For the last several months, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) have been exploring taking unprecedented steps to better integrate the two agencies to create more effective, efficient regional planning for the Bay Area.
At the ABAG General Assembly on April 21, Greenbelt Alliance CEO Jeremy Madsen was asked to bring the environmental perspective regarding this potential integration. Read an excerpt from Jeremy’s remarks on protecting the greenbelt as the two agencies carry out regional planning and integration.
At Greenbelt Alliance, we find this dialogue exciting. However, we also believe that an integrated ABAG and MTC must have a clear mission aimed at making the Bay Area a model of open space conservation, housing affordability, and economic vitality, among other goals, in order to truly help the Bay Area meet the aspirations for the future that so many Bay Area leaders and residents hold.
The day after the General Assembly, leaders of ABAG and MTC agreed to take steps to integrate the two organizations’ staffs and continue a broader integration dialogue. We will keep you updated as this process moves forward.
Photo: Thomas Hawk via Flickr
