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Novato Hearing: Can you clarifying question.

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Novato Hearing: get it ready in time. Andrew, you looked at the scene for the,

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Good evening! Welcome to tonight's Plan Bay Area Public Hearings. We're gonna give people a couple of minutes to join, both in person and online, so we'll get started momentarily.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: For those of you who might have just joined, we're giving people another minute or so to log on, as well as join in person, and then we'll get started.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, before we begin, for those of you who are joining on Zoom who may need to use the interpretation feature, you'll find it at the bottom of your Zoom window.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And now, we'll officially get started. Good evening, and welcome to tonight's public hearings for Draft Plan Bay Area 2050+, and the Draft Environmental Impact Report for Plan Bay Area 2050+.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: My name is Veronica Cummings, and I'm the Principal Public Information Officer for Engagement at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments, or MTC ABAC.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: I will be facilitating tonight's public hearings in coordination with my colleague, Leslie Lara-Renriquez, who is at the Nevada location this evening assisting the attendees who are there in person.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We are also joined via Zoom by our colleagues Adam Nolting, Anna Liu, and Vanessa Smith, as well as our EIR consultants

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Amy Higuera and Carrie.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: In the room in Nevada, we also have our colleague, Alex Eisenhardt, and we're also delighted to welcome, City of Nevada Councilmember Pat Eklund.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We also have a certified court reporter with us this evening, Rosaline O'Brien, who will be transcribing your comments to ensure we capture all of them correctly.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: For our online participants, if you are experiencing technical difficulties, please send a message to our staff via the chat box for support.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And again, if you need interpretation support.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: You could use the feature at… and find it at the bottom of your Zoom window. Just click the More icon, that's the three dots, and then select Interpretation.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: From there, choose the Spanish option, that's the interpretation support that we're providing tonight. And you can also switch languages during the webinar if you… if needed.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next slide, please.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Here's our agenda for tonight's meeting.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We'll start with an overview of the logistics for the hearings to ensure everyone who wishes to speak can participate fully in tonight's hearings.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We'll then move on to an overview of the draft plan, followed by a brief opportunity to ask clarifying questions.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: I want to emphasize that tonight's meetings, they're public hearings, which means that our primary goal is to hear from you.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We are here to listen and capture your comments.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you do have substantial questions, we ask that you send them by email so that our planning staff can provide you with a response.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We'll share the email addresses multiple times throughout tonight.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: After we wrap up any clarifying questions on the draft plan, we will officially begin the first hearing, which will focus on the draft plan.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Once we officially close the first hearing, we'll jump into the second presentation, which will provide an overview of the Draft Environmental Impact Report, or EIR, for Plan B Area 2050+.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: There will be a second opportunity to ask clarifying questions, this time on the draft EIR, and then we'll open the second hearing, which will focus on the draft EIR.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Once we close the second hearing, we'll end tonight's meeting with information on additional ways to submit your comments.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We have one grand rule for tonight, and that's to please be respectful. We will not tolerate profanity or insensitive comments. If you can't be respectful, we will ask you to leave.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: All speakers will have 2 minutes during each hearing.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And we are recording and transcribing this meeting, and we will post the recording and transcripts to the Plan Bay Area website.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you do have more substantial or detailed comments, please send them by email.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: I want to emphasize that we have two separate inboxes for comments on the draft plan and comments on the draft EIR.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We ask that comments on the draft plan be sent to info at planbayarea.org, and comments on the draft EIR must be sent to EIRComments at bayareametro.org. Again, that's EIRComments at bayareametro.org.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: All comments must be received by the December 18th, 5 p.m. deadline, and they will be, entered into the official record.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Hmm.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: For those of you who are joining us at the Nevada location, we are going to ask that you fill out a speaker card and hand them to Alex.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Please indicate on the speaker card which hearing you want to provide comment on.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you want to comment during both hearings, you'll need to fill out two speaker cards.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you don't want to provide comments live, you can submit written comments to our team at the Nevada location, and comment sheets are available there in the room.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you have clarifying questions, please write them down and submit them to staff.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: For online participants, everyone in the Zoom room will be muted during the hearing, and when I open the hearing, you can press the raise hand button to be added to the queue to provide oral comments.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: People who are joining us by phone will need to press star 9 to be added to the queue.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Please wait to raise your hand until the hearing is officially open.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you have clarifying questions, please enter them into the Q&A box. Do not enter them into the chat box.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And again, if you have more detailed or substantial questions, please email them to info at planbayarea.org, and our planning staff will provide a response.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Those are all the instructions for tonight's public hearings. Next slide.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: I am now going to turn it over to Adam to provide an overview of the draft plan. Adam, go ahead.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Thank you, Veronica. I'm Adam Nolteen, I'm a Principal Planner at MTC ABAG, and I will provide an overview of Plan Bay Area 2050+. Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: MTC is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization and the state-designated Regional Transportation Planning Agency for the nine-county Bay Area. MTC is responsible for planning, financing, and coordinating the region's transportation system.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The Association of Bay Area Governments, or ABAG, is a member-supported council of governments with responsibilities under state law related to housing and land use. ABAG also oversees several regional environmental programs.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Together, MTC and ABAG form the foundation for Plan Bay Area.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Through this partnership, we plan, fund, and help implement the policies, projects, and programs that shape the region's future. Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Plan Bay Area 2050 Plus began in mid-2023 as a limited and focused update to the previously adopted Plan Bay Area 2050.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Over the last 2 years, we've held extensive engagement over 3 rounds.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And received 3 approvals from MTC and ABAC boards to advance the planning assumptions, policies, and investments that make up the plan's core, what we call the blueprint.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: This cycle also included a unique parallel initiative, Transit 2050+, a joint effort with the region's transit operators to create a more unified, rider-focused transit network in response to post-pandemic challenges, emphasizing safety, frequency, and rider-focused improvements.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Recommendations from this effort have been integrated into the blueprint.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Today's hearing is a part of the fourth and final round of plan engagement. We expect to return to the MTC and ABAC boards in early 2026 for final approval.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: In 2008, the California Legislature enacted Senate Bill 375, requiring regional transportation plans, or RTPs, to more directly integrate land use and transportation planning to meet state climate goals through a Sustainable Community Strategy, or SCS.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: MTC and ABAG have been jointly developing Plan Bay Area every four years since then.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Advancing policies and investment priorities that guide how and where the region grows.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: It is important to note, however, that the plan remains a plan. It does many things, important things, but it does not override local land use authority or impose regional policies through mandate.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Similarly, while it enables transportation projects to move forward, And to… towards construction phases.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: It does not directly allocate money to projects or strategies.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: In September 2019,

