News
News & Guest Blog Posts
Everyday, our region’s counties and cities are taking actions to make this to best place to work, live, and play. We will share our member city and county milestones here, along with our own regional news and blog posts.
Green light for Sacramento region transportation and revenue measures
The big California transportation news to come out of midterm elections was the failure of Proposition 6, an effort to roll back recent increases in the gas tax that are projected to produce about $5 billion a year for road maintenance and other transportation projects. The proposition was defeated 55 percent to 45 percent.
As the Sacramento Bee noted, because the proposition was retroactive to the beginning of 2017, it would have repealed Senate Bill 1, which allocated about $1 billion for Sacramento region transportation projects.
Voters Nationwide to Decide on Key Transportation and Growth Issues
11/8/18 Update with Results
Rocklin Transforms Old Quarry Into Adventure Park
New Attraction Anchors Downtown and Encourages Private Development
10/31/18 The City of Rocklin is maximizing a 160-year old granite quarry to catalyze an entire district. The Quarry District is experiencing a transformation via public and private development which are creating a downtown environment that supports vibrant entertainment, commercial activity, and residential options.
Lessons from Brooklyn: Riverfronts, Rezoning, and Reuse
10/31/18 The Sacramento Metro Chamber’s 2018 study mission drew over 100 local leaders to New York City’s booming borough of Brooklyn earlier this month. At first glance, the Sacramento region and Brooklyn may not seem to have much in common. But demographics tell a different story: our two regions are both remarkably diverse, with a mix of incomes, races and high percentages of foreign born residents.
SACOG Board Kicks Off ‘Next Generation Transit’ Initiative
10/31/18 The SACOG board kicked off a bold new “Next Generation Transit” initiative at its October 18 meeting. Speakers from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LAMTA) and Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) provided board members with their agency’s roadmaps for rethinking their business proposition in an age of disruption.
SACOG Announces new senior staff positions and promotions
New Deputy Executive Director and Director Positions Announced
After approval by the Board of Directors at their October meeting, SACOG has announced the creation of two new Deputy Executive Director positions. Kacey Lizon is being promoted to Deputy Executive Director of Planning and Programs, and Erik Johnson is being promoted to Deputy Executive Director of Operations. The creation of the Deputy Executive Director positions became possible after Kirk Trost announced his intention to step down as Chief Operating Officer in order to focus on special projects in a new role as Senior Advisor for the agency.
$991,000 coming to the Sacramento region in transit funding
The CTC Commits $72 Million in New Funding to Improve Transit Throughout California
Thanks to the recent decision from the California Transportation Commission (CTC), the Sacramento region will be receiving $991,000 for transit improvements. The money will be used to fund Sacramento Regional Transit District’s Circulator Bus Service Expansion, which includes the expansion of service throughout the district with the purchase of electric and/or gasoline buses for safe, reliable, and affordable transportation.
Promoting Walking Through Wayfinding
Midtown Association's Walk Alhambra
Midtown Association launched a temporary sidewalk wayfinding program along Alhambra Boulevard called Walk Alhambra. Walkways were brightly decorated with directional signs and stenciled in chalk paint along the Alhambra corridor, helping to highlight nearby amenities and destinations that could be reached through a short walk.
To launch the new Alhambra district branding a walk began at The Cannery and ended with an unveiling of the new Alhambra Mural located behind Star Ginger restaurant at 3101 Folsom Blvd.
National Experts Propose Solutions to Spark Transit-Oriented Development in South Sacramento
9/28/18 An Advisory Services Panel of national land use and urban planning experts representing the Urban Land Institute (ULI) spent the week in Sacramento diving into the area around the Meadowview and Florin Road light rail stations. Their aim is to provide unvarnished outside strategic recommendations of how to encourage the revitalization of a commercial corridor that has the benefit of being on a light rail line and includes multiple properties owned by Sacramento Regional Transit. The panel is one of only three in the country that ULI is hosting.
Governor Acts on Key Bills for Sacramento Region Dealing with EVs, Infill Housing and Forest Management
9/28/18 September was a busy month in the Governor’s office as he worked to meet the September 30 deadline to sign or veto all legislation sent to him at the end of the legislative session. While a number of bills were still pending as of this writing, the Governor did act on a variety of measures with a direct impact on the Sacramento region, including bills in the area of CEQA, electric vehicles, and forest management.
