The most common funding source for a PDA is the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) Program, which is administered by MTC. Established in 2012, OBAG taps federal funds to maintain MTC’s commitments to regional transportation priorities while also advancing the Bay Area’s land-use and housing goals. Cities and counties in the Bay Area can use these OBAG funds to invest in, among others:
- Facilitating a community-driven planning process, like a Special Plan, for the PDA
- Local street and road maintenance
- Streetscape enhancements
- Bicycle and pedestrian improvements
- Transportation planning
- Safe Routes to School projects
Most recently, the City secured $600,000 in OBAG funding to facilitate the development of San Rafael’s Downtown Precise Plan. Funding through the OBAG Program are launched in cycles with funds released annually (“rounds”). The current cycle is OBAG 2, covering 2017-18 through 2021-22.