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: As part of Plan Bay Area 2050, the MTC and ABAC boards adopted a vision for the region.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: A Bay Area that is affordable, connected, diverse, healthy, and vibrant for all by 2050.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Plan Bay Area 2050 Plus carries forward this vision and its guiding principles.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Which… which emphasized that Bay Area residents have affordable housing options and a safe and multimodal transportation system.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Residents from all backgrounds, abilities, and ages can remain in place and access the region's resources.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Residents can live and travel safely.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And our natural resources are conserved.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And the region leads innovation and creates ample job opportunities and fiscal resources for all.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Alongside its guiding principles, the plan includes four interrelated elements. Transportation, housing, the economy, and the environment.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: These elements are further broken down into 11 themes and 35 strategies, including 12 transportation strategies focused on a fix-it-first policy, healthy and safe streets, and transit expansion and enhancement.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: 8 housing strategies focused on the three P's. Production, preservation, and protection.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Six economy strategies focused on improving economic mobility.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: In shifting the location of jobs.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Nine environment strategies focused on reducing hazard risks.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Expanding access to parks and open space, and reducing climate emissions.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Key updates in PlanBerry 2050 Plus include a clearer understanding of post-pandemic realities.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Including continued remote work, slower transit recovery, slower population growth, and higher office vacancies than anticipated in 2021.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Significantly lower transportation revenue forecast.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Nearly $80 billion less, requiring difficult trade-off discussions, and recalibrated housing strategies focused on reducing per-unit costs.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: It also includes a reimagined vision for public transit through Transit 2050+, emphasizing fast, frequent, all-day service

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Safety, and rider experience.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: A deeper integration of climate resilience, including the first-ever Sea Level Rise Resilience Project List.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Identifying funding needs for levees, seawalls, wetlands, and more.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And throughout, a continued focus on high-impact strategies needed to meet the state's ambitious climate targets, including pricing, land use ships, and electrification. Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Growth geographies, as shown in the map here, are central to the draft plan.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: These areas prioritize future homes, jobs, services, and amenities near transit.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: They include a mix of locally nominated and regionally identified areas, and exclude places in very high fire hazard severity zones, areas subject to sea level rise, and protected open spaces and parks.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Growth geographies are expected to accommodate most of the region's future household and job growth.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Including 95% of new households anticipated between 2023 and 2050.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And 72% of new jobs projected between 2023 and 2050.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: This next slide highlights outcomes the region could see.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: If the plans and strategies are implemented by

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: By 2050, the region could experience lower housing and transportation costs for all households, with the largest benefits for low-income residents.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: More households living near frequent transit.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And more jobs accessible by transit, biking, and walking.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: higher… Homeownership rates among low-income households

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: More than double the share of commuters using transit, biking, or walking.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: expanded publicly accessible open space, and a significant increase in per capita gross regional product, reflecting a dynamic Bay Area economy.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The draft implementation plan includes 65 actions focused on planning, funding, coordinating, advocating, and supporting local jurisdictions, agencies, and other partners.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: These actions span all four plan elements, as well as several cross-cutting areas, and align with where MTC and ABAC have authority, funding, technical capacity, and public and political support to act.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Developed through extensive regional engagement, the actions reflect a few key priorities.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Keeping the list focused, ambitious, yet achievable.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Building on successful pilot programs, and ensuring the region has the resources needed to maintain long-term progress.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: For actions that cut across all elements of the plan.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: MTC and ABAG will strengthen and streamline technical assistance so it is easier to find.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Easier to use, and better aligned with local needs.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Building on this year's Accessible Futures Conference.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The agencies aim to deepen engagement with the disability community to ensure needs are fully understood and addressed.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Additional priorities include analyzing post-COVID shifts in travel, work, and development patterns, and updating the regional framework for future population and job growth to better support local implementation.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: within transportation.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: To secure new financial resources, MTC supported Senate Bill 63, which authorizes a regional measure on the November 2026 ballot to sustain and improve Bay Area Transit.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: MTC also plans to support easier, more seamless transit use region-wide by expanding both the Clipper Bay Pass program for commuters.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: and the Regional Mapping and Wayfinding Project for regular and new riders.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: In terms of looking at both the costs of projects and transportation costs for riders, MTC plans to explore how projects can be delivered more efficiently and cost-effectively.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: While also expanding affordability and equity programs, such as Clipper Start and Fast Track Start.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: By 2030, MTC also intends to support the planning and design of active transportation projects that accommodate all ages and abilities, contributing to healthier communities where people can walk and bike more.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Within housing and the economy, MTC and ABAG are also preparing for a potential 2028 housing revenue measure.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: through the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority, Baffa.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: to address the Bay Area's long… ongoing housing affordability crisis.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: This measure would expand the reach and impact of already successful BAFPA pilot programs, allowing more residents to access stable, affordable homes.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The agencies will also pursue near-term funding to sustain existing regional housing programs and respond to local needs.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The agency is also commit to enhancing and expanding the doorway housing portal to help residents find affordable housing.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: to enable climate-friendly housing and business development near transportation, MTC and ABAG will also support local jurisdictions and monitor implementation of MTC's transit-oriented communities policy.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Other planning priorities include

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Updating the San Francisco Bay Area Goods Movement Plan to align with key post-pandemic trends in the region.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Within the environment, MTC and ABAG will also partner with the San Francisco Estuary Partnership

