gov/meetings/legislation.html
  or call (510) 464-7986, 
for more information.
New Map Cards Unlock Commute Routes and Recreation Destinations on the San Francisco Bay Trail

Discover 345 miles of walking and biking trails and explore the shoreline with updated  Bay Trail Map Cards . Commute routes and recreation destinations for walkers and bicyclists are showcased on the San Francisco Bay Trail Project's revised map cards. The San Francisco Bay Trail Project is a non-profit organization administered by ABAG. The new map cards were made possible through a State Coastal Conservancy grant.

The boxed set of 25 cards includes detailed maps, trail descriptions, and one large fold-out map featuring points of interest along the shoreline. Highlighting almost 15 miles of recently completed Bay Trail, the map cards are an update to those published in 2013. 

Easy-to-pack and easy-to-use, the San Francisco Bay Trail maps are now available for purchase at retailers and at www.baytrail.org for $14.95. Companion online and mobile phone applications are also available through the website,  http://baytrail.org/news-events/.
Regional Planning Committee 
4/6 @ 12:30 p.m., MetroCenter, Auditorium

Bay Area Regional Collaborative Governing Board/JPC
4/15 @ 10:00 a.m., MetroCenter, Auditorium

ABAG POWER Executive Committee
4/20 @ 12 noon, MetroCenter Room 171

ABAG Spring General Assembly: The Future of Regional Planning
4/21 @ 10:00 a.m.
Business Meeting @ 12 noon
Oakland Museum, James Moore Theater
1000 Oak Street, Oakland

Joint ABAG Administrative Committee and MTC Planning Committee
4/22 @ 10:00 a.m., MetroCenter, Auditorium