Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "green line"

River District shares 2010 annual review

2011-08-20T00:54:15Z

With nearly $450 million invested in development projects so far, the River District is moving ever closer to realizing its potential for being a valuable transit, business and community hub for the Sacramento region.

Business leaders, City Council members and members of the River District association gathered Thursday to hear the latest progress report on development efforts for 750 acres along a 2.5-mile stretch of riverfront that is currently residence to industrial, retail and office uses and about 400 homes.

The event, hosted by the River District board of directors and attended by more than 80 people, was an opportunity to learn about recently completed development projects and get news about upcoming projects.

“A lot of things have been completed and a lot of things continue to progress,” said Patty Kleinknecht, executive director for the River District association.

Kleinknecht pointed out numerous completed projects in the area including the new CHP headquarters at North 7th Street, the California Lottery headquarters that moved to its current 10th Street location in July and the new Greyhound facility which opened on Richards Boulevard the same month.

Development plans for the River District for the next 25 years include more than 8,000 residential units and nearly 4 million square feet of office space, along with light industrial space, retail and wholesale space and more than 3,000 hotel rooms.

“We’re trying to create a multi-use, transit-oriented area so people can live, work and play here,” Kleinknecht said. “We’re actually building this area to make the Sacramento city center stronger.”

Thursday’s event was held inside the warehouse of Party Concierge, an event staging and supply company that is known for producing larger-than-life props for conferences, weddings, and corporate parties.

“(Tonight) is a celebration of progress,” Kleinknecht said. “What better place to have the event than at a River District business for parties?”

Steve Goodwin, president of the River District association said the theme of the evening was “building, investing in, connecting and celebrating the River District,” and he has had positive feedback on area projects so far.

“There is a momentum going,” Goodwin said. “The things we’re building – the Green Line, Township 9, Powerhouse Science Center – all of these are good investments in our economy.”

Goodwin said the River District owes its success to “collaboration and to partnerships” and praised the diversity of business interests represented in the district.

“From almonds, automobiles and antiques to water, windshields and warehouses,” Goodwin said, “our businesses support our district and Sacramento’s economy and they will continue to do so as these projects continue.”

The River District Specific Plan is guided by the city’s 2030 General Plan and provides a tangible guide for issues such as street layout, zoning and land use.

River District representatives expect the next few stages will be completed quickly, although there is still work to do.

“Township 9 is underway and we’ll keep making progress on it,” Kleinknecht said, “and, of course, the Richards/I-5 interchange and the Regional Transit Green Line are under construction.”

The RT Green Line may be open as early as February 2012, Kleinknecht said, and the improvement project at the Richards/I-5 interchange should be finished in 12 to18 months.

Kleinknecht added that, just about the time when the Richards/I-5 interchange finishes, an upgrade to the Sacramento water treatment facility will be ready to begin.

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby was on hand Thursday to tout the latest achievements of development efforts in the River District – and to introduce the crowd to the man who may very well be their next City Council representative: Steve Cohn.

If the City Council finalizes the redistricting map that was approved on Aug. 9, the River District would be included in District 3, which Cohn represents.

“I’m always looking for a reason to cheer and point at Sacramento and say, ‘See! We’re doing it right.’ ” Ashby said. “The River District gives me plenty of reason to do that.”

Cohn said the River District has “great potential” and he would be honored to represent the district on City Council.

“The whole council thinks of the River District as important,” Cohn said. “It’s not just one council district – it’s important to the whole city.”

River District Specific Plan information is available here.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to one of the photo captions. The photo with Angelique Ashby is with John Nicolaus not John Nicodemus.

Light rail construction this weekend

2011-04-29T02:59:54Z

Construction on the light rail’s Gold Line will close numerous stations and streets over the weekend as it will be undergoing track renovations from 6 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Monday.

The Gold Line construction will close the Eighth and K streets, Seventh and I streets, County Center and the Sacramento Valley Stations as well as several streets.

Regional Transit spokeswoman Alane Masui said that from 6 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday, eastbound H Street between Sixth and Ninth streets, southbound Seventh Street between F and I streets, and northbound Eighth Street between I and G streets will be closed.

Masui also said that from 8 a.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Monday, eastbound H Street between Seventh and Ninth streets and northbound Eighth Street between I and G streets will be shut down due to construction.

"The closing of light rail stations and streets is due to low traffic on the weekends," Masui said.

The renovations are the first stage of an ongoing project to extend the Green Line toward the River District (Richards Boulevard).

For more information of street closures, click here.

Masui said that the construction is focused on "cut-overs," or the realigning of the Green and Gold line tracks.

According to Masui, shuttle buses will transport Gold Line passengers to and from Sacramento Valley Station, and will serve bus stops at Seventh and K as well as Eighth and K streets as alternatives to light rail.

Two more weekend closures will be held May 13-16 and June 3-6 for additional extensions of the Green Line according to Jo Noble, the senior community and government affairs officer for Sacramento Regional Transit.

The extensions for the Green Line will eventually reach the River District, while the final objective is the light rail extension to the Sacramento International Airport.

The completion date is scheduled for sometime in 2017.

