RTP

What is an RTP?

The image shows a document for the "2050 Regional Transportation Plan" by the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency.

A Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is a state mandated long-range planning document that outlines all transportation investments in Placer County for a 25 year period. As the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for Placer County (excluding the Tahoe Basin), PCTPA is responsible for developing, implementing, and regularly updating the RTP. RTPs play a critical role in shaping the community, as it guides investments for all modes of transportation, including highways, local roadways, bus transit, passenger rail, freight, bicycles, pedestrians, and aviation. It is primarily composed of three elements:

  • Policy Element: Identifies the mobility goals, objectives, and policies of the region.
  • Action Element: Details the projects, programs, and actions to implement the RTP
  • Financial Element: Summarizes the cost of implementing the RTP projects, considering fiscal constraints

The goals of the RTP are to:

The image outlines five goals focused on improving mobility, safety, sustainability, fiscal responsibility, and social equity.

SACOG Blueprint 2025

Placer County's RTP is coordinated with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG)'s efforts to update their Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (MTP/SCS) for the entire six-county Sacramento region. While the RTP focuses just on Placer County, the MTP plans for transportation investments across the six-county Sacramento region. PCTPA and SACOG work together closely to ensure that the two plans align. The MTP goes beyond just transportation projects, it estimates future land use development and housing types, addresses environmental sustainability, and considers equity in transportation planning. This difference reflects the fact that SACOG, as a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), has greater federal and state responsibilities and requirements than PCTPA, including Federal Clean Air Act and California Senate Bill 375 regulations. SACOG's currently adopted MTP/SCS is the 2025 Blueprint. You can learn more about SACOG's efforts here.

Technical Update

During the development of the 2025 Blueprint, SACOG’s deadline to complete their SCS was extended by 18 months to the end of 2025 by Assembly Bill (AB) 350, passed by the California legislature and signed into law by the governor. However, this legislation did not extend the timeline to complete the MTP, which is required under federal law. SACOG adopted an interim MTP in 2023 prior to the full Blueprint’s adoption in 2025. They must now adopt another interim MTP, or technical update, by the end of 2027 to realign their MTP and SCS adoption schedules. By doing so, both would subsequently have to be adopted by 2031. It would also align the adoption of both plans with the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) that SACOG administers for the six-county region, which is also scheduled to conclude in 2031.

Because SACOG is preparing a Technical Update for adoption in 2027, with an aim to next fully update their Blueprint in 2031, PCTPA desires to align their RTP adoption schedule with that of SACOG’s. As such, PCTPA is preparing a Technical Update to the 2050 RTP that will serve as the adopted Regional Transportation Plan until a full update is completed in 2031. The update will adjust the base year of the RTP slightly and update various data points throughout the document but the RTP's priorities and major projects will not change. It is currently anticipated that the Technical Update will be completed by the end of 2027.

Community Outreach

There are a number of ways you can learn more about the Regional Transportation Plan Technical Update. Register and join us for a webinar on October 15, 2026 where PCTPA will deliver a presentation about the RTP process and answer questions. Both events will have the same content so feel free to register whichever one works best with your schedule.

Register for October 15th from 12:00pm-1:00pm

Register for October 15th from 5:30pm-6:30pm

You can also learn more about the RTP at a local event! PCTPA staff will be present at each of the events below. Stop by our booth to tell us about your transportation needs and learn about the RTP.

Auburn: Farmer's Market on September 5, 2026; Downtown Auburn

Colfax: Railroad Days on September 12, 2026; Downtown Colfax

Lincoln: Taste of Lincoln Showcase on September 26, 2026; Beermann Plaza Downtown Lincoln

Loomis: Fruit Shed Fest on October 3, 2026; Downtown Loomis

Rocklin: Hot Chili, Cool Cars on September 19, 2026: Quarry Park

Roseville: Food Truck Mania on October 8, 2026; Vernon St Town Square

Technical Update Schedule

The image shows a timeline with important dates: Sep-Oct 2026, Dec 2026-Mar 2027, Jan-June 2027, and December 2027.

 

Current Adopted RTP

PCTPA's currently adopted RTP is the 2050 RTP. The document as well as the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) are available below.