Near Term Actions

Near-Term Actions

The 2019 Federal Regional Transportation Plan includes 11 Near-Term Actions planned for completion prior to the adoption of the 2021 Regional Plan. Click on an action to learn more about the strategy and the progress made to date.

The Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP).
Develop a long-term specialized transportation strategy through 2050, as part of the next biennial update of the SANDAG Coordinated Plan, to address the increasing specialized service needs of seniors and people with disabilities.
Implement the San Diego Regional Alternative Fuel Readiness Plan.
Promote Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) reduction by applying the Regional Complete Streets Policy to relevant SANDAG plans, programs, and projects.
Incorporate regional transportation model enhancements to provide more robust data regarding bike and pedestrian travel, carpools, vanpools, carshare, and public health.
Expand the Integrated Corridor Management concept and design for up to three corridors.
Complete the implementation of the ten-year TransNet Program review recommendations.
Develop innovative financing tools to self-finance near-term projects for the new border crossing at Otay Mesa East.
Participate in the target-setting and monitoring processes for federal performance measures and report on progress toward the achievement of these federal performance measure targets in the new System Performance Report.
Support the implementation of the Intraregional Tribal Transportation Strategy with tribal nations in the region.
Develop a regional military base access plan and implementation program.

Select Continuing Actions

Healthy Environment and Communities

Continue to provide and/or expand incentive programs that support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, protect open space and farmland, and create great places to live, work, and play.

Through incentives and collaboration, continue to work to increase the supply and variety of housing types affordable for people of all ages and income levels in areas with frequent transit service and with access to a variety of services.

Continue to refine planning and modeling tools to assess the public health implications of regional and local plans and projects.

Continue to support wildlife and habitat conservation through the acquisition, management, and monitoring of the region’s habitat preserve areas through the TransNet Environmental Mitigation Program incentive program and implementation of the Multiple Species Conservation Program and Multiple Habitat Conservation Program.

Promote the use of both zero-emission vehicles and alternative fuels and ensure that we have the infrastructure to support these innovations.

Support the efforts of local jurisdictions to implement their Energy Roadmap Programs to save energy in their own operations and in their larger communities.

Develop strategies to enhance our region’s ability to adapt to the consequences of climate change, including planning and design strategies to help communities cope with hazardous events such as storms, heat waves, wildfires, or ongoing drought.

Continue to help improve our regional air quality through the implementation of transportation investments detailed in the 2019 Federal RTP coupled with improvements in fuel and vehicle technologies.

Innovative Mobility and Planning

Work with partner agencies to implement the transportation projects contained in the 2019 Federal RTP. These include:

Putting into operation the public transit projects included in the investment plan between now and 2050 (Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor, COASTER, high-speed train, Trolley, SPRINTER, Rapid services, airport services, local bus services, streetcar/shuttles, and specialized services for seniors and people with disabilities).
Fulfilling the Active Transportation Program, including regional bike network build-out, safety improvements for people biking and walking, Safe Routes to School, Safe Routes to Transit, education and data-collection efforts, and active transportation improvements when highway and freeway interchanges are improved.
Improving, rehabilitating, and maintaining local streets and roads.
Deploying advanced signal technologies to extend green lights for buses and other transit vehicles.
Instituting technology and management systems that optimize the flow of the Regional Arterial System.
Supporting a flexible highway system with Managed Lanes, carpool lanes, or transit-only lanes, which will result in a fully interconnected network of Managed Lanes, including direct Managed Lane connectors.
Constructing rail grade separation projects in key locations.
Enhancing our border crossings to cut delays for individual international crossings and trade.

Conduct advanced planning on the highest-priority segments of the proposed new transit services included in the 2019 Federal RTP.

Continue to seek funding for transportation investments that provide a variety of choices, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote healthy lifestyles through more active transportation.

Continue to provide capital and planning grants to local jurisdictions to support smart growth, biking and walking, and seek additional funds to leverage existing grant programs.

Implement state-of-the-art technologies and Transportation Demand and Systems Management Programs to provide more mobility choices and allow the transportation system to function more efficiently.

Work with partner agencies to develop a regional Transportation System Management & Operational (TSM&O) Strategy. TSM&O focuses on establishing multi-agency partnerships to allow transportation systems and services to work together regardless of institutional boundaries. For example, an objective under TSM&O can include using real-time congestion data to improve signal timing across agencies under a common and established shared objective and providing coordination to better manage traffic entering and exiting the freeway during major incidents. A TSM&O strategy will set forth opportunities for efficiently managing the transportation system to its full performance potential under a common, multimodal, and shared multi-agency perspective.

Continue to work with member agencies on parking management solutions.

Link technologies in vehicles and mobile devices to improve the way people travel and reduce VMT. These include emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles, expansion of the regional communications network, smart parking systems, and universal transportation payment systems.

Continue to pursue opportunities to expand shared mobility services near Smart Growth Opportunity Areas. Examples of shared mobility services include carsharing, shared bikes and scooters, real-time ridesharing, Transportation Network Companies (e.g., Uber, Lyft), neighborhood electric vehicles, and on-demand shuttle and jitney services.

Support the development of policies, programs, and funding for moving goods in the state and nation and for infrastructure in the region that supports moving goods.

Coordinate with the Airport Authority to implement the Regional Aviation Strategic Plan and the Airport Multimodal Accessibility Plan to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of existing and planned aviation facilities. Collaboratively, explore options and identify transportation solutions to improve connectivity to the San Diego International Airport.

Continue to seek innovative financing tools and new funding sources to implement the 2019 Federal RTP.

Vibrant Economy

Continue to apply social equity and environmental justice considerations in the implementation of SANDAG projects and programs.

Continue to collaborate with key partners and stakeholders, including representatives from low-income and minority communities, and actively involve the public in the planning process.

Leverage available funds in order to maximize every dollar, and advocate for legislation that supports implementation of the 2019 Federal RTP.

Continue to leverage our crossborder economic relationships with binational and global interests to become more globally competitive and strengthen our megaregion.

Coordinate intergovernmental planning with our crossborder and interregional partners and with tribal governments within the San Diego region to promote collaborative solutions.