Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA) is the forum for making decisions about the regional transportation system in Placer County. The decisions made are reflected in PCTPA’s planning and programming of the area’s state and federal transportation funds. In developing and adopting plans and strategies, we not only make the best use of these funds, but also fulfill the requirements of our state designation as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for Placer County.
PCTPA has several state designations for transportation planning activities including:
- Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA)
- Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC)
- Congestion Management Agency (CMA)
PCTPA also acts as a resource for offering services, information, and incentives to those persons interested in using alternative modes of transportation.
The mission of the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA) is derived from its numerous state and local designations. The agency has been designated in state law as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for Placer County. PCTPA is also the county’s Congestion Management Agency (CMA), a statutorily designated member of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA), and the airport land use planning body and hearing board for Lincoln, Auburn, and Blue Canyon Airports. As part of their Joint Powers Agreement, PCTPA is the designated administrator for the South Placer Regional Transportation Authority (SPRTA). Under an agreement with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), PCTPA also represents Placer jurisdictions in federal planning and programming issues. Since the PCTPA has a local Agency-State Agreement for federal aid projects, it is also eligible to administer federal projects.
The nine-member PCTPA Board of Directors consists of one councilmember from each of Placer County’s six incorporated jurisdictions, two members of the Placer County Board of Supervisors; and one citizen representative.
PCTPA was created as the transportation planning agency for Placer County excluding the Lake Tahoe basin. PCTPA represents Placer County and six incorporated cities located within the political boundary of Placer County. In total, Placer County contains 1,506 square miles ranging in elevation from 160 feet to nearly 9,500 feet.
Local Transportation Fund Administration: As the transportation planning agency, PCTPA allocates the Local Transportation Fund (LTF) to Placer County public transportation agencies. The administration of these funds includes the establishment of a Social Service Transportation Advisory Council, the implementation of a citizen participation process appropriate for Placer County, annual recommendations for productivity improvements for transit operators, the performance of an annual fiscal audit of all LTF claimants, the implementation of a triennial performance audit of all LTF claimants, and the preparation of an annual unmet transit needs determination.
Federal Transportation Planning and Programming: PCTPA has executed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Caltrans and the Sacramento Council of Governments (SACOG) to govern federal transportation planning and programming in Placer County. This agreement integrates the PCTPA Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) within the SACOG process.
Pursuant to this agreement, PCTPA receives a “fair share” allocation of both federal urbanized Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds and Congestion Air Quality Mitigation Improvement Program funds (CMAQ). PCTPA submits the state mandated RTP to SACOG for inclusion in the federal Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). As part of this agreement, SACOG conducts a federal air quality conformity test on the Placer County transportation program and plan.
Passenger Rail Administration: PCTPA is statutorily designated as a member of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA). Through an interagency agreement with Caltrans, the CCJPA administers the intercity rail service on the San Jose-Colfax railroad corridor.
Airport Land Use Commission: PCTPA was designated the Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) for Placer County in 1996. PCTPA acts as the hearing body for land use planning for Placer County airports. PCTPA is also responsible for the development of airport land use plans for Placer County airports.
Overall Work Program: The Overall Work Program (OWP) is the primary management tool for PCTPA, identifying the activities and a schedule of work for regional transportation planning in Placer County (excluding the Tahoe Basin). The Overall Work Program (OWP) documents the management, budgetary, and monitoring activities performed annually by PCTPA. It is developed annually for Caltrans review and for approval by the PCTPA Board of Directors. The OWP is the result of input from jurisdiction management, public works and planning officials, air district management, elected officials, and the general public. A new OWP is prepared for each fiscal year.
