Special Plans & Studies

Central California Household Travel Survey

The Central California Travel Survey (CCTS) is a comprehensive household travel survey (HTS) that utilized a modern research approach to collect demographic and travel pattern information from residents living in the San Joaquin Valley region of California. This survey aims to obtain a detailed understanding of the travel behavior of households across the eight counties in central California.

The CCTS effort is led by the Fresno Council of Governments (FCOG) and is a collaboration between the eight metropolitan planning organizations (Valley MPOs) from Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare counties.

Click here for the Central California Household Travel Study

Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Mitigation Program Study

SB 743 requires that level-of-service (LOS), used in measuring transportation impacts in CEQA, be replaced with another metric that will “promote reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the development of multi-modal transportation system and a diversity of land use development.” The Office of Planning and Research (OPR) recommended VMT as the new metric. Fresno COG developed SB 743 Implementation Regional Guidelines in 2020, which provides tools for local governments to implement SB 743 should they decide to endorse the recommendations in the guidelines. The SB 743 Implementation Regional Guidelines document is available at: /project/sb743-regional-guidelines-development/. Since July 1, 2020, when SB 743 took effect, many jurisdictions in Fresno County have taken action to approve policies regarding SB 743 implementation.

Owing to a lack of clear guidance, VMT mitigation remains an outstanding issue within SB 743 implementation. Projects with significant VMT impacts can’t move forward due to a lack of defined, quantifiable and feasible mitigation measures. A regional-level VMT mitigation program may be the most effective means of providing pathways for VMT mitigation. This study will review literatures and best practices regarding VMT mitigation, and explore options such as a VMT mitigation bank, VMT mitigation exchange, regional VMT impact fees, etc. The study will identify pros and cons for the various techniques, and establish a framework for a potential regional VMT mitigation program in the Fresno region.

Please contact Paul Herman at pherman@fresnocog.org 559-233-4148 Ext 215 for more information.

Trade Port California

In its entirety, utilizing State, federal, local, and private investment, Trade Port California is a $30 billion transportation, logistics, and economic development project that will create approximately 100,000 new high-quality jobs in the San Joaquin Valley/Sacramento region while serving a market population of over 14 million people. The project will be a national model for clean, efficient logistics and economic development and will support dramatic improvements to regional air quality, economic development, and to the national supply chain system. Find more information at this link.

California Inland Port System Overview – May 2022

Please contact Simran Jhutti or 559-233-4148 Ext 241 for more information.

2021 Regional Safety Plan & Local Road Safety Plan

We want to make it safer and more comfortable for everyone to travel in Fresno County.

Every day, people travel around Fresno County – to work, to go to school, to run errands, to have fun, and to meet their daily needs. Some people drive or carpool, some ride motorcycles, and some walk, ride their bicycles, or take transit. Nearly everyone will start and end their trip by walking, with some people using mobility aids, such as a wheelchair, walker, or assistive cane. No matter how or why you’re traveling, Fresno COG wants you to reach your destination safely. Recently, Fresno County has seen an increase in crashes on our streets that lead to death or serious injuries. By working together, we can change this. The Regional Safety Plan and the Local Road Safety Plan are the first steps to making sure everyone who travels in Fresno County will get home safely at the end of their day.

Visit the 2021 Regional Safety Plan and Local Road Safety Plan Webpage

Fresno-Madera State Route 41 and Avenue 9 Sustainable Corridors Study

Fresno COG, in partnership with Madera County Transportation Commission (MCTC), is conducting a study to determine the future transportation needs of the SR 41 corridor in the City of Fresno and the southern segment of SR 41 in Madera County. In addition, the study will analyze the future transportation needs of the Avenue 9 corridor in Madera County between State Route 41 and State Route 99. The study will identify existing and future issues along the two corridors related to safety, mobility, congestion, etc., and recommend sustainable improvements that will address the transportation needs of the residents in both counties through multi-modal approaches. Issues to be addressed include: mobility, access, safety, and connectivity for all modes of travel including automobiles, transit, walking, and bicycling.

State Route 41 and Avenue 9 Sustainable Corridors Study Final Report

Eastside Transportation Corridor Improvement Study

The primary purpose of the Fresno Region Eastside Transportation Corridor Improvement Study is to determine the future transportation needs of the eastern portion of Fresno County, focusing primarily on the major north-south/east-west transportation corridors (Academy Avenue/Manning Avenue) that service the study area.

ETCIS Final Report

Click here for the Final Report Appendices

Fresno County Regional Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Network Plan (EVCI Plan)

In May 2019, Fresno COG was awarded a Caltrans Sustainable Communities Planning Grant to develop the Fresno County Regional Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Network Plan (EVCI Plan). The Plan will Guide FCOG in reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions to help meet state reduction targets, conduct outreach with EV infrastructure providers, transit agencies, existing EV users, and the general public to determine need and location of chargers. It will assess existing EV charging programs and program funding goals and identify deficiencies in the charging network for publicly accessible units. The plan will provided a recommendation of site locations to fill gaps of existing and planned charging network along with identified potential funding.

