California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Technical Assistance (RFP# 2018-0023)

SACOG is seeking proposals from a qualified Consultant or Consultant Team with experience writing programmatic Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) and providing other CEQA technical services necessary to assist with the preparation of the environmental compliance document for the 2020 Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (MTP/SCS) Update. SACOG is seeking to contract with one firm for all described services. The prime consultant may utilize in-house staff or a combination of in-house staff and sub-consultants. The requested services range from preparation of assigned chapters or sections of the EIR, to preparation of the entire EIR, and will also include peer review and other technical EIR assistance. The consultant will build upon work completed from the prior EIR unless, as a result of technical research and review, a different approach is merited. The 2020 MTP/SCS Update, which is the subject of this RFP, will be the third update to address Senate Bill (SB) 375 requirements. SB 375 requirements to be addressed in this MTP/SCS include: 1) Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a performance target and metric; 2) Integration of 2020 and 2035 land use patterns with the Regional Housing Need Allocation and transportation investments; and 3) Analysis and consideration of agricultural and natural resource impacts. The SACOG Board of Directors directed that the 2020 MTP/SCS Update should be focused on advancing economic prosperity in the Sacramento region. As such, the Board adopted a Policy Framework for the 2020 MTP/SCS Update that addresses the following broad policy questions and challenges: 1. Future Uncertainty: In a time of change, how do we support near-term implementation and plan for an uncertain future? 2. Economic Development and Opportunity: What growth and development pattern is needed to support and sustain regional economic development and opportunity? 3. Performance-Based Investment Strategy: What transportation infrastructure investments are needed to support an economically prosperous region? The MTP/SCS environmental compliance document and analysis must include GHG emissions baseline measurements and projections, as well as potential mitigation measures to reduce those emissions. It must also also include analysis of the environmental effects of the MTP/SCS. Pursuant to Government Code § 65080, subd. (b)(2)(B), required elements of the MTP/SCS that will inform the environmental analysis include: i) general location of land uses, residential densities, and building intensities within the region; ii) identification of areas within the region sufficient to house all the population of the region, including all economic segments of the population, over the course of the planning period of the regional transportation plan taking into account net migration into the region, population growth, household formation and employment growth; iii) identification of areas within the region sufficient to house an eight-year projection of the regional housing need for the region pursuant to Government Code Section 65584; iv) a transportation network to serve the regional transportation needs; v) information regarding resources areas and farmland in the region; vi) consideration of state housing goals specified in Government Code Sections 65580 and 65581; vii) forecasted development pattern for the region integrated with the transportation network and other transportation measures and policies, to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and light trucks, and achieve, if there is a feasible way to do so, the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets approved by the state board; and viii) a regional transportation plan that complies with Section 176 of the federal Clean Air Act.