Plan Bay Area is a long-range integrated transportation and land-use/housing strategy through 2040 for the San Francisco Bay Area. Plan Bay Area marks the nine-county region’s first long-range plan to meet the requirements of California’s landmark 2008 Senate Bill 375, which calls on each of the state’s 18 metropolitan areas to develop a Sustainable Communities Strategy to accommodate future population growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. Working in collaboration with cities and counties, the Plan advances initiatives to expand housing and transportation choices, creates healthier communities, and builds a stronger regional economy.
On July 18, 2013, the Plan was jointly approved by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Executive Board and by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). 

Tina Thomas and Amy Higuera assisted MTC during the three-year administrative process leading to approval of the Plan and certification of an Environmental Impact Report.  Thomas Law Group represented MTC and ABAG in litigation challenging both Plan approval and EIR certification.  Of the four lawsuits that were filed, two were settled.  The remaining two petitions for writ of mandate were denied in their entirety by the trial court in Bay Area Citizens v. ABAG and The Post Sustainability Institute v. ABAG. The Bay Area Citizens decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal in a published decision and the Post Sustainability trial court decision was fully affirmed by the Appellate Court. Petitions for Review to the Supreme Court were both denied.

In 2017 MTC approved its second MTP/SCS and no litigation was filed. The agency’s third MTP/SCS is currently underway. TLG continues to represent MTC.