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.
Loomis Approves its Largest Housing Project in Years
Long-planned Village at Loomis passes by a 4-1 vote
January 29, 2019: The Loomis Town Council has approved a large mixed-use development adjacent to I-80, east of the town’s commercial center.
It includes 251 single-family homes, 117 apartment units, over 18 acres of active parks and open space, and over 44,000 square feet of commercial and mixed-use space.
The site had been designated for development since the town’s incorporation in 1984 and the project’s developer, Todd Lowell, said he had been working on it since he bought the first parcel of property in 1998.
Governor Newsom’s First Proposed Budget Aims to Boost Housing
Controversial plan would link transportation dollars to housing production
January 25, 2019: Governor Gavin Newsom’s first proposed state budget focuses on establishing a resilient budget that can withstand manmade crises and natural disasters. Included in his proposal is a substantial plan to address the state’s housing crisis and further investment in forest management. Surprisingly, for the first time in many years, the Governor’s budget summary document does not include a standalone chapter on transportation funding.
Boost of $23 Million for Innovative Public Housing Development
Twin Rivers mixed-income project aims to end economic and transportation isolation
January 29, 2019: Redeveloping Sacramento’s Twin Rivers public housing community got a major boost from California Climate Investment funds.
A $23 million Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) grant from the California Strategic Growth Council will be used to redevelop and revitalize the Twin Rivers public housing community and surrounding River District-Railyards neighborhood and to better connect project area residents to programs, services, and job opportunities throughout the Sacramento downtown area.
Youth Leadership Academy Launches
Region’s future leaders get a taste of civic engagement
January 29, 2019: SACOG’s Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) kicked off on January 26 with 29 high-school students from across the six-county region. This first training introduced the program to students, discussed civic engagement and SACOG’s core functions, included presentations and activities, and ended with a tour of the California State Capitol Museum.
Colfax Stars in Governor’s Focus on Forest Fires
Executive orders aim to find wildfire solutions
January 25, 2019: On Governor Gavin Newsom’s first full day as Governor, he visited Colfax to announce his commitment to emergency preparedness and response and new state efforts to increase protections against wildfires and other natural disasters. The Governor also signed two related executive orders.
Sacramento embraces sustainable development
New rules are positive steps for development near transit and building more affordable housing
December 20, 2018: The City of Sacramento has embraced new policies to help build sustainable projects near transit and encourage a car-lite lifestyle for city residents. On December 11 City Council adopted a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Ordinance that encourages housing and other transit-supportive uses near light rail stations. The ordinance limits car-focused business near light-rail stations and provides incentives for higher density housing. The ordinance was unanimously approved and will take effect on January 10, 2019.
Are you going my way?
Animated maps make big data easy to grasp
Whether you are looking for a carpool buddy on 511 or just wondering where all of those cars around you are coming from, maps play an important role in explaining data. Animate those maps with commuting orbs in basic colors and you end up with a hypnotizing display. Mark Evans at I Like Big Bytes did just that with US Census American Community Survey data and it helps visualize the complexity of commuting patterns.
Taking a Bite out of Apple Harvest Traffic Jams
El Dorado County slashed agritourism traffic with help from Civic Lab accelerator
December 19, 2018: An innovative pilot program to slice traffic congestion around El Dorado County apple farms during the fall harvest took a big bite out of traffic delays, vehicle emissions, and driver frustration.
The Promise and Perils of Opportunity Zones
Sacramento a surprise top-10 office rental market according to new report
December 19, 2018: A new report on Opportunity Zones has ranked downtown Sacramento in the top 10 in two significant categories – one a positive and the other a signal of risk.
Future of Transportation Set to Roll on Sacramento State Campus
Olli Fleet Challenge win highlights the value of Civic Lab incubator
December 12, 2018: Civic Lab 2018 was always supposed
to fast-forward innovative mobility solutions but
perhaps no one anticipated the future arriving quite as
quickly as it has.
Big boost for transportation projects across the Greater Sacramento region
SACOG awards $132 million to 54 projects making transportation safer, greener, and more efficient
December 6, 2018: Transportation projects ranging from converting an abandoned Sacramento rail line into a bike trail to making a dangerous Yuba County road safer are among the 54 projects that have been awarded $132.4 million by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) through its Regional, Community Design, and Green Region programs.
Galt Makes it Safer for Students to get to School on Foot or Bike
Ten miles of bike lanes, two miles of sidewalks, and more improve Galt’s roads for all users
November 29, 2018: About 3,000 students now have access to safer routes to school thanks to the City of Galt’s Safe Routes to School Project. The growing community of over 25,000 residents, 20 miles south of Sacramento, committed to improving the city’s bike and pedestrian network to improve safety and give residents more active transportation options.
SACOG Director Testifies Before US Senate Public Works Committee
Sacramento region needs highlighted as Congress seeks local input on next federal Infrastructure Bill
November 28, 2018: SACOG Executive Director James Corless appeared this morning before the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to provide testimony on the future of transportation and the critical perspective that the Sacramento region has to offer on the next federal transportation bill. It was the first time in a decade that Congress had heard testimony from a SACOG staff member.
The Transit Trade-off
SacRT faces the dilemma: High ridership or high coverage?
November 21, 2018: Imagine you are designing a transit route map. Would you rather deploy your fleet to serve the most riders or the most places? That is the heart of the dilemma that faces transit planners: every vehicle that runs down a main road, to provide more frequent service where demand is high, is a vehicle that is not running on smaller streets, providing coverage where there is less demand.
JUMP Bike Share Flourishing
Early use in the Sacramento region has exceeded expectations.
November 20, 2018: The Sacramento region has the largest electric bike share fleet in the country. JUMP’s electric bike share system across Sacramento, West Sacramento and Davis launched in May 2018 with 300 bikes and has grown to 900 bikes total with plans to add more in the future. But more impressive is how much the distinctive candy-red bikes are being ridden.
VOTERS GIVE GREEN LIGHT FOR SACRAMENTO REGION FUNDING MEASURES
Success of local measures means money for infrastructure
November 9, 2018: 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 57 percent to 43 percent.
Urban Greening Awards Announced
West Sacramento and Sacramento receive $9 million for green infrastructure
On November 14, 2017, the California Natural Resources Agency announced $76 million in funding for 39 green infrastructure projects through the state’s Urban Greening Program, including three projects in the Sacramento region (Urban Greening Grant Award Press Release).
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
October 31, 2018: 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.