The Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG), as both the federally-designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO) and the State-designated regional transportation planning agency (RTPA) for Tulare County, is required by both federal and State law to prepare a long-range (at least 20-year) transportation planning document known as a Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The RTP is an action-oriented document used to achieve a coordinated and balanced regional transportation system.
For the first time, TCAG now also has the responsibility to prepare a Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) as part of the RTP, pursuant to the requirements of California Senate Bill 375 as adopted in 2008 (discussed further below). The SCS sets forth a forecasted development pattern for the region, which, when integrated with the transportation network and other transportation measures and policies, is intended to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from passenger vehicles and light trucks to achieve the regional GHG reduction targets set by the California Air Resources Board (ARB).