‘New Normal’ of California Wildfires: Reduced Timber Harvests Threaten Sierra Nevada Forests
9/28/18 California’s historic wildfires in 2018 may be a sign of more devastating summers ahead. The state’s wildfire season is starting earlier and lasting longer, by about 2 ½ months since in the 1970s. Fifteen of the 20 largest wildfires in California history have occurred since the year 2000. This increased fire occurrence is also costing Californians more in loss of life and property, health care for air quality-related illness, insurance rate increases, and impacts on forest-based businesses.
Slicing Through Apple Hill Traffic: El Dorado County Goes ‘Lean’ to Tackle Weekend Congestion
9/28/18 Every fall thousands of tourists stream into Apple Hill, the famed El Dorado County district, to celebrate the respite from Summer heat and welcome in the brisk air and falling leaves. Some come for the plethora of apples and apple products, some for the hay rides and some for the arts and crafts, but all added up, it equals 300% more traffic, which can cause a mile-long backup.
Region Wins Critical Forest Management Grants Through Cap and Trade Funds
8/30/18 In the past few years as the state has faced historic drought and damaging wildfire, restoring the resiliency of our regional forests and watersheds has become increasingly important. At the regional level, the Tahoe-Central Sierra Initiative (TCSI) has championed the goal of improving the health and durability of our forest ecosystems and communities. On August 7, CAL FIRE announced $27.5 million investment in forest health projects.
Poor Roads Costing Sacramento Area Drivers More Than $2,000 Per Year
8/30/18 A new report released this month highlights the hidden costs of deteriorated, congested, and unsafe roads and bridges for Sacramento metropolitan statistical area (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) drivers.
Elk Grove Approves New Financial Incentives to Incubate and Attract Startups
8/30/18 The City of Elk Grove has approved $1.5 million for Startup Elk Grove, a program geared towards encouraging entrepreneurs, helping existing startups that are looking to grow, and building a base of incubator supporters such as co-working spaces.
SMF Airport Announces Plans for ‘Next Generation’ Electric Vehicle Charging
8/30/18 Sacramento International Airport is set to be the future home of a ‘next generation’ electric vehicle charging station. These new type of charging stations are more akin to contemporary gas stations as opposed to the current model of EVs charging in a single parking space. The charging station will feature 10 new publicly accessible ultra-fast fee-based DC fast-chargers. The chargers are being built with the current standard power of 50 kilowatts as well as future ready 150kW and 350kW capabilities.
New Report Helps Local Communities Build Healthy, Inclusive Public Spaces
7/31/18 As the Sacramento region recovers from the recession and development increases, it’s increasingly important for us to grow smartly, and create vibrant communities in all parts of our region. Inclusive public spaces consider all modes of transportation and access in order to foster healthy and resilient communities. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national health philanthropy, recently partnered with the Gehl Institute to study healthy public spaces and develop a framework of four principles to guide decision making.
New On-Demand Shuttle Service Debuts in South Sacramento
7/31/18 Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) has begun serving the Franklin Blvd. – South Sacramento area with SmaRT Ride on-demand transit. Notably, this service provides additional mobility for residents and visitors to this area, which has been without a bus line since 2008. The new service is expected to provide about 26,000 rides in its first year. Riders will be able to access the shuttle through an app-based ride hailing system, an online reservation or by phone. In the near future the shuttle buses will be 100 percent zero emission, made possible by funding though Electrify America.
Sacramento Region Wins $1.8 Billion in Federal Flood Protection Funding
7/31/18 The Sacramento region got a big boost in flood protection funding this month, receiving $1.8 billion in federal funds. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers investment provides the final funding needed to complete multiple flood protection projects in the region, including levee work and raising the Folsom Dam. These projects, along with a separate levee project along the Natomas Basin, will provide Sacramento with a 300-year flood protection level.
New Door-to-Door Ridesharing Service Launches in West Sacramento
7/31/18 A new innovative ridesharing program is being tested out by West Sacramento as part of a one-year pilot and is operated by Via. The service is a hybrid of traditional public transit and private transportation network companies such as Uber or Lyft. Anyone with the app can request rides within the city limits Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.