Reverse Triangle Transportation Area Plan Study (RTTAP)

Fresno COG, in partnership with the City of Fresno and County of Fresno, has received a Caltrans grant to study the impacts from the industrial growth in the Reverse Triangle area. The overall objective of the project is to develop a plan for the project area that will address the potential impacts from the new developments and responds to multi-modal travel needs in the area. Objectives of the planning process include:

Convening regional partners from multiple jurisdictions.
Determining the projected local and regional impact of planned economic developments on the transportation system.
Identifying strategies to mitigate the impact of the growing industrial center on SR-99, SR-41, local and regional roadways.
Identifying strategies to move people and goods efficiently along SR-99, SR-41 and local and regional roadways, including all ramp termini and intersections.
Meaningfully engaging community residents, particularly environmental justice communities and employers.
Collecting counts and data relevant to prioritizing recommendations and calculating cost/benefit ratios for priority projects.
Develop implementation measures, prioritize recommendations for investment, develop conceptual layouts and identify potential funding sources.

Visit the RTTAP Project Webpage

SB 743 Local Assistance Program and Regional Guidelines Development

In order to help the region with the implementation of SB 743, Fresno COG has taken the lead role in developing SB 743 regional guidelines, which can be adapted by local governments for their needs and purposes. SB 743 will take full effect on July 1, 2020, and will have profound impacts on how local governments and other lead agencies approve their development projects during the CEQA process. Objectives of the program include:

Develop screening criteria
Recommend Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) threshold
Recommend a metric and threshold for transportation projects
Develop a VMT calculation tool that will be hosted on Fresno COG’s website
Identify VMT mitigation measures
Recommend VMT threshold for plans.

View more information about SB743 and Fresno COG’s program and guidelines development process here.

Blackstone/Shaw Activity Center Study

In the 2014 General Plan, the City of Fresno re-zoned the Blackstone Avenue corridor to accommodate more intense development and to transition to a mix of uses, instead of being solely commercial in nature. These envisioned land use and transportation changes will need to work in concert with changes in the public right-of-way. Greater density of development and increased pedestrian traffic as a result of increased bus service and new housing necessitates infrastructure changes. This study investigates these types of infrastructure changes in the Blackstone Shaw Activity Center.

The Blackstone Shaw Activity Center Study assessed existing conditions for all modes and identified potential projects that could enhance people’s travel experience, especially in light of the desired character of redevelopment. Additionally, the study investigated traffic impacts of a suite of improvements, high-level results of which are presented in the Summary Report. This study provides options for projects that support the envisioned redevelopment. It will be up to project partners such as the City of Fresno and developers to decide whether, when and how these infrastructure improvements may be funded and implemented.

Fresno County Regional Transportation Network Vulnerability Assessment

The Fresno County Regional Transportation Network Vulnerability Assessment will identify where the transportation network is most vulnerable to potential risks of climate change and propose strategies to remedy those impacts that will positively benefit local communities. Vulnerability assessments are a critical element to understanding the potential impacts of climate change and identifying specific locations that are likely to be affected. This assessment will inform the next update of the Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy and provide local jurisdictions information that will help them comply with SB 379, which requires local jurisdictions to address climate adaptation and resiliency in the safety elements of their general plan, as well as plan for current and future impacts of climate change and strategically invest in transportation infrastructure.

Task 2: Collaboration and Community Outreach

Public Outreach Plan
Public Outreach Synopsis

Task 3: Vulnerability Assessment Summary Memo

Vulnerability Assessment Summary

Task 4: Adaptation Strategies Summary Memo

Adaptation Strategies Summary Memo

Task 5: Final Report

Final Report

Multi-Jurisdictional Pavement Management System

With the passage of Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), Fresno COG has allocated funds to develop the Multi-jurisdictional Pavement Management System for nine local cities within the Region that currently do not have such a program in place. A Pavement Management System is designed to provide objective information and useful data for analysis so that local governments can make more consistent, cost-effective and defensible decisions related to the preservation of a pavement network. With the Pavement Management System, the cities will be able to prioritize roadway improvements and better manage their roadway repair and maintenance.

View more information about the Multi-jurisdictional Pavement Management System here.

Blackstone Corridor Transportation and Housing Study

The Blackstone Corridor Transportation & Housing study area included Van Ness/Maroa Avenues to Harvard Avenue to Clark Avenue to Home Avenue. The purpose of the study was to identify tools and opportunities for this area to be transformed from an auto-oriented corridor into a safe, accessible, multi-modal and mixed used environment that enhance the neighborhood quality and contribute to a vibrant community. The study also looked at opportunities for transit supportive infill development, improved connectivity to Blackstone Avenue and catalytic sites for revitalization in the study area. The study report is a visioning document that can provide guidance for private development and public infrastructure investment in the area.

Blackstone Corridor Final Report