News
News and Media
Everyday, our region’s counties and cities are taking actions to make this the 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.
A Look at the Sacramento Region’s 2020 Census Results
An overview of the population and demographic shifts in the region
Every 10 years the U.S. Census Bureau is tasked with counting every resident in the country. Cities, counties, and states depend on an accurate and complete count for federal funding allocation to support community services.
How Community Transit and the Seattle Department of Transportation are Changing Minds About Public Transportation
On October 21, 2021, the SACOG Board of Directors heard from two transit leaders about how the Seattle and North Washington regions have been able to improve the rider experience by providing fast, reliable transit services. Community Transit and the Seattle Department of Transportation gives the Sacramento region something to aspire to when it comes to improving access and speed to transit service.
SACOG Board of Directors Approves the Next Generation Transit Strategy
October 27, 2021: The SACOG Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve the region’s Next Generation Transit Strategy. The strategy reimagines public transportation and provides a vision for the future of mobility that emphasizes moving people, not just moving buses and trains. By improving speed, inter-regional connections, technology, and the rider experience, the region can meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets, reduce traffic in the region, and expand mobility for disadvantaged communities.
Four Sacramento Area Transportation Projects Prioritized on Northern California “Megaregion Dozen” List
16-county Megaregion Working Group agrees on 12 priority transportation investments
October 21, 2021: At its last meeting of the year, the Northern California Megaregion Working Group approved the “Megaregion Dozen,” a list of 12 transportation projects that connect the San Francisco Bay Area to the Sacramento region. Adoption of the priorities is a huge milestone for the group. Together, the three Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) that form the working group represent 16 counties, 136 cities, and a population of nearly 11 million people.
The Sacramento Region Embraces Telework
Employers are building work-from-home strategies that last
October 20, 2021: Before the pandemic, telework was infrequent. For most offices, workplace policies, job descriptions, and a general understanding of job performance all centered around in-person duties. In 2020, state and local stay-at-home orders forced companies to adjust employee work arrangements so they could keep business moving.
SACOG’s Youth Leadership Academy is Shaping our Region’s Next Gen Leaders
High school students are encouraged to apply for the 2022 program. The application deadline is October 31, 2021.
Through the Youth Leadership Academy (YLA), high schoolers learn how to influence change in their communities. Students learn about the civic process and connect with their peers from across the six-county region. “It’s one of the best opportunities to meet people. That’s something there is a shortage of these days,” shared Tate Chatfield, a UC Davis sophomore and a graduate of the first YLA class.
Officials Eye New Train Service from Sacramento to Marysville and Beyond
Butte County Association of Governments receives grant to explore Sacramento to Chico rail line
If you want to travel north from Sacramento by train, options are limited. There are only two stops in Butte County, between 2 am and 3:30 am via the Amtrak Coast Starlight, with no stops in Yuba County. But the possibility of new stops and improved travel times connecting to the north from Sacramento may be in the not-so-distant future.
Caldor Fire Evacuees Greeted with Green Lights through Placerville
Trip to Green pilot program turns into emergency evacuation solution
If you’ve ever driven through Placerville on US-50 on a Saturday or Sunday, then you know how it feels as you approach the line of cars waiting to get through the downtown area. You take a deep breath and settle in for a crawl through three traffic signals along the highway.
Constructing Transit of the Future
Local transit agencies prepare for 100% zero-emissions fleets by 2040
What comes to mind when you think about the future of public transportation? Is it self-driving buses moving seamlessly along city routes? A plethora of transit options, each as convenient and accessible as the other? Or maybe it is simply solving the first mile, last mile dilemma. One thing is certain, clean energy will be powering public buses in California.
Successful City of Sacramento Pilot Project Made Permanent
Small project equals big impact for safety and mobility along Broadway corridor
Traditional city planning is a long game, with projects often taking 10 to 20 years (or more) to complete. Planners take care to design spaces and infrastructure with input from the community, but sometimes it can be challenging for residents to envision how a project might really impact their neighborhood.
State Bets Big on Infrastructure in Final Budget Deal
“Green Means Go” wins funding; Sacramento region needs to be ready to compete for billions more in new spending for transportation, housing, broadband, and climate resilience
After a series of legislative stops and starts and the passage of a temporary placeholder budget in mid-June, Governor Newsom and the legislature finally reached a deal late last month on a massive $262.2 billion budget that includes historic one-time expenditures on infrastructure, housing, broadband, climate resilience, and much more.
$200 Million of Funding for Transportation Projects Across the Region
SACOG passes $1 billion mark in funding for Sacramento region
April 15, 2021: Transportation projects across the Sacramento region received $198 million in funding from SACOG today. The 2021 funding round is the tenth in the 17-year history of the funding program, which has awarded more than $1.1 billion over that time. The SACOG board also acted to recommend nearly $12 million in funding in the regional Active Transportation Program.
SACOG envisions connected future with new Director of Transportation
Kristina Svensk, AICP to start August 16
July 28, 2021 – SACOG is proud to announce Kristina Svensk, AICP as our new Director of Transportation.
Take Me Home, Country Roads
Placer County piloting “pop up” pedestrian improvements
To singer John Denver, who wrote the lyrics to the 1970s famous song “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” rural roads were the means to send him to the place “I belong.” He was reminiscing about West Virginia, but he could have easily been singing about Meadow Vista, an unincorporated rural community between Auburn and Colfax in Placer County.
It’s Game Time in Rancho Cordova
City launches RCity app to encourage local shopping through gamification
It doesn’t get much better than enjoying delicious foods and goodies while supporting local businesses from your hometown, but getting rewarded for it? Now that’s a triple win.
Elk Grove Historic District Invests in Placemaking
Plaza and streetscape improvements welcome visitors
International urban planner Jan Gehl once said, “Cultures and climates differ all over the world, but people are the same. They will gather in public, if you give them a good place to do it.” And the City of Elk Grove is doing its darndest to create a good place for its residents and visitors to gather. The City is making two major investments in its Old Town area.
Managing One of the Region’s Worst Bottlenecks
I-80 causeway project gets $86 million federal grant
If you’ve ever traveled between Davis and Sacramento, you know the frustration that is the Yolo causeway. And if you feel like it’s been getting worse lately, you aren’t imagining it; that segment is ranked in the top three worst in the region in increasing congestion delays.
California Plans a Housing Infrastructure Spending Spree
Funds would accelerate infill development across Sacramento region to help achieve region’s climate goals
In his May budget revision, Governor Newsom proposed investing $500 million to boost regional land use plan implementation; and the legislature doubled down by upping that investment to $600 million in the adopted, but still unsigned, state budget. Every region in California must develop a regional land use plan called a Sustainable Communities Strategy that acts to underpin the respective region’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan and is a critical piece to reining in greenhouse gas production from the transportation sector.
The future looks bright
A new group of Youth Leadership Academy students graduate
With a new group of intelligent and passionate Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) graduates, the Sacramento region has a lot to look forward to. YLA students have shown yet again how smart and talented they are, and how much they have to offer. Through the program, students learned about the principles and history of transportation and land use planning, local government processes, and community advocacy.
Something for Everyone: Placer County Reinvents Transit
New services launching across the county
Placer County has a lot going for it: FBI statistics name Placer communities as among the safest in the state, it’s one of the few counties in the state to have population growth, it is working on its first ever Parks and Trails Master Plan, and it has