MTC releases draft EIR for Plan Bay Area 2050

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) for Plan Bay Area 2050 was released by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC).

Plan Bay Area 2050 is the region’s long-range plan that outlines 35 integrated strategies across four key issues—housing, the economy, transportation and the environment—to make the Bay Area more equitable for all residents and more resilient in the face of unexpected challenges. Public comment on this document is open from June 4, 2021, to July 20, 2021.

The Draft EIR has been prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act to analyze and disclose the potentially adverse significant impacts associated with implementation of the proposed Plan Bay Area 2050. The Draft EIR identifies the potential for significant effects in the following areas: aesthetics and visual resources; agriculture and forestry resources; air quality; biological resources; climate change, greenhouse gases and energy; cultural resources and tribal cultural resources; geology, seismicity and mineral resources; hazards and wildfire; hydrology and water quality; land use, population and housing; noise; public services and recreation; public utilities and facilities; and transportation.

A Final EIR will be prepared following public review and comment on the Draft EIR. The Final EIR will consist of changes to the Draft EIR and written responses to comments submitted during the comment period on the Draft EIR. MTC and ABAG will consider this information during their deliberations on certification of the Final EIR and adoption of the proposed Plan Bay Area 2050 this fall.

The public is invited to three virtual public hearings, where interested residents can comment on the Draft EIR. Participants without internet access can call into the events by calling in.