Office of Multimodal System Planning
Office of Multimodal System Planning (OMSP), in conjunction with external partners, implements the Department's Mission and Goals through evaluation of the State Transportation System and determination of future needs. OMSP informs State, regional, and local decision makers regarding the long-range vision for State Transportation System corridors with consideration for local, regional, and interregional needs. This process leads to various multimodal improvements including operational improvements and identifying future programming needs and priorities. The Office also includes District GIS support, air quality conformity, freight planning, and relinquishment. OMSP is responsible for development of Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plans, Managed Lanes System Plans, special studies, and other System Planning documents and products. OMSP collaborates with the nine Bay Area County Transportation Agencies and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to conduct strategic investment planning, project prioritization, and other transportation planning related functions.
System Planning Branches develop and prepare long-range System Planning products through collaboration with internal and external stakeholders. The Branches work to produce corridor planning documents such as Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plans (CMCPs) and Corridor Plans for all 56 State Routes in District 4 and lead the development of the District 4 Managed Lane System Plan (MLSP). The branches also participates in the development of the District 4 District System Management Plan (DSMP), and the accompanying project list. All of these System Planning documents assist Caltrans engagement in the regional transportation planning process and inform early stages of project development.
Both branches are also responsible for participation in local transportation planning studies and provide System Planning input on Project Initiation Documents (PID), Project Reports, Right-of-Way Excess Lands Sales requests, and Local Development Review (LDR) projects. To ensure coordination on transportation planning, funding, and project priorities, staff works with local, regional, and county transportation planning and funding agencies such as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and nine county Congestion Transportation Agencies, as well as bordering Caltrans districts and other agency partners.
In addition, System Planning branches collaborate with other functional units and external stakeholders on project selection, prioritization, nomination and funding application development for various State and federal competitive funding programs.
Freight and System Planning Branch serves as the Caltrans Bay Area liaison for the multimodal freight transportation system. The Branch coordinates with partners and stakeholders in the region in support of the safe, sustainable, and efficient movement of freight. In partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, County Transportation Agencies, seaports, airports, industry stakeholders, and the public, the branch participates and manages freight focused transportation planning studies, and grant application development. The unit also develops Caltrans System Planning products in locations with higher amounts of freight traffic demand, reviews project development reports and local development proposals for freight considerations.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Support Branch provides support services for District GIS activities including map generation, spatial data acquisition and maintenance, data conversion, software support, postmile processing, web mapping services, training, and technical support. The branch also coordinates federal Functional Classification requests with local cities, county-maintained mileage coordination, and air quality conformity planning in partnership with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and Caltrans Headquarters.
Strategic Investment Planning Branch coordinates with Caltrans Headquarters, regional agencies such as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and the nine Bay Area County Transportation Agencies (CTAs) to prepare funding applications as well as processing of letter of support (LOS) and partnership letter requests. The branch also manages funding applications to align with guidelines and notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) for California Senate Bill (SB) 1 and federal discretionary grant programs. Information on key federal NOFOs and SB 1 programs as well as how to make LOS and partnership letter requests can be found below. In consultation with MTC, CTAs, and partner agencies, the branch identifies and coordinates project prioritization and funding strategies. This includes utilizing Corridor Plans and other planning documents to identify and recommend projects that align with the guiding principles of the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure, the Caltrans Strategic Plan 2020-2024, and the California Transportation Plan 2050.
Key Federal NOFOs:
https://www.transportation.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/key-notices-funding-opportunity
More information on Caltrans LOS and/or Partnership Letter requests and State and federal funding resources:
https://dot.ca.gov/programs/transportation-planning/division-of-transportation-planning/strategic-investment-planning
For Grant LOS Requests designated to the District Director (see Authority Decision Tree), please reach out to D4SIP@dot.ca.gov to request a LOS a minimum of 3 weeks before the grant program deadline.
System Planning Documents
Cameron Oakes – Office Chief, Multimodal System Planning
Phone: 510.960.0741 Email: cameron.oakes@dot.ca.gov