Sacramento Region Wins $20 Million for Mobility Zones and Clean Transit from the U.S. Department of Transportation
The RAISE grant awards will accelerate community-shaped transportation and clean transit for the region
August 15, 2022: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced the award of $5 million to fund planning for clean, shared, and active transportation infrastructure projects throughout the Sacramento region, and a $15 million award to Yuba-Sutter Transit for their zero-emissions bus facility.
$5 million for region’s “Mobility Zones”
The $5 million award from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant will allow SACOG, in partnership with municipal, community, and technical advisors from across the region, to address mobility and safety challenges in historically disinvested communities in the six-county region.
The Mobility Zone planning centers around the co-creation of green transportation solutions by bringing together diverse public, private, and community partners. Together they make up three task forces that will meet throughout the duration of the planning project.
| Municipal Advisory Task Force |
Community Advisory Task Force |
Technical Advisory Task Force |
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“I want to thank the U.S. Department of Transportation for the investment in the Sacramento region and for recognizing how this project will help the cities and counties advance clean air goals and mobility for our most vulnerable communities,” said Woodrow Deloria, executive director of the El Dorado County Transportation Commission. “This could be a national model for community-driven transportation planning that reinvents how projects are prioritized for investment. We are excited to work with partners throughout the region on the planning and development of these Mobility Zones.”
The study will explore the feasibility of expanding and implementing transportation projects throughout the region such as:
- High-capacity transit like bus rapid transit corridors and express transit priority infrastructure.
- Active transportation infrastructure such as bike facilities and open streets.
- Clean truck and freight zero-emissions vehicle corridors.
- Increased access to electric vehicle clean car share programs.
- Zero-emissions buses and charging infrastructure to meet clean transit goals.
- Mobility hubs that intersect transit, pedestrians, bicyclists, and shared mobility.
- Micromobility and microtransit expansion.
“Civic Thread is thrilled to be leading the process with community-based organizations to co-create infrastructure projects with residents who know their communities best,” said Kiara Reed, Civic Thread, formerly WALKSacramento’s executive director, “the resulting Mobility Zones will allow the region to prioritize innovative and equitable transportation projects in institutionally underserved communities while incorporating anti-displacement strategies throughout the region.”
$15 million for Yuba-Sutter Transit’s Next Generation Transit Facility
The great news continues, as Yuba-Sutter Transit received a $15 million RAISE grant from the U.S. DOT for their planned $40 million Next Generation Transit Maintenance, Operations and Administration Facility. The facility will be the future base of their operations and their zero-emissions transit fleet. In August 2021, the agency purchased a 19.7-acre industrial property in Linda, California. Their vision is to be a catalyst for new corridor investments and to become a place that does more than just store and charge buses, but revitalizes the surrounding community.