SCAG Awards $1.25 Billion in Federal Transportation Funds to 132 Projects Throughout Southern California
SCAG’s Regional Council voted Dec. 4 to award $1.25 billion in federal transportation funding through the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2026-27 and 2027-28 Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) programs to 132 transportation projects in the SCAG region. Project types awarded represent various modes of transportation, including transit and multimodal integration, transportation system management and goods movement, clean transportation, complete streets, system preservation, transportation demand management, and resilience of at-risk infrastructure. These investments advance the goals of the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy to improve mobility, reduce congestion, and enhance air quality.
Following a federal corrective action, SCAG became responsible in 2023 for selecting projects funded through the STBG and CMAQ programs. The project selection process was guided by SCAG’s Compliance Action Plan, approved by the Regional Council in February 2023 and subsequently by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. Project applications were sourced through the region’s county transportation commissions and evaluated according to the scoring criteria and rubric outlined in the FFY 2026-27 and 2027-28 STBG/CMAQ Program Guidelines, approved by the Regional Council on March 6, 2025. In administering these programs, SCAG maintains a regional perspective and alignment with Connect SoCal Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy.
Outreach
Throughout the application period, SCAG provided extensive support to applicants, including workshops, more than 30 office hour consultations, an Application Guidebook, and a set of frequently asked questions published on the program webpage. Outreach also included Regional Council announcements, newsletter communications, and web postings, while county transportation commissions conducted localized outreach and prioritization consultations.
Award Summary
The FFY 2026-27 and FFY 2027-28 STBG/CMAQ funding cycle will invest in a wide range of projects that promote clean transportation, reduce congestion, and enhance regional connectivity. The $1.25 billion in awards across 132 projects reflects SCAG’s commitment to equitable, data-driven investment across all six counties of the SCAG region.
A detailed summary of awarded projects by type will be made available on the SCAG STBG/CMAQ Program webpage.
Next Steps
SCAG will work with project sponsors and county transportation commissions to program awarded funds into the Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP). Once programmed, project sponsors may begin the obligation process with Caltrans Local Assistance. SCAG will then return to the Transportation Committee and Regional Council with updated programming procedures and policies to guide implementation in Spring 2026. SCAG staff will host office hours on Mondays and Tuesdays in January 2026 on a first-come, first-served basis for applicants who are interested in application-specific feedback.
The next call for project nominations is expected to take place in 2027.