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BACKGROUND Senate Bill 375 (SB 375) became law in 2008 and is considered landmark legislation for California relative to land use, transportation and environmental planning. It calls for the development of an SCS in all metropolitan regions in California. Within the Bay Area, the law gives joint responsibility for the SCS to the MTC and the ABAG. These agencies are coordinating with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). This joint effort is referred to as One Bay Area, and the plan is called Plan Bay Area. The SCS integrates several existing planning processes and is required to accomplish the following objectives: 1. Provide a new 25 -year land use strategy for the Bay Area that is realistic and identifies areas to accommodate all of the region's population, including all income groups; 2. Forecast a land use pattern, which when integrated with the transportation system, reduces greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and light trucks and is measured against the regional target established by the California Air Resources Board (GARB). The SCS is a land use strategy required to be included as part of the Bay Area's 25 -year Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). By federal law, the RTP must be internally consistent. Therefore, the over $200 billion dollars of transportation investment typically included in the RTP must align with and support the SCS land -use pattern. SB 375 also requires that an updated eight -year regional housing need allocation (RHNA) prepared by ABAG is consistent with the SCS. The SCS, RTP, and RHNA are anticipated to be adopted simultaneously in early 2013. The SCS is not just about assigning housing need to places or achieving greenhouse gas targets. ABAG describes the primary goal of the SCS as building a Bay Area that continues to thrive and prosper under the changing circumstances of the twenty -first century. ABAG believes that by directly confronting the challenges associated with population growth, climate change, a new economic reality and an increasing public - health imperative, the SCS should: 1. Recognize and support compact walkable places where residents and workers have access to services and amenities to meet their day -to -day needs; 2. Reduce long commutes and decrease reliance that increases energy independence and decreases the region's carbon consumption; 3. Support complete communities which remain livable and affordable for all segments of the population, maintaining the Bay Area as an attractive place to reside, start or continue a business, and create jobs; 4. Support a sustainable transportation system and reduce the need for expensive highway and transit expansions, freeing up resources for other more productive public investments; Page 2 of 7