The Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authority (SCTCA) presented the completed community-based transportation plan (CBTP) for the South Santa Rosa Avenue corridor to the Santa Rosa Planning Commission on Dec. 11.

Terena Wilson, the city's transportation planner, introduced Steph Britt of SCTCA, who described the CBTP as a regional program funded by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission designed to identify transportation problems and community-driven solutions in lower-income and disadvantaged neighborhoods. "This plan is consistent with the Santa Rosa active transportation plan, general plan, and the South Santa Rosa area plan," Britt said, adding that SCTCA ran the project with city staff participation.

Britt summarized outreach in two phases: an initial phase focused on identifying issues using focus groups, pop-ups and an interactive map, and a second phase that prioritized projects through community events, including a transportation resource fair. Recommended projects include a shared-use path on Yolanda, re-envisioning Santa Rosa Avenue to be more pedestrian-, bike- and transit-friendly (cross‑sections, speed reductions and crossing improvements), enhanced bus stops and improved connections to Taylor Mountain Regional Park.

Britt said CBTPs come with dedicated MTC funding to help implement recommended projects and that having a CBTP can make local projects more competitive for state and federal grants because of documented community engagement. The plan was recently presented to the SCTCA board and is in a public comment period that the presenters said closes on Dec. 12; after finalization, implementation and tracking will be coordinated through the city’s comprehensive transportation plan that is updated every five years.

Commissioners asked about how the CBTP aligns with other planning efforts and funding; staff said the CBTP incorporates recommendations from the active transportation plan and short- and long-range transit plans and will be coordinated with the South Santa Rosa specific plan. The presentation emphasized focusing outreach on underrepresented voices and disadvantaged communities to surface priorities that might otherwise be overlooked.

Britt encouraged commissioners and the public to submit comments before the close of the comment period as the plan moves toward finalization and implementation.