Placer County’s Roadmap to 2050: A $5.5 Billion Transportation Plan.

What the RTP is and why it matters

Every five years, the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency updates its Regional Transportation Plan, a state-mandated document that lays out every major transportation investment the county expects to make through 2050.

Known as the RTP, it is more than a list of projects. It sets the county’s mobility goals, objectives, and policies; balances available revenues against the cost of construction; and ensures that local priorities line up with state and federal rules on greenhouse gas reduction and equity.

According to the report, without an adopted RTP, Placer County projects would not be eligible for key funding streams. The draft plan now out for review is fiscally constrained to about $5.5 billion in today’s dollars (or $8.5 billion when adjusted for year-of-expenditure costs). That is the amount of revenue PCTPA expects to collect through local impact fees, state programs like SB 1, federal highway dollars, and other sources.

Where Placer County stands today

The report notes that Placer County has become one of the fastest-growing parts of California. Over 412,000 people now live in the county, with Roseville alone accounting for 37 percent of the population, followed by Rocklin and Lincoln. Since 2010, the county has grown by nearly 25 percent, compared to just 5.8 percent statewide. Even during the COVID-19 years, when California’s population slipped, Placer added more than 7 percent.

Growth has reshaped the county’s demographics. The report highlights that residents over 65 now make up 21 percent of the population, compared to 15 percent in 2010, while the share of children under 18 has slightly declined. The suburban character is reflected in housing: there are more than 155,000 households, with an average size of 2.62 people, and homeownership at 73 percent.

The county is also a major job center. In 2024, Placer supported about 196,000 jobs, the second highest total in the region after Sacramento County. Health care and education lead the employment base, accounting for nearly a quarter of all jobs, while wholesale trade, retail, and business services follow.

According to the report, commutes remain car-dominated: more than 70 percent of workers drive alone, about 7 percent carpool, less than 1 percent ride transit, and 19 percent telework.

Where the county plans to be in 2050

The RTP forecasts that Placer’s population will top 500,000 by 2050, a 30 percent increase. That growth will require more than 54,000 new housing units and is expected to bring another 63,000 jobs, with major expansion around Lincoln, Roseville, and the unincorporated Placer One development area.

The transportation plan matches this growth with investments. About 80 percent of the $8.5 billion (year-of-expenditure costs) will go to roadways, including the I-80/Highway 65 interchange, Highway 65 lane expansions, and the first phases of Placer Parkway, which, according to the report, is expected to begin construction in early 2026.

Transit will see about $593.4 million (year-of-expenditure costs), enough to increase weekday ridership by 96 percent by 2050.

The report projects that bus service in Roseville and unincorporated areas will expand significantly, while Capitol Corridor passenger rail could increase ridership by about 184,400 passengers if additional tracks and service are added. In 2024, about 40,000 riders used Placer stations; with ten daily trains, ridership could climb to over 220,000 annually, with Roseville capturing most of that growth.

Active transportation is also part of the plan. The report identifies about $400 million for new trails and safer pedestrian infrastructure.

By 2050, vehicle miles traveled are expected to increase by 20 percent, but because of population growth and multimodal investment, driving per person is projected to fall by 8 percent. Transit ridership per capita is expected to outpace population growth, suggesting a gradual shift toward alternatives to driving.

How residents can shape the plan

The draft RTP and its Supplemental Environmental Impact Report are now available for public review. A hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the Placer County Board of Supervisors chambers in Auburn. Written comments are accepted until September 25, 2025 by email at cpeterson@pctpa.net or by mail to PCTPA’s Roseville office. Adoption of the final plan is expected in December.

For residents frustrated with gridlock, worried about climate impacts, or simply interested in where billions of dollars will flow over the next quarter-century, this is the moment to weigh in. The 2050 RTP sets the foundation not just for big infrastructure projects, but for how communities across Placer County are built, connected, and sustained in the decades ahead.