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: To help communities plan, Fund and deliver projects and initiatives that address sea level rise and climate impacts.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: While also exploring how we can expand our technical assistance offerings in the seismic and wildfire spaces.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: the Bay Area Regional Energy Network, or BAREN, which is an ABAG regional program.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: We'll also continue building energy efficiency and resilience programs that benefit both renters and property owners, whether residential or commercial.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: MTC will also seek to scale up and support local jurisdictions in expanding electric mobility options, whether through electric vehicles, EV charging, or e-bikes and scooters.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: While also working with partners across a range of sectors to address common barriers to successful electrification.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Now, looking ahead to the plan's final milestone.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Having the Commission and ABAC Executive Board consider adoption of the final Plan Bay Area 2050+, a few steps remain.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Completing this final round of public engagement.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: and reviewing all comments and preparing any needed revisions to the draft plan and draft EIR.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: and then returning to the boards in early 2026 for adoption of the final plan barrier 2050 Plus and certification of the final EIR.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: I'm now going to hand it back to Veronica to facilitate clarifying questions, and then open up the first hearing.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Veronica.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Thank you, Adam.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We are now going to open it up to clarifying questions that attendees may have.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Please remember that detailed or substantial questions need to be submitted via email so that our planners can provide a response.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Also, we want to be sure that your comments are captured in the official record, so please make sure that, make sure to make your comments during the public hearing, and not right now during the Q&A portion.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: For online participants, if you have a question, please enter them into the Q&A box.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: But we'll start with questions at the Nevada location, and then we will move it to questions submitted into the Q&A box. With that, I'm going to hand it to Leslie at the Novato location to start us off. Leslie?

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Novato Hearing: It's unmuted. Oh, thank you.

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Novato Hearing: Sorry, I didn't realize we were unmuted. Good evening, everyone. I'm Leslie Laenriquez with MTC. We do not have any clarifying questions in Novato right now.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, thank you, Leslie.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, with that then, we're gonna look to see if there are any questions submitted in the Q&A box through Zoom.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you have any clarifying questions, please enter them into the Q&A box.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you have questions, please enter them into the Q&A box. We will not be, taking any questions verbally.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, it looks like we do have one question. The question being, is there a consideration for electric buses?

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Thank you, Veronica. Yes, there is a consideration for electric buses and other electrification of the transit system.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: the cost for electrifying the Bay Area's transit network are captured in what we consider Strategy T1.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: which is a strategy focused on operating and maintaining our existing system. There are identified costs to electrify the system, including electrifying… replacing the fleet with electric buses, but also could include other transit vehicles and facilities to support those vehicles as well.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, thank you, Adam.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, we'll give people another minute or so if there are any clarifying questions from our Zoom participants.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, we do have another question, Adam. Does this plan encompass VTA light rail?

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: That's a great question. The… this plan does account for all of the Bay Area's transit systems, so BTA light rail is included, as well as the BTA bus network as well.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Does include all the operators across the entire region.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, great, thank you.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, that's all the time that we have for the Q&A, the clarifying Q&A portion.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And so now, we are going to move on to the next part, which is the public hearing. Next slide.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Again, we're moving on to the public hearing, and, which is the most important part of tonight, which is to hear from you. Next slide.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Before I officially open the public hearing, I do want to highlight our robust engagement efforts that helped inform the development of the plan.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Over the past two and a half years, we've hosted dozens of dozens of events.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Spoke with thousands of Bay Area residents, received over 15,000 comments.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And collected over 40,000 data points.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Our outreach efforts reached over a million residents through email communications, web stories.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Paid digital promotions, and other activities that helped us raise awareness of the plan.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Your input guided the development of the draft plan.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you want more details on our engagement activities, please see the draft public engagement supplemental Report to learn more.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We are now going to get started with our first hearing, which will focus on Draft Plan Bay Area 2050+,

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: The draft implementation plan, and the draft supplemental reports.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Comments on the draft EIR will be received during the second public hearing this evening.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: On October 20th, 2025, MTC ABAC staff released the draft plan and draft EIR for public review and comment.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: As part of the release of the draft plan, Senate Bill 375 requires that MTC and ABAG conduct three public hearings

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: To receive comments on the draft plan.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Today is the last of these hearings.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: The public comment period will close promptly at 5pm on Thursday, December 18th, 2025.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: In addition to the public hearings, there are various other ways to submit written and oral comments.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Complete details on the various ways to submit comments are available on the PlanBarea.org website, and will be shared by staff after the public hearing.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Upon the close of the comment period on December 18, 2025,

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Staff will prepare a summary of all public comments received to inform the Commission's and ABAC Executive Board's decision-making prior to considering adoption of the draft plan and its related supplemental reports.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: The Commission and ABAG Executive Board are slated to consider adopting the draft plan in early 2026.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Let's get started with our first hearing.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: To ensure we capture all your comments correctly, our court reporter, Rosline, will be transcribing your comments as you make them.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: So that Rosaline can record your comments correctly, please begin by stating and spelling your name for the record, or state that you want your comments to be anonymous.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you are representing an agency or organization and want it included in the record, please also state your organization's name.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: When making your comment, please be sure to speak clearly and into the microphone so that Rosaline can hear and record everything you say accurately.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If Rosaline cannot hear or understand you, you may be interrupted and asked to slow down or speak up.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Every speaker will have 2 minutes to provide your comment.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And if you have more substantial comments, we encourage you to either email or mail them to us.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Once we receive everyone's oral testimony on the draft plan, we'll close the first hearing.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Please be sure to make comments on the draft plan during this first hearing, and save any comments on the draft EIR for the second hearing.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And now the public hearing of the… on draft Plan Bay Area 2050 Plus and its related supplemental reports is officially open and is being transcribed.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you wish to testify and are participating in person at the Nevada location, please submit a speaker card, and Leslie will call on you to speak.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Once all in-person speakers have provided public comment.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: I'll call on Zoom participants to provide comments. Zoom participants use the raise hand button or dial star 9 to be put in the queue to make your comment, and I will call on you.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And again, please be sure to speak clearly into your microphone so that our court reporter can capture your comment.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Let's get started. We'll start at the Nevada location. Leslie, do we have any in-person participants who wish to make public comment?

