California Regional Governments and How it Works in Our Region

Council of Governments (COG)
A COG delivers a variety of federal, state and local programs to its member local governments. Through technical assistance and forging collaboration, COG efforts often provide a regional perspective to support member agency activities. The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) is the COG for the 22 cities and six counties in the Sacramento region.

COG efforts at SACOG related to regional forecasting and monitoring strive to improve mobility through the coordination of land use, transportation and air quality decisions. Other COG efforts at SACOG include the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) and planning efforts related to environmental protection and land use planning. Blueprint implementation and the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (RUCS) have been a key focus for the agency’s COG efforts in recent years.
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
Federal transportation law requires the Governor to designate a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for all urban regions with population greater than 50,000 (Title 23 U.S. Code). SACOG is the MPO for the six-county Sacramento region.

An MPO is a transportation policy-making body made up of representatives from local government and transportation agencies with authority and responsibility in metropolitan planning areas. Through the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) and its link to the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP), SACOG is responsible for approving significant expenditures of federal dollars.
Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA)
The primary RTPA responsibilities under California state law are to adopt a regional transportation plan and to prepare and adopt a regional transportation improvement program. In the Greater Sacramento area, SACOG is the RTPA for four counties (Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties), with the El Dorado County Transportation Commission (EDCTC) and the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA) serving as RTPAs for these counties respectively. The distinction between SACOG’s federal responsibilities as an MPO and its state responsibilities as an RTPA is important because of the considerable overlap between the two roles. Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between SACOG, EDCTC and PCTPA guide the coordination between the region’s three RTPAs.

　

What SACOG Does
The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) is an association of Sacramento region governments formed from the six area counties— El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba—and the 22 member cities listed to the right.

SACOG provides transportation planning and funding for the region, and serves as a forum for the study and resolution of regional issues. In addition to preparing the region’s long-range transportation plan, SACOG approves the distribution of affordable housing in the region and assists in planning for transit, bicycle networks, clean air and airport land uses.

SACOG’s directors are chosen from the elected boards of its member governments. It has a staff of about 50. SACOG is located in downtown Sacramento at 1415 L Street, Suite 300.

SACOG Members: El Dorado County
Placer County
Sacramento County
Sutter County
Yolo County
Yuba County
City of Auburn
City of Citrus Heights
City of Colfax
City of Davis
City of Elk Grove
City of Folsom
City of Galt
City of Isleton
City of Lincoln
City of Live Oak
Town of Loomis
City of Marysville
City of Placerville
City of Rancho Cordova
City of Rocklin
City of Roseville
City of Sacramento
City of West Sacramento
City of Wheatland
City of Winters
City of Woodland
City of Yuba City