Â鶹AV

The Â鶹AV (ABAG) is the comprehensive regional planning agency and council of governments for the nine counties and 101 cities and towns of the San Francisco Bay region.

Â鶹AVwas formed by local government leaders who recognized the need to address common issues from a regional perspective, and formed the first council of governments in California. From this perspective, Â鶹AVcontinues to work in regional land use, environmental stewardship, energy efficiency and water resource protection.

Today, Â鶹AVand and the continue to share joint responsibility for now with a single staff, serving both the Â鶹AVExecutive Board and the MTC Commission. There is an opportunity for Â鶹AVto provide a stronger commitment, additional staff and an expanded financial position to carry out the important work of supporting local governments and the region.

Agency Timeline

1961

Bay Area local governments came together as a response to state legislation that would have supplanted local control over all bridges, ports and transit operations.

To address land use issues from a regional perspective, elected officials from the Bay Area formed a council of governments called the Â鶹AV. Since inception, Â鶹AVhas examined regional issues such as housing, transportation, economic development and the environment.

1970

Â鶹AVbroke ground developing the Regional Plan, 1970–1990, the Bay Area's first comprehensive regional plan.

1980s-1990s

In response to shrinking local government budgets and increasing needs, Â鶹AVcreated a number of service programs to assist local governments with financing, natural gas purchasing and energy efficiency programs. Critical environmental and resilience challenges led to the San Francisco Estuary Partnership, the San Francisco Bay Trail Project and the Resilience and Hazards Program.

1994

Â鶹AVwas the first council of governments on the internet, and the second public agency to establish a web presence in California.

2008

With the passage of SB 375, Â鶹AVand MTC were tasked to produce a new combined land use and transportation long-range plan for the San Francisco Bay Area, while reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks.

The two organizations had already worked closely together since MTC’s inception in 1971, with Â鶹AVproviding land use information and other economic forecasting data to MTC for transportation planning needs.

2013

The first SCS, known as tackled pressing issues such as accommodating population growth while keeping the region affordable for all residents, preserving open space, protecting the environment, accommodating transportation needs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

2016

By an action of the Â鶹AVgoverning body, Â鶹AVand MTC were tasked to conduct a staff consolidation study and then examine changes to both the governing bodies. The end result is two separate and independent organizations with a consolidated staff at MTC serving both governing boards.

2017

Â鶹AVand MTC released an update to Plan Bay Area, called Staff consolidation occurred in July 2017 after a year-long process, including fiscal analysis, human resource and organizational development consulting and extensive member participation.

Today

Â鶹AVand MTC continue to share joint responsibility for Plan Bay Area, now with a single staff, serving both the Â鶹AVExecutive Board and the MTC Commission. The latest iteration of the plan — — was jointly adopted in October 2021. Work has begun on its limited and focused update,

There is an opportunity for Â鶹AVto provide a stronger commitment, additional staff and an expanded financial position to carry out the important work of supporting local governments and the region.