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Novato Hearing: Thank you, Veronica. Yes, we have a couple of participants who want to make public comment. We're going to start with our first one.

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Novato Hearing: Hi, I'm Mary Holman, a Novato resident. My name is M-A-R-Y-H-O-L-M-A-N.

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Novato Hearing: In August 2025, the TAB agency recommended an additional transit-only traffic lane be created on 101 from Novato to San Rafael, using the existing shoulder lane on 101.

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Novato Hearing: This would be used by only 10 buses per hour when traffic slows below 35 miles per hour.

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Novato Hearing: This same lane, if open to commuters as well when traffic slows, could handle over 3,000 cars per hour at 45 miles per hour.

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Novato Hearing: 58,000 vehicles come through Novato daily from outside Marin County.

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Novato Hearing: On top of the 40,000 residents of Nevada.

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Novato Hearing: There's no reason a shoulder lane Can't be used by commuters.

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Novato Hearing: Tens of thousands of commuters can't get to their jobs using mass transit.

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Novato Hearing: I commuted in Marin for over 30 years using buses, carpools, and carpool.

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Novato Hearing: and cars.

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Novato Hearing: The TAM decision is wrong. Thank you.

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Novato Hearing: We have another speaker in the room.

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Novato Hearing: Hello, my name is Terry Green, and I am the Executive Director of Marin City Climate Resilience and Board Chair of Marin City Community Services District.

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Novato Hearing: We have some major concerns.

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Novato Hearing: there are major hazards in the way the highway is designed, 101 highway is designed, in that there are 12 acres of stormwater that comes down. It was… the road was designed in such a way to slant all that water to come into Marin City.

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Novato Hearing: What it's doing, it's eroding the land, it actually gets up under the apartments, and then mold and mildew comes up, and it adds to a big health impact

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Novato Hearing: And one of the major ones are chronic respiratory diseases, and we all need your help, and I'm not sure if it's MTC, or Caltrans, or a combination of the both… of both of you all, but we have to get that changed.

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Novato Hearing: When it comes to issues around air pollution, it's major.

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Novato Hearing: We need… I'll talk about air pollution as well as noise pollution, because the level exceeds the

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Novato Hearing: what it's supposed to, and we need a barrier wall. A barrier wall would address, would significantly decrease the air pollution that comes into the community, as well as, the noise level.

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Novato Hearing: the noise that comes in, and it causes a lot of speech and language issues, especially amongst our children, and more. It affects your hearing, and we have to have that dealt with.

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Novato Hearing: The other thing is that, again, the way the road is designed, it causes a lot of flooding, and you cannot get… there are times when there's

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Novato Hearing: high tides and torrential rains, where you can't get in or out of the community. And in a community where we have 17- or 20-year difference in life expectancy, we have the highest respiratory rate disease in Marin County.

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Novato Hearing: and more. And when you look at these public health issues.

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Novato Hearing: We have to have these addressed, right, Terry, when we.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Ms. Terry, thank you. Your time is up. We have to move on to the next speaker, but thank you for your public comment.

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Novato Hearing: All right, thank you. Thank you. Deaf ears, no one listened, and we need your help.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Thank you for your public… thank you for your comment.

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Novato Hearing: Thank you, Veronica. Those are all the speakers in Novato for now.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, thank you.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Now we'll turn it to our…

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: participants on Zoom who wish to speak. We have two speakers in the queue. We'll go on ahead and start with Greg Dieguez. Greg, going ahead and

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: You're unmuted, you have 2 minutes.

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Gregg Dieguez: Often, what is missing is more important than what is present, such is the case with Plan Bay Area.

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Gregg Dieguez: For much of our regional infrastructure, the plan's assumption is that the 25% projected population growth will be accommodated by existing governance. There's no mention of the financial stress on our healthcare system, for instance.

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Gregg Dieguez: Our public schools are billions of dollars in debt, paying 75% more for every building constructed because of bond interest.

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Gregg Dieguez: And those monies are reducing the funds available for quality education.

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Gregg Dieguez: Our public works infrastructure also has billions of dollars in deficits for asset replenishment.

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Gregg Dieguez: For example, Boscoa, our major regional water supply agency, has over $20 billion in unfunded water supply projects. SFPUC has $6.7 billion in capital deficits just for the sewers.

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Gregg Dieguez: Finally, just the 8 major Bay Area transit agencies have $100 billion in funding deficits, including inadequate reserves for asset replenishment, unfunded retirement obligations, and outstanding bonds that must be repaid.

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Gregg Dieguez: Yet, Plan Bay Area fails to start at the beginning, with an audit of the fiscal sustainability of the region before launching into wishlit programs like $200 billion in universal basic income.

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Gregg Dieguez: Could it be that healthcare, schools, and water and sewer are better investments for our residents than giving away money?

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Gregg Dieguez: Land Bay Area fails to consider where the region is today in its fiscal sustainability, but launches into $1.5 trillion in new spending.

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Gregg Dieguez: This is a fatal flaw in the plan, especially with the state facing 3 years of budget deficits, as well as federal funding cuts in education, transit, and healthcare looming.

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Gregg Dieguez: The plan must start over, at the beginning, with a realistic and inclusive assessment of our current regional financial condition before proposing where money should be spent. Thank you for your time.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Thank you for your public comment. Next, we'll go to the next person in the queue who wishes to speak. Anthony, not sure. Gonna go on ahead and unmute you, and you will have 2 minutes. Going ahead.

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Anthony Nachor: Good evening, can you hear me, first of all?

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Yes, I can hear you.

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Anthony Nachor: Okay, perfect. As a transportation planner, I really fear that

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Anthony Nachor: Plan Bay Area 2050 Plus may not fully address the issues regarding public transportation, mobility, and the upcoming, climate crises and the housing shortages we continue to face as a region.

