Oceanside CA— The SANDAG Board of Directors today released the draft version of San Diego Forward: The Regional Plan for public review and comment.
San Diego Forward incorporates the Regional Transportation Plan, Sustainable Communities Strategy, and Regional Comprehensive Plan into one overarching blueprint for the region’s future. It combines the big-picture vision for how our region will grow over the next 35 years with an implementation program to help make that vision a reality.
“Over the last two and a half years, we have worked with community members, stakeholders, and local agencies to develop San Diego Forward: The Regional Plan,” said Santee Councilmember and SANDAG Board Chair Jack Dale. “The resulting Plan encourages the development of vibrant, healthy communities that are connected by a range of transportation choices, including public transit, walking and biking facilities, and roads.”
San Diego Forward proposes a strategy for a more sustainable future, including investment in transportation projects that will provide more travel choices, protect the environment, create healthy communities, and stimulate the economy. More than $200 billion will be invested in the regional transportation network between now and 2050 to provide more transit services, expand our active transportation network, and build more Express Lanes to support transit operations and carpooling.
The Plan responds to changes in overall land use patterns by our local cities and the county, which envision more compact development in the future (with more than half the region preserved as open space). These investments will directly support the regional economy, with every dollar invested in the Plan resulting in nearly two dollars of economic benefit.
The Draft Plan is available online at SDForward.com.
The SANDAG Board of Directors has scheduled a series of workshops on the Draft Regional Plan to provide information and accept public comment. The workshops are scheduled as follows:

• May 12, 6 to 8:30 p.m. – Escondido City Hall, Mitchell Room, 201 North Broadway, Escondido, 92025
• May 13, 6 to 8:30 p.m. – La Mesa Community Center, Arbor View Room, 4975 Memorial Drive, La Mesa, 91942
• May 14, 1 to 3:30 p.m. – Caltrans, District 11, Garcia Room, 4050 Taylor Street, San Diego, 92110 (Streaming live on the internet.)
• May 20, 6 to 8:30 p.m. – Oceanside City Hall Community Rooms, 300 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside, 92054
• May 21, 6 to 8:30 p.m. – Casa Familiar Civic Center, 212 W. Park Avenue, San Ysidro, 92173 (To be conducted in Spanish with English translation; Streaming live on the internet.)
• May 27, 6 to 8:30 p.m. – Jacobs Center Community Room, 404 Euclid Avenue, San Diego, 92114 (Streaming live on the internet.)
• May 28, 6 to 8:30 p.m. – UTC Forum Hall Community Room, 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite E-25, San Diego, 92122

During the workshops, participants will be afforded a variety of means to submit comments on the Draft Regional Plan, including filling out comment cards and speaking to a court reporter. In addition, SANDAG will hold two public hearings in June. Comments also may be submitted via the website at sdforward.com, directly through email at sdforward@sandag.org; via telephone at (619) 699-1934, toll free (877) 277-5736, via fax at (619) 699-1905, and through the mail to ATTN: Regional Plan, 401 B Street, Suite 800, San Diego CA, 92101; and in person by dropping off written comments at SANDAG’s offices at the address above. Public comments on the Draft Regional Plan will be accepted for a period of 55 days after distribution of the Plan’s Draft Environmental Impact Report, anticipated for mid-May.
Spanish-speaking staff members and translators will be available at all seven workshops. The workshop at Casa Familiar will be conducted in Spanish with English translation available. All locations are transit accessible. Call 511 or visit 511sd.com/transit for route information. If you require assistance in order to participate, please contact SANDAG at (619) 699-1900 at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. TTY: (619) 699-1904.

About SANDAG

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is the San Diego region’s primary public planning, transportation, and research agency, providing the public forum for regional policy decisions about growth, transportation planning and construction, environmental management, housing, open space, energy, public safety, and binational topics. SANDAG is governed by a Board of Directors composed of mayors, council members, and supervisors from each of the region’s 18 cities and the county government.
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