Passenger Rail/Transit/Land Use Working Group
A primary outcome of the October 9-10, 2023, SJV Planning Directors’ Committee Retreat was the formation of the “Passenger Rail/Transit/ Land Use Working Group” (Working Group) to serve the San Joaquin Valley Regional Policy Council (SJV RPC). The purpose of this Working Group is to develop, promote, and help implement a vision for passenger rail, transit, and land use around public transportation (transit-oriented development) in the San Joaquin Valley. As the construction of our nation’s first 200+ mile per hour high-speed rail (HSR) system moves forward in the San Joaquin Valley there is a tremendous opportunity to improve public transportation and implement more transit-oriented development (or TOD) throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
The Working Group is led by the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) staff. Each of the eight San Joaquin Valley Regional Transportation Planning Authorities (San Joaquin Council of Governments, Stanislaus Council of Governments, Merced County Association of Governments, Madera County Transportation Commission, Fresno Council of Governments, Kings County Association of Governments, Tulare County Association of Governments, and Kern Council of Governments) have assigned at least one senior staff member to this Working Group. Meetings are typically held bi-monthly, but the Working Group can meet more frequently as needed.
Key activities and accomplishments of this Working Group include:
Vision Documents
In partnership with the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), the Working Group has produced the Vision for Integrated Passenger Rail/Transit in the San Joaquin Valley handout. This important document shows and describes an integrated passenger rail and transit network envisioned to connect HSR to communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley and California. The one-page (two sided) handout will be included as part of the SJV RPC annual lobby efforts in both Sacramento and Washington DC. This valley-wide handout is also used by SJV RPC members and CHSRA to help convey and promote the ambitious and transformational rail/transit network under development in the San Joaquin Valley. In addition, the Working Group is currently working in partnership with CHSRA to develop county-level handouts for the San Joaquin Valley counties which will provide greater details for the envisioned passenger rail/transit and will show areas within each county where transit-oriented development will be a focus for local communities. The county-level handouts will be completed by the end of 2024 (and then added to this webpage). The Working Group greatly appreciates CHSRA for partnering on both the valley-wide and county-level handouts and providing the resources needed to create these key deliverables.
San Joaquin Valley Network Integration and Transit-Oriented Development Action Plan (Plan)
One of the first efforts of the Working Group was to develop and submit a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant application to support the efforts of this new Working Group. With the support of the Working Group, SJV RPC, SJV Planning Directors’ Committee, and numerous other partner agencies and organizations in the San Joaquin Valley, SJJPA applied to Caltrans for the “San Joaquin Valley Network Integration and Transit-Oriented Development Action Plan (Plan)”. SJJPA received notification in July 2024 of a successful award and anticipates initial work for the Plan to begin during the summer of 2025.
SJJPA will lead the San Joaquin Valley Network Integration and Transit-Oriented Development Action Plan (Plan), and work together with the Working Group, CHSRA, and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) on its development and production. The Plan will develop expanded connectivity options between High-Speed Rail’s (HSR) Bakersfield to Merced segment, Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) commuter rail service and San Joaquins
intercity passenger rail service along the new “Valley Rail” corridor in the San Joaquin Valley, the Cross-Valley Corridor, Valley Link, and other existing and planned transit and passenger rail services within the San Joaquin Valley. The convergence of HSR, ACE, San Joaquins, Valley Link and Cross Valley Corridor services present the San Joaquin Valley with an opportunity to integrate with other planned services, yet no uniform effort has been made to ensure that these services support multimodal, multi-service trips. The goals for the study consist of identifying existing and future rail and transit improvements in the San Joaquin Valley and gaps where further rail and transit coordination and investment is needed to integrate local and regional transit systems with expanding intercity and High-Speed passenger rail services as they are implemented.
The Plan is intended to improve transit performance by also supporting station-area development and TOD strategies in the San Joaquin Valley. Land use strategies and recommendations will be compatible with State and Regional sustainability goals, transit-supportive land uses, station-area development, reducing sprawl, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving overall air quality, and promoting TOD surrounding and associated with the planning area, building on the principles and guidance set forth by the Caltrans Smart Mobility Framework, Complete Streets Strategies, Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI), California State Rail Plan, and California Transportation Plan (CTP) 2050.
The Plan involves engaging underserved communities to develop transportation and land use recommendations, reduce transportation barriers, and increasing regional mobility options for the San Joaquin Valley.