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Anthony Nachor: One of the culprits that I think

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Anthony Nachor: is going to have a hurdle with, you know, like, a fully implementing Plan Bay Area, is the amount of NIMBYism found in our communities, especially here in the North Bay, wherein there is a lot of potential for even more housing, but a lot of communities here are adamant

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Anthony Nachor: Or resistant to adding even more housing, if not also

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Anthony Nachor: Increasing densities in our communities, because a lot of people here fear that the wrong people will come here once more housing is built.

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Anthony Nachor: I really hope for Plan Bay Area 2050 Plus to address the issues brought up by communities and community leaders here in the North Bay, because

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Anthony Nachor: I know there are… there is a lot of opportunity here for more housing, so that more transit can be developed, which means less congestion on our roadways, especially on Highways 101, 37, and Interstate 80. But at the same time, we also need to find ways to work

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Anthony Nachor: With our community partners here, so that more, you know, like, mixed-use developments can be had, especially in places where

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Anthony Nachor: you have a lot of wasted developments, like in Vallejo, for example. Thank you, and…

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Anthony Nachor: Have a good night, for now.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Thank you for your public comment.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next, we have one more,

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Public comment speaker Miling Stephan. I'm going to unmute you, and you'll have 2 minutes.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, go ahead.

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Mei-Ling Stefan: I fully appreciate and agree with the public comment made by Greg Diaguis. Thank you.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Hey, thank you for your public comment.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Those are all of the, participants online who are in the queue. I'm going to turn it over to Leslie once more in the Nevada location, if there are any in-person participants who wish to make public comment.

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Novato Hearing: Thank you, Veronica. There's no one in the room wishing to speak.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, thank you, Leslie.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We do not have any additional Zoom participants in the queue.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And so, with that.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: I now declare the public hearing on the draft Plan B Area 2050+, and its related supplemental reports officially closed.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Thank you for all your comments on the draft plan.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Gonna go ahead and get the screen up.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next slide, please.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We have several other ways to submit oral or written comments on the draft plan. You can submit written comments via email to info at planbayarea.org.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: You can use the comment form available on the

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: 2050 plus draft plan page on the Plan Bay Area website.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: You can fax them to 415-536-9800,

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Or, you can mail them to MTC's Public Information Office.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Oral comments can be submitted by calling the Plan Bay Area Comment Line at 415 778…

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: 2292, and leaving a recorded message.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Please note that oral comments on the draft EIR will not be accepted via the Plan Bay Area comment line.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We are now going to transition to the draft EIR.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: for Plan Bay Area 2050+.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And with that, I'm going to invite Adam back to give a presentation. Adam, go ahead.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Thank you, Veronica.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: I, next part of the presentation will focus on an overview of the draft EIR.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide, please.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The Draft Environmental Impact Report, or EIR, was prepared in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, better known as CEQA. It discloses the potential environmental effects of implementing Plan Bay Area 2050+.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: As required by CEQA, the EIR evaluates the effects of implementing the plan and shares those results with the public, interested agencies and organizations, and decision makers.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: For any impacts identified as potentially significant, the EIR identifies feasible mitigation measures to reduce those impacts.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The EIR also includes an alternatives analysis, which I'll describe in a later slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: It's really worth noting that this is a programmatic EIR, as defined in the CEQA guidelines.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Which means it looks at the plan at a broad, regional level, rather than at individual projects.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: As such, it assesses the potential impacts of the full set of projects, programs, and strategies in the plan.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: It does not analyze individual transportation, sea level rise adaptation, or land use projects in detail.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Instead, it provides environmental analysis and mitigation intended to address the types or ranges of impacts that individual projects may later present.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Local projects will still go through their own SQL review when appropriate.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Chapter 3 of the draft EIR includes all of the technical topics and impact discussions.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The draft EIR finds that implementing Plan Bay Area 2050 Plus

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Would result in 37 potentially significant impacts.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Mitigation measures are identified for all of these impacts.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Of the 37 impacts.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: 23 impacts could not be determined to be reduced to a less than significant level, even with mitigation, and are therefore identified as significant and unavoidable.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: 14 impacts could be reduced to a less than significant level

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: with implementation of the mitigation measures in the draft DIR.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: However, 35 of the impacts are ultimately treated as significant and unavoidable.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Because MTC and ABAG generally do not have authority to implement future projects.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Such as specific transportation projects, sea level rise infrastructure, or individual land use projects.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: the impact discussions explain this under the heading, Significance After Mitigation, in Chapter 3.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: For future projects that qualify for CEQA streamlining under the plan.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The responsible local agencies must consider and apply the EIR's mitigation measures, and in some cases, this could reduce project-specific impacts to less than significant.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: That said, MTC and ABAC cannot require cities, counties, transit agencies, or other local agencies to adopt those measures.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: For that reason, the EIR conservatively concludes that many impacts remain significant and unavoidable at the regional program level.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The EIR also looks at the environmental pros and cons of three different alternatives, and compares each one of them to the proposed plan.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: All three alternatives use the same regional forecasts for future households, jobs, and transportation revenues.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Because of this shared foundation, many of the impacts across alternatives are similar to those of the draft plan.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Of the three alternatives, one is required by CEQA and known as the No Project Alternative.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: It shows what could happen if the proposed plan is not adopted.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Under this alternative, growth follows existing local general plans and zoning.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Without an adopted regional transportation plan or sustainable community strategy.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: No new transportation or sea level rise projects would move forward beyond those already under construction, or those that are fully funded and have environmental clearance.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The other two alternatives both start with the draft plan as their foundation.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And then adjust specific strategies, either shifting where growth is focused, or how transportation dollars are invested.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: To test how different choices may change outcomes.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Alternative 1.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: It eliminates major highway expansion projects, roughly $6 billion in regional roadway capacity improvements, like new lanes or large arterial expansions.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: It redirects that highway funding to transit.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Boosting frequency and capacity on bus and rail routes with moderate to high ridership.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: It also shifts the region toward a transit-friendly mobility strategy, reducing reliance on driving, and strengthening the regional transit service.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Alternative 2 refocuses housing and economic strategies within transit-oriented communities.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Areas generally about a half mile of major transit stops.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: It increases development capacity in these locations to encourage more homes and jobs near transit.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And targets housing preservation and affordability requirements, specifically within TOCs, or transit-oriented communities, instead of applying them across all of the plan's growth geographies.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next, we'll compare how much household growth occurs in the various growth geographies.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Under the draft plan, and the three alternatives.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The big picture takeaway is that most new homes are steered toward places with good access to jobs.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: services and transit.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: But the degree of concentration varies by alternative.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Under the draft plan, a large share of future households, including a substantial majority in priority development areas and transit-rich areas, locate in places already planned for housing and close to transit.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: This reflects the plan's emphasis on climate-friendly, transit-oriented growth.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The no-project alternative shows less growth in the areas the region has prioritized, such as PDAs and transit-rich neighborhoods.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Growth is more dispersed because cities would rely solely on their existing local plans without regional coordination.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Alternative 1 uses the same land use pattern as the draft plan.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Because this alternative changes transportation investments.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And not where housing and jobs go, the distribution of new homes is the same as the draft plan.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Alternative 2 results in even more homes in transit-oriented locations, especially within transit-oriented communities.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: It results in higher shares of growth in transit-rich and TOC areas, reflecting a more concentrated pattern tied directly to major transit corridors.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: These comparisons show how different policy choices influence where new housing is built.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: That distribution, in turn, affects performance outcomes and environmental impacts.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Now, we'll compare how the draft plan and each alternative perform on key climate, affordability.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Housing, and access to job outcomes.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Regarding greenhouse gas emissions, the draft plan and both alternatives meet the state's climate target by reducing emissions over time.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: However, the no-project alternative does not meet the target.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: With emissions increasing instead of declining.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Regarding housing and transportation affordability, The draft plan keeps combined housing and transportation costs

