Public Meeting on Transportation Plan

Residents and business people will have a chance to review a long-range transportation plan for Southern California at a public meeting of the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. on Thursday at the Airtel Plaza Hotel.

The plan by the Southern California Assn. of Governments, now in a public review process, is designed to guide decisions in the counties of Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside and Imperial until 2020. While the SCAG board is scheduled to begin formal considerations in June, city and county agencies within the organization’s scope may still decide to alter or disregard the proposal.

“It’s a guide. To my knowledge, it is not a binding document,” said Larry Gray, chairman of the association’s transportation committee.

The nearly two-inch-thick document addresses population growth and the projected burden on the area’s transportation system.

“One of the interesting things about the plan will be where the congestion points are going to be, depending on whether certain projects go through or not,” Gray said. One such project is the Los Angeles subway, he said, which is still several years from completion.

Last month, Orange County supervisors attacked the SCAG plan because it would deny funding to dozens of road projects in favor of a new freeway through Cleveland National Forest. Some supervisors also urged a shift of control of transportation spending from the association to county officials.

Thursday’s meeting is scheduled to begin at noon at the hotel, at 7277 Valjean Ave. The cost is $25 per person and the registration deadline is Tuesday.

Call (818) 888-2228 for information.