A landmark agreement clearing the way for a solution to improve mobility in South Orange County and the Southern California region has won top honors in the 2017 Sustainability Awards from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG).

The Foothill-South Settlement Agreement, announced this past November, follows a 20-year effort by the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) to gain approval for the southern extension of State Route 241 (SR-241). The agreement clears the path for a new process and allows TCA to consider a number of transportation ideas including options connecting SR-241 to Interstate 5 while also protecting sensitive lands and cultural resources.

TCA is being recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability – one of seven category winners announced by SCAG, the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization. The Sustainability Awards recognize excellence in coordinating land use and transportation to improve mobility, livability, prosperity and sustainability.

“The settlement agreement represents a responsible and practical approach to working with environmental communities on how best to proceed with solutions to the known mobility issues while preserving valued environmental areas and resources,” SCAG Executive Director Hasan Ikhrata said in announcing the award.

“For over two years, TCA and its team of experts engaged in thoughtful and productive discussions about the future of improving transportation mobility and the importance of protecting environmentally sensitive areas,” said TCA Chief Executive Officer Mike Kraman. “We believe that by working together towards a common goal, our respective groups were able to achieve a monumental decision that will benefit our community for years to come.”

The settlement agreement specifically:

• Restricts TCA from building or funding a project within an area that includes San Onofre State Beach, the Richard and Donna O’Neill Conservancy and other critical open space, wildlife habitat and cultural resources in the San Mateo Creek watersheds
• Requires TCA establish a $28 million conservation fund to help preserve and restore San Mateo Creek and its watershed as mitigation for a new alternative

TCA will be formally honored at an awards luncheon at SCAG’s 52nd annual Regional Conference and General Assembly on May 4 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert.

“We’re honored to recognize TCA and the settlement agreement – an incredibly complex effort that in the end will improve transportation mobility while protecting environmentally sensitive areas,” said Michele Martinez, a Santa Ana City Council member and President of SCAG.

About SCAG
SCAG is the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization, representing six counties, 191 cities and more than 18 million residents. SCAG undertakes a variety of planning and policy initiatives to plan for a livable and sustainable Southern California now and in the future. For more information about SCAG’s regional efforts, please visit www.scag.ca.gov (Opens in a new window) .

About TCA
The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) are two joint powers authorities formed by the California legislature in 1986 to plan, finance, construct and operate Orange County’s public toll road system. Fifty-one miles of the system are complete, including the 73, 133, 241 and 261 Toll Roads. More than three hundred thousand people from all over Southern California use TCA’s toll roads each day. Elected officials from surrounding cities and county supervisorial districts are appointed to serve on each agency’s board of directors. Public oversight ensures that the interests of local communities and drivers are served and that TCA continues to meet the region’s growing need for congestion-free transportation alternatives. For more information about the Transportation Corridor Agencies, please visit TheTollRoads.com.