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Much more manageable for low-income residents.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The no-project alternative is notably more expensive for these households.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And both alternatives perform about as well as the draft plan, with slightly better affordability in some cases.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next, housing production. The draft plan and both alternatives produce substantially more deed-restricted, affordable homes than the no-project alternative.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The no-project alternative delivers far fewer affordable units, worsening existing affordability challenges.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And lastly, access to jobs by transit.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: inequity Priority Communities.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The draft plan provides strong transit access to jobs for residents in equity priority communities.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Both alternatives perform similarly, or slightly better than the draft plan on this measure.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: However, the no-project alternative falls well behind, with far fewer jobs reachable by transit.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Overall, the draft plan and both alternatives meaningfully advance equity, climate, and mobility outcomes for the region.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The no-project alternative consistently performs the worst across these categories, underscoring the importance of adopting a regional plan, rather than taking no coordinated action.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Even though many of the results look similar, the analysis still reveals meaningful differences in how the region could achieve its outcomes. Importantly, the analysis shows that the draft plan consistently moves the region closer to its long-term goals around climate, equity, housing, and mobility.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The alternatives analysis helps us understand the trade-offs between different approaches, including which strategies reduce environmental impacts the most.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: With Alternative 2 performing best by focusing growth in transit-oriented communities.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: by reduce… reduce future driving the most, which was achieved in Alternative 1, by shifting investments from highway expansion to transit service.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: As well as highlight the risks of taking no regional action, with the no-project alternative falling far short of climate goals and providing fewer affordable housing opportunities and limited access to jobs.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Overall, This analysis helps decision makers and the public understand the benefits and trade-offs of different paths.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And it reinforces that the proposed draft plan offers an environmentally beneficial, equitable, and realistic path forward for the Bay Area.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: As we move towards… towards next steps.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: So, following the end of the comment period, a final EIR will be produced.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Comment letters and public comment transcripts are included in the final EIR.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Along with responses to these comments that address the environmental analysis in the draft EIR.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: The final EIR will also include revisions to the text of the draft EIR made in response to comments

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: And at the direction of staff.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Together, the draft and final EIR is forwarded to the MTC and ABAC decision makers for their consideration regarding certification that the EIR is adequate under CEQA, and adoption of findings of fact, and a statement of

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: Overriding considerations. And then consideration for approval of the plan.

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Staff: Adam Noelting, MTC-ABAG: I'm now going to hand it back to Veronica to facilitate the Q&A.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Thank you, Adam.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We are now going to open it up for clarifying questions that attendees might have. Please remember that detailed or substantial questions need to be submitted by email so that our planners can provide a response.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Also, just a reminder that we want to be sure that your comments are captured in the official record, so please make sure to make your comments during the public hearing, and not right now during the Q&A portion.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: For online participants, if you have a question, please enter it into the Q&A box.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We'll start with questions at the Nevada location, and then move on to questions submitted into the Q&A box.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Gonna hand it over to Leslie to start us off. Leslie, go ahead.

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Novato Hearing: Thank you, Veronica. There are no questions in Novato.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, thank you, Leslie.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Let me go on ahead and see if there are any questions from our Zoom participants in the Q&A box.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: I do not see any questions submitted.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: I'll give folks

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: another minute or so, if you have questions, go ahead and submit it into the Q&A box.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: I still… Don't see any questions, so we can actually, move on.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next slide, please.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Let's transition now to the public hearing on the draft environmental impact report for Plan Bay Area 2050+. Next slide.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: On October 20th, 2025, MTC ABAC staff released the draft plan and draft EIR for public review and comment.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: As part of the release of the draft plan, Senate Bill 375 requires that MTC and ABAC conduct three public hearings to receive comments on the draft plan.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Today is the last of those hearings.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: The public comment period will close promptly at 5pm on Thursday, December 18th, 2025.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: In addition to the public hearings, there are various other ways to submit written comments on the draft EIR.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Complete details on the various ways to submit comments are available on the PlanBayarea.org website, and will be shared by staff after the public hearing.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Upon the close of the comment period on December 18, 2025, staff will prepare responses to all draft EIR comments received that will be included as part of the final EIR for Plan Bay Area 2050+.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Staff will also share comments received with the Commission and ABAG Executive Board to inform their decision-making prior to certifying the draft EIR for Plan Bay Area 2050+.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: The Commission and ABAC Executive Board will consider certifying the draft EIR in early 2026.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Let's get started.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: As a reminder, to ensure we capture all your comments correctly, our court reporter, Rosline, will be transcribing your comments as you make them.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: So that Rosaline can record your comment correctly, please begin by stating and spelling your name for the record, or state that you want your comment to be anonymous.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you are representing an agency or organization and want that included in the record, please also state your organization's name.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: When making your comment, please be sure to speak clearly and into your microphone so that Rosalin can hear and record everything you say accurately.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If Rosaline cannot hear or understand you, you may be asked.

