Residents will need to attend Sacramento City Council meetings later in the evening if they want to speak about issues that are not on the weekly council agenda. The City Council changed its meeting rules Tuesday night to move the open public comment section to the end of the weekly meeting. Currently, the public can speak at the beginning of the meeting on any issue that is not related to the City Council agenda. Council members were split on the issue and voted 5-3 to alter the time of the open public comment section. Mayor Kevin Johnson and council members Kevin McCarty and Ray Tretheway opposed the change. Councilman Steve Cohn was absent from the meeting. Johnson and Tretheway said

 The light rail station at 12th and I streets closed Monday for renovation work and will reopen Sept. 7. The most noticeable improvement will be the installation of an elevated ramp to replace the old wheelchair lift, making access to the train for people in wheelchairs much more efficient and quicker, said Alane Masui, spokeswoman for Sacramento Regional Transit. “This is a major improvement for this station,” she said. Other improvements include repainting, new seating and redone landscaping, Masui said. Light rail users questioned Tuesday were in favor of the improvements. “It’s hard for me to climb up the steps onto the train,” said Danny Frias, who walks with a cane and rides lig

A study to map out a streetcar route linking Sacramento to West Sacramento is expected to start this fall, according to city Transportation Department spokeswoman Linda Tucker. More than $400,000 in funding has been set aside for the study -- $310,000 from federal grant funds obtained earlier this year and $90,000 from local transportation funds, said Azadeh Doherty, a principal planner in the department. The current plan for the streetcar includes a path in West Sacramento, but does not lay out a route in Sacramento. Under the most recent plan, the streetcar would run from West Sacramento City Hall, across Tower Bridge and stop in Old Sacramento at the foot of the bridge. The city will

The city of Sacramento is back at the drawing board — literally — on its efforts to set up a streetcar connecting to West Sacramento. A new study to plan the streetcar route in Sacramento has received $310,000 in federal grant funds. An additional $90,000 from a local source will help pay for the study, according to a July 27 report from the city’s Transportation Department. The City Council signed off on the new funding Tuesday night. “What we’ll be doing now is looking now more broadly at the best routes for that system on the Sacramento side,” Councilman Steve Cohn said Wednesday. In the most recent plan, the streetcar would run from West Sacramento City Hall, across Tower Bridge an

  Sacramento Regional Transit cut 25 weekday routes and altered numerous others June 20. How is it affecting the daily riders? Mary Glick, 50, takes bus 72 multiple times a week, a line that has been limited by the new cuts. She