News

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Newly passed measure will allow the City of Davis to annex the Nishi property from unincorporated Yolo County in order to develop the land. Measure J was approved by residents with approximately 60% of total votes. Current plans for the property, which is located immediately south of UC Davis between the railroad and I-80, include 700 student housing units, some retail, and dedicated open space. The proposed housing on the Nishi property would provide much needed housing in Davis’ very tight housing market.

The voters spoke June 5th and sent a strong message to protect valuable transportation dollars. Prop 69 prevents the Legislature from taking from or borrowing any new transportation revenues for non-transportation improvement purposes. It extends constitutional protections to all new vehicle fees and gasoline and diesel tax revenues generated by SB 1 that were not previously protected. This ensures that the revenues passed by the Legislature will be spent exclusively on transportation. SACOG’s Board of Directors took a support position on the Proposition.

Earlier this month, Amtrak launched new intercity rail service that provides more convenient connections between Fresno and Sacramento through new early morning and evening trains.  The new schedule allows San Joaquin Valley residents to get to Sacramento before 8am and departs the state capitol in the late afternoon.  “This is going to be important that we make this a success, then we’re going to start other morning express trains,” San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority Chair Vito Chiesa