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Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: To… you may be interrupted, or you may be asked to slow down or speak up.

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01:03:27.190 --> 01:03:36.520
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Every speaker will have 2 minutes to provide their comment, and if you have more substantial comments, we encourage you to either mail or email them to us.

453
01:03:36.700 --> 01:03:42.540
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Once we receive everyone's oral testimony on the draft EIR, we'll close the hearing.

454
01:03:42.850 --> 01:03:47.259
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Please be sure to keep your comments focused on the draft EIR.

455
01:03:48.320 --> 01:03:58.329
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And now, the public hearing on the draft environmental impact report for Plan Bay Area 2050 Plus is officially open and is being transcribed.

456
01:03:58.650 --> 01:04:07.770
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you wish to testify and are participating in person at the Novato location, please submit a speaker card, and Leslie will call on you to speak.

457
01:04:08.380 --> 01:04:25.589
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Once all in-person speakers have provided public comment, I will call on Zoom participants to provide comments. Zoom participants, use the raise hand button or dial star 9 to be put in the queue to make your comment, and I will call on you.

458
01:04:25.970 --> 01:04:33.520
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Again, please be sure to speak clearly into your microphone so that our court reporter can capture your comment accurately.

459
01:04:34.440 --> 01:04:44.009
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Let's begin oral testimony. We'll start at the Nevada location. I'll turn it over to Leslie, to call on the in-person,

460
01:04:44.140 --> 01:04:46.330
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: speakers. Leslie, please go ahead.

461
01:04:46.640 --> 01:04:50.269
Novato Hearing: Thank you, Veronica. We have one speaker here in Nevada.

462
01:04:51.780 --> 01:04:55.000
Novato Hearing: Again, my name is Terry Green.

463
01:04:55.170 --> 01:05:00.110
Novato Hearing: And the environmental impacts that you've been talking about.

464
01:05:00.110 --> 01:05:01.899
Court Reporter: Could you spell your name? Okay.

465
01:05:01.900 --> 01:05:03.210
Novato Hearing: T-E-R.

466
01:05:03.210 --> 01:05:04.939
Court Reporter: Ma'am, could you spell your name for me?

467
01:05:05.110 --> 01:05:05.680
Novato Hearing: Yes.

468
01:05:05.810 --> 01:05:11.580
Novato Hearing: Terry Green, T-E-R-R-I-E, green like the grass, G-R-E-E-N.

469
01:05:13.170 --> 01:05:18.079
Novato Hearing: The environmental impacts that you've been talking about require mitigation measures.

470
01:05:18.320 --> 01:05:21.920
Novato Hearing: We want to be able to create healthy and safe streets.

471
01:05:22.090 --> 01:05:24.449
Novato Hearing: But the, the strength…

472
01:05:25.010 --> 01:05:33.309
Novato Hearing: Have to be looked at right now in terms of what problems they are causing, because of its design.

473
01:05:33.590 --> 01:05:44.820
Novato Hearing: We have to also look at protecting and preserving the affordable housing that exists now, as well as the private housing that exists.

474
01:05:45.470 --> 01:05:46.990
Novato Hearing: We have to look at

475
01:05:47.120 --> 01:06:02.060
Novato Hearing: How are we going to reduce the hazards that's being caused by the current transportation infrastructure that exists right now? I do not see that when I'm looking at the plans.

476
01:06:02.550 --> 01:06:03.660
Novato Hearing: I will run.

477
01:06:03.820 --> 01:06:06.659
Novato Hearing: I will send you some more information.

478
01:06:06.880 --> 01:06:12.010
Novato Hearing: But according to the CalEnviro screen, in Moran City, we have a 99.

479
01:06:12.290 --> 01:06:18.649
Novato Hearing: for traffic, and so when you look at the air quality, It is poor, it's terrible.

480
01:06:19.340 --> 01:06:37.050
Novato Hearing: Nowhere else in Marin County, there are, I believe, 12 or 16 barrier walls. Marin City, we don't have one, and the homes, the houses are just a rock throw from the freeway. We have to have a barrier wall.

481
01:06:37.290 --> 01:06:38.410
Novato Hearing: Because…

482
01:06:38.610 --> 01:06:53.379
Novato Hearing: Air quality, we already know that it's the killer. And so the life-threatening issues that we are experiencing, that have the direct result in terms of the highway that's right.

483
01:06:53.970 --> 01:06:59.429
Novato Hearing: Like, not even a rock's throw away must be addressed. Thank you.

484
01:07:05.560 --> 01:07:08.279
Novato Hearing: Those are all the speakers we have in the room.

485
01:07:08.900 --> 01:07:10.760
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, thank you, Leslie.

486
01:07:11.720 --> 01:07:18.840
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Gonna go on ahead and turn it over to our Zoom participants who wish to make public comment.

487
01:07:19.130 --> 01:07:24.109
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: If you wish to make public comment and you're participating on Zoom, please

488
01:07:24.280 --> 01:07:26.830
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Press the raise hand, or star 9.

489
01:07:27.930 --> 01:07:40.070
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We have two Zoom attendees who wish to make public comment. I'm going to start with Miling Stephan. You will have 2 minutes to speak, and you can go ahead.

490
01:07:43.740 --> 01:07:54.979
Mei-Ling Stefan: There are many significant and unavoidable impacts, as listed in Table ES-1, starting on page 29 of the DEIR PDF.

491
01:07:55.300 --> 01:07:58.890
Mei-Ling Stefan: Bay Area residents should not be so condemned.

492
01:07:59.020 --> 01:08:07.430
Mei-Ling Stefan: The worst of the negative impacts are self-inflicted by the plan's forecast of 24-25% population growth.

