News

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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.

News
Olli shuttle at Sac State

Olli autonomous shuttle launch puts region on the map as a Mobility Test-bed
Sacramento State pilot project region incubated as part of Civic Lab program

February 27, 2019: Last week’s official launch of the Olli autonomous electric shuttle at Sacramento State was another step toward the driverless car future. But given that it was one of the handful of places around the world to host a pilot of the 3D-printed shuttles, it also helped put the Sacramento region on the map as a test-bed of new mobility technology.

That was one of the aims of SACOG’s Civic Lab project, the mobility technology incubator that helped the Sacramento State team have a “shovel-ready” pilot project pitch to win the Olli Fleet Challenge.

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Affordable housing units now open in downtown Roseville
The city to continue momentum with an additional 145 units soon

The City of Roseville has 58 brand new family housing apartments – and they’re all affordable. Earlier this month, Roseville, the largest city in Placer County, held a grand opening for the first affordable housing complex in downtown. The new Lohse Apartments were built by Mercy Housing, one of the nation’s largest affordable housing organizations, which works to build healthy communities for all people.  

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J Street, Sacramento parking protected bike lane

2018 was the Year of the Bike Lane
The year’s projects that made biking safer all over the region

January 29, 2019: Cities and counties across the Sacramento region have been expanding transportation infrastructure with a multitude of trail and bike lane options. These additions helped to make travelling by bicycle a real option for more residents than ever. Read on for a sampling of bike infrastructure additions in urban, suburban, and rural parts of our region.

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An illustration of some of the units to be built at The Village at Loomis.

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. 

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California Governor Gavin Newsom

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.

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A rendering of the redeveloped Twin Rivers public housing site.

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.  

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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A new bike lane in Galt

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.

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SACOG Executive Director James Corless testifying in the US Senate.

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.