The Green Line renovations and construction will add about a mile of track to the light rail at a cost of $44.4 million, according to Masui.

Also, two new stations will be built: one at Eighth and H streets and one at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard at Township 9.

For further information on the light rail construction, call (916) 930-1192. Residents can also sign up for construction alerts by emailing Jo Noble at noble@sacrt.com. A map of the light rail stations can also be found here.

Green Line to River District Construction (Phase One)

2010-07-03T23:51:32Z

Preparation for the Green Line to the River District (7th Street and Richards Boulevard) is moving along with early construction taking place along 7th Street between B Street and closer to downtown at 7th Street between F and H streets. Construction crews will spend the next two weeks relocating a large sewer main in preparation for laying track. It is not desirable to have “wet” utilities underneath light rail tracks and therefore, these utilities must be moved so they are easily accessible once light rail track is laid. During the construction, which will take place around the clock from Monday, May 17 through Wednesday, June 2, 7th Street will change from three lanes to one lane at F Street. Detours are in place. Access to all parking lots and sidewalks will be maintained.

Motorists and pedestrians are advised to be alert and pay attention to detours and obstacles. Motorists are reminded to adhere to posted speed limits.

Check RT’s Rider Alert page on www.sacrt.com for details on bus service detours. To sign up for Green Line to the River District construction alerts, email Jnoble@sacrt.com.

Preliminary work starts on green line

2010-03-16T04:31:18Z

Preliminary work is paving the way for the first mile of the Sacramento Regional Transit District's newest light rail line, which will one day run to Sacramento International Airport.

A contractor's crew has begun identifying the location of utilities — water, sewer, electric and phone lines — that must be relocated before the tracks for the new "green line"are laid. The line will initially span a little more than a mile, starting downtown at the Sacramento County courthouse at Eighth and H streets and running north to a terminus at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard.

The new line is now expected to open in January 2011, rather than November as initially reported, said RT spokeswoman Alane Masui. She said she did not know the specifics behind the delay, except that the project's notice to proceed wasn't issued as soon as expected.

Two weeks ago, 80-foot pieces of straight rail were delivered downtown via railroad flat cars and flatbed truck.

"It's quite a ballet to unload that track," said green line construction project manager John Gaines of the engineering firm 4LEAF Inc.

Last week, a company that specializes in welding rail began welding those into 400-foot segments at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard. The company is expected to finish welding pieces of track together Tuesday. The segments will be stored in parking lanes on Seventh Street between B Street, just north of the levee, and Richards Boulevard.

Crews have been digging potholes downtown and at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard to search for utilities to relocate for six weeks. Utilities will start being moved in the next week or so. Track installation is expected to start in June and continue through October.

Demolition also has begun on an old building at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard, where one of the stations will be built.

The line's expansion to the airport — another 11.7 miles of track — isn't expected to be constructed for eight to 10 years. The first mile is being paid for with local funding. Measure A sales tax funds will finance most of the $44 million project to build 1.1 miles of single track and two stations.

State and federal funds will be sought to build the rest of the line, according to RT General Manager Mike Wiley.

Light rail ground broken Monday

2009-10-13T03:27:13Z

Officials broke ground Monday on the city's newest light-rail line.

The first segment of Sacramento Regional Transit District's "green line" will run just more than a mile, from downtown north to the River District. Eventually, the line will carry public transit riders to Sacramento International Airport.

"It's the first great step to a complete transportation system. This is going to connect everything together," said U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui, standing at the future site of the line's initial terminus, 7th Street and Richards Boulevard. "We have an investment in an expanded airport. We're going to have to have another way to get there — and that's going to be light rail."

The line will start at the Sacramento county courthouse, Eighth and H streets, and head to the future regional transportation center and the Railyards, then head north along Seventh Street before reaching the terminus at Township 9 in the Richards Boulevard Redevelopment Area. The line is expected to begin operating in November 2010.

The line's expansion to the airport isn't expected to be built for eight to 10 years. While local, state and federal funding is expected to be used to build the rest of the line, the first stretch will be financed entirely by local funding, said Mike Wiley, RT General manager.

Measure A sales tax funds will pay for most of the project to build the 1.1 miles of single track and two stations, estimated to cost more than $44 million. The Sacramento Transportation Authority sold bonds for several projects, including this one, and will loan some of the money to RT until the Measure A money becomes available, said Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn.

Wiley praised Matsui, Mayor Kevin Johnson, Cohn, Sacramento City Councilman Ray Tretheway and Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson for their support of public transit and light rail.

The green line is expected to bring more than just riders. The line is expected to bring money through economic development by spurring infill development in the Railyards and the River District, and by eventually connecting downtown to the airport, said Cohn and others.

For that reason, as well as its contribution to clean air and reduced traffic congestion, the line truly will be a "green" line, Cohn said.

A station will be added at the Railyards eventually, where 50,000 people are projected to one day live and work. The terminus will be at Township 9, being built by Steve Goodwin and other developers. His company reportedly will pay part of the cost of the station. When asked about the funding breakdown, RT spokesperson Alane Masui pointed only to board meeting documents on the agency's Web site.

"This really is a dream come true for a lot of us who've worked on this," Goodwin said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.