493
01:08:07.680 --> 01:08:12.339
Mei-Ling Stefan: And the agenda to concentrate growth in urban cores.

494
01:08:12.500 --> 01:08:20.850
Mei-Ling Stefan: If the planners are serious, alarms should be sounded now for the pending shortage of crucial infrastructure.

495
01:08:21.189 --> 01:08:26.740
Mei-Ling Stefan: I was surprised to see, in section 3.14, page

496
01:08:26.899 --> 01:08:37.100
Mei-Ling Stefan: 645, that there were no comments received during the scoping process that addressed public utilities and facilities.

497
01:08:37.620 --> 01:08:41.629
Mei-Ling Stefan: How can this be if there was a robust outreach?

498
01:08:42.630 --> 01:08:45.860
Mei-Ling Stefan: As an example of my concern about the neglect.

499
01:08:46.100 --> 01:08:58.050
Mei-Ling Stefan: Table 3.14-5 details the alarming shortage of landfills for urban cores owing to population growth.

500
01:08:58.430 --> 01:09:05.049
Mei-Ling Stefan: Then why is there no planning and cost estimates for new landfills starting now?

501
01:09:05.550 --> 01:09:10.640
Mei-Ling Stefan: Our sewer system consists of more than wastewater treatment plants.

502
01:09:10.880 --> 01:09:21.720
Mei-Ling Stefan: And the capacities of our city's old sewer pipes should have been considered in the EIR, and cost estimates should be provided.

503
01:09:21.880 --> 01:09:22.990
Mei-Ling Stefan: Thank you.

504
01:09:26.229 --> 01:09:28.049
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Thank you for your public comment.

505
01:09:29.429 --> 01:09:38.339
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And now we have Anthony Nature, not sure, who wishes to make public comment. You have…

506
01:09:39.479 --> 01:09:42.819
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: You have 2 minutes? Going ahead, Anthony.

507
01:09:44.589 --> 01:09:45.979
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: It looks like.

508
01:09:46.359 --> 01:09:47.799
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: There we go. Okay. Go ahead.

509
01:09:47.800 --> 01:09:49.100
Anthony Nachor: Can you hear me again?

510
01:09:49.100 --> 01:09:49.770
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Yes.

511
01:09:49.770 --> 01:09:59.329
Anthony Nachor: Okay, perfect. So, I am reading through your draft EAR, and I would like to focus on Table 3…

512
01:09:59.980 --> 01:10:14.279
Anthony Nachor: 0.15-9, which shows an ambitious estimate of, of growth of commuters using public transportation.

513
01:10:14.520 --> 01:10:23.760
Anthony Nachor: We're in… I really feel that while the growth might be ambitious, I also fear that

514
01:10:23.900 --> 01:10:30.449
Anthony Nachor: Not all commuters might want to switch to public transportation.

515
01:10:30.730 --> 01:10:39.810
Anthony Nachor: If we continue to invest more in widening our freeways and highways and our roadways, because

516
01:10:40.080 --> 01:10:50.460
Anthony Nachor: as you may understand, the culture in the United States is geared more towards the automobile, so I would love to…

517
01:10:50.990 --> 01:11:02.639
Anthony Nachor: re… see, you know, like, where your estimates come from in terms of how did we come up from about 900,000 commuters in

518
01:11:02.760 --> 01:11:15.119
Anthony Nachor: You know, like, in 2023, to over 2 million come 2050, because realistically, it takes time to build

519
01:11:15.160 --> 01:11:31.529
Anthony Nachor: and expand transit ridership, that I believe that if we really want to reach that number of riders in the Bay Area, we definitely need to increase not just the funding, but also the services provided

520
01:11:31.530 --> 01:11:38.849
Anthony Nachor: and the housing and the workplaces necessary to support that huge ridership. Thank you.

521
01:11:42.820 --> 01:11:44.899
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Thank you for your public comment.

522
01:11:49.220 --> 01:12:07.899
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: We do not have any additional Zoom participants with their hands raised. Before we close it up, I'm going to turn it over to Leslie once more to ask if there are any additional Novato location attendees who wish to make public comment.

523
01:12:08.680 --> 01:12:12.609
Novato Hearing: Thank you, Veronica. There are no more folks in the room wishing to speak.

524
01:12:13.330 --> 01:12:14.760
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, thank you, Leslie.

525
01:12:17.380 --> 01:12:34.689
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Okay, being that we do not have anyone else in the comment queue, I now declare the public hearing on the draft environmental impact report for Plan Bay Area 2050+, officially closed. Thank you for all your comments.

526
01:12:45.670 --> 01:12:48.039
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And… there we go.

527
01:12:52.030 --> 01:12:53.270
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next slide, please.

528
01:12:56.520 --> 01:13:12.039
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: There we go, great, thank you. We… we also have several other ways to submit written comments on the draft EIR. You can submit written comments via email to ircomments at bayareametro.gov.

529
01:13:12.190 --> 01:13:21.240
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: You can use the comment form available on the draft environmental impact report page on the Planned Bay Area website.

530
01:13:21.640 --> 01:13:33.000
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: You can fax them to 415-536-9800, or you can mail them to MTC's Public Information Office.

531
01:13:34.390 --> 01:13:43.550
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Please remember that all comments must be received by 5pm on Thursday, December 18th, 2025.

532
01:13:44.150 --> 01:13:45.260
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Next slide.

533
01:13:49.820 --> 01:14:00.660
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Thank you all for participating in tonight's public hearings. We appreciate you taking time out of your busy evening schedules to provide comment on these important documents.

534
01:14:00.890 --> 01:14:19.319
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: Don't forget that you can send questions anytime to info at planbayarea.org. Comments on the draft plan can also be sent to that same email address. Comments on the draft EIR should be sent to EIRComments at bayareametro.gov.

535
01:14:19.460 --> 01:14:27.350
Staff: Veronica Cummings, MTC-ABAG: And, again, we thank you for being here, and we hope you have a wonderful evening. This concludes tonight's public hearings.