Kern COG committee receives final cargo (goods movement) study and adopts resolution to integrate truck routes into local plans

The Transportation Planning Policy Committee received and filed the final countywide goods‑movement study — described by staff as the Cargo: Community Protection, Prosperity and Protection study — and adopted Resolution 26‑23 on June 18, 2026.

Carl Davidson, regional planner, told the committee the study evaluates climate risk, safety, goods movement needs and economic opportunity and "identifies 3.15 billion in priority freight corridor investments." The draft study was released April 1, public comments were incorporated, and staff recommended jurisdictions incorporate the recommended corridors into local general plan circulation elements.

Consultant findings and project types: consultant Lynette Guzman (Mark Thomas) said outreach produced 12 priority projects phased by region and described strategies designed to reduce truck impacts on neighborhoods while preserving freight connectivity. Those strategies include 'green pass' truck bypass routes to remove truck traffic from downtown streets, truck‑climbing lanes on steep corridors, intersection improvements and grade separations, relocation of truck inspection stations to reduce steep‑grade screening, and multimodal measures that create opportunities for future complete‑streets improvements where truck routes are shifted.

Costs and scale: staff and consultants presented phase‑level cost estimates of roughly $812 million for the priority phases described on the slides and an overall project set totaling about $3.1 billion to $3.15 billion depending on phasing and scope.

Board action: staff asked the committee to receive and file the cargo study and to adopt Resolution 26‑23 encouraging member agencies to integrate the recommended freight corridors into their general plans in alignment with state direction. The committee moved and approved the recommendation on a roll‑call vote; recorded votes in the meeting minutes show members voting in the affirmative. Staff also highlighted SB 415’s requirement that local circulation elements include truck routes by January 1, 2028, and urged jurisdictions to coordinate through the cargo study’s identified corridors.

Next steps: staff will finalize responses to comments, pursue identified grant opportunities for implementation, and ask member jurisdictions to consider the corridor recommendations during upcoming general plan updates. The study and resolution do not themselves adopt projects for construction; they recommend corridors and priorities for local plan updates and future funding pursuits.