San Diego Association Of Governments

San Diego Association of Governments, doing business as Regional Transportation Commission, is a U.S. local government entity and council of governments that serves as a federal grant recipient for metropolitan and regional transportation planning, infrastructure project design and construction, and transit mobility services across San Diego County. The organization operates as a prime recipient (100% of awards) across federal grant programs administered by the Department of Transportation (Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration), the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Justice, with no contracting or subcontracting footprint.

SANDAG functions as the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for San Diego County and receives the vast majority of its federal funding through formula grants and project grants under the Federal Transit Administration. Of 154 total awards in the source data spanning 1979 to August 2026, 101 awards (85% by count) flow from FTA, with the Federal Highway Administration accounting for 7 additional awards. The Bureau of Justice Assistance has awarded 14 grants to SANDAG for Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) programming in San Diego and Imperial counties, focused on violence reduction and gang intervention. These grants total $11.43 billion in combined obligated dollars against a combined potential value of $181 thousand, reflecting the fact that most awards have been fully obligated and expended; the source data shows awards with completion dates spanning decades.

SANDAG's recent work exemplifies its MPO and grant-recipient role. In August 2026, FTA awarded $2.825 million for final design of the Palomar Street Rail Grade Separation Project in Chula Vista. In July 2026, FTA provided $10 million for planning and design of a rapid transit route connecting mid-city southeast San Diego, National City, and Chula Vista with San Diego State University. In June 2026, FTA awarded $3.5 million to eliminate a 1.6-mile single-track bottleneck on the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor. On the planning side, SANDAG received $8.661 million in February 2026 for countywide metropolitan planning and technical support, and $1.371 million in February 2026 under the Railroad Crossing Elimination program (CFDA 20.327) for grade separation feasibility analysis at eleven at-grade rail crossings in San Diego. SANDAG also received a $9.74 million grant in September 2025 under the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program (CFDA 20.513), with planned sub-awards to nine regional providers including the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, ARC of San Diego, and Travelers Aid Society. Additional notable awards include $28.86 million (May 2025) for construction of the second mainline track on the LOSSAN corridor and $23.14 million (February 2022) from the Federal Railroad Administration for Del Mar Bluffs stabilization and seismic improvements.

On environmental and climate work, SANDAG received a $1 million cooperative agreement from EPA Region 9 in July 2023 under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program (CFDA 66.046) to develop or update regional climate action plans for the San Diego metropolitan area, with planned sub-awards to a local university and non-profit for analytical modeling and community engagement. FTA and FHWA have also funded planning studies for transit-oriented development, mobility hubs, airport connections, and rapid bus and rail expansions across the region.

SANDAG's grant portfolio is heavily concentrated in the Federal Transit Administration (101 awards), with secondary activity in the Bureau of Justice Assistance (14 awards focused on violent crime reduction across San Diego and Imperial counties), the Federal Highway Administration (7 awards for infrastructure planning and acceleration), and the EPA (climate action planning). Eighteen awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, creating recompete opportunities for FTA and FHWA formula and project grants. The organization operates directly as the recipient on most awards and does not intend to subaward funds on planning and design grants, though it serves as the pass-through administrative agent for Section 5310 mobility grants to seniors and individuals with disabilities, distributing funding to regional transportation operators and nonprofit service providers. SANDAG's corporate structure includes a named subsidiary, San Diego County Regional Transportation Commission, reflecting its dual identity as both a council of governments and the county's designated regional transportation commission.