The development of the Plan will offer opportunities for underserved residents, Native American Tribal Governments, and rural communities in the region to provide input and guide the Plan’s development through in-person and virtual community workshops, surveys, and other interactive planning activities. Working alongside experienced consultants, SJJPA will:
- Identify and engage with established community-based organizations that mobilize underserved communities to establish collaborative relationships.
- Involve local health departments, which can aid in reaching community-based organizations and underserved community members.
- Engage in partnerships with marginalized and underserved communities to co-create and execute principles that will guide the development of the Plan to address their specific needs and challenges.
- Create opportunities for input accessible virtual workshops online through the Plan website and through virtual public meetings.
- Translate project materials in regionally significant languages, facilitating the accessibility of input efforts to all communities in the region.
- Engagement and updates will continue to be available on the Plan website throughout the duration of this planning initiative and the implementation of resulting Plan projects.
The Plan will contribute to the State’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets and advances transportation related GHG reduction strategies by:
- Creating opportunities for TOD by identifying complementary land use opportunity areas and improving network connectivity. The plan aims to create a buffer around stations, service lines, and other significant passenger rail and transit service stops, establish density ranges, and identify prospects for affordable housing. These measures are designed to encourage mode shift and decrease VMT on the State Highway System – including I-5, I-205, I-580, SR 99, SR 41, SR 43, SR 120, SR 132, SR 140, SR 180, and SR 198 – by enhancing multimodal access.
- Creating multimodal opportunities to connect residents and visitors between these transportation services to employment and retail centers. This consolidated planning effort will result in an extensive network of alternative routes to destinations throughout the rest of the region. Residents will connect between the existing and future passenger rail and transit services and new multimodal improvements.
- Reducing urban sprawl by discouraging leap-frog development and incentivizing smart growth. This type of development reduces VMT by creating a phased plan for development rather than being led by developers’ interests. This will ensure land uses are synchronized with the proposed transportation system and station areas and improve overall transit performance for residents throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
- Advancing regional transit connectivity between the San Joaquin Valley and beyond through a supplemental planning study that prioritizes short-, mid-, and long-term strategies.
Implementing the Plan will have many expected benefits for the San Joaquin Valley, including:
- Sustainability: Reduce VMT, improve air quality, and preserve the State’s natural lands by supporting increased use of public transportation and smart development, as well as reducing the impacts of inefficient land use.
- Preservation: Preserve the transportation system by identifying key infrastructure and service improvements, encouraging TOD and multi-modal connectivity, and promoting consistency between transportation improvements and local growth patterns identified at all planning levels.
- Accessibility: Identify multimodal transportation opportunities, improve regional transit performance, and identify infrastructure needs for school-age children, older adults, and people with disabilities.
- Safety: Substantially reduce fatal and serious injury crashes by incentivizing the safe use of roadways, aligning with the Safe System approach, and shifting vehicle users to public transportation.
- Economy: Facilitate economic vitality and identify land dedicated to transportation infrastructure and residential land use. Connections with HSR and existing and future passenger rail services will facilitate regional access to employment and destinations throughout the State, supporting greater regional economic growth.
- Health: Enhance active transportation, reduce VMT, and improve air quality by encouraging physical activity and enhance health outcomes.
- Social Equity: Seek feedback on transportation solutions from underserved communities and will prepare high-level guidance for San Joaquin localities. The feedback will inform the identification of affordable housing near key destinations and result in an Equity and Displacement list of best practices.
The Plan will carefully examine opportunities for connectivity along the upcoming HSR, current passenger rail, and transit services. It will also incorporate land-use suggestions that align with these modes and support compatible station-area development. The Plan includes ongoing involvement
with underserved communities and the Working Group to formulate transportation and land-use recommendations. By identifying existing and future service and infrastructure improvements while involving community and Working Group stakeholders, the Plan can prioritize these improvements and match identified projects with funding.
Valley Voice Support for Sacramento and DC Lobby Days
Passenger Rail and Transit are key elements of the platforms for the SJV RPC’s Valley Voice annual lobby efforts in Sacramento and Washington DC. The Working Group played an important role in helping to develop, review, and approve the SJV RPC’s platforms for Passenger Rail and Transit for both the Sacramento and Washington DC Valley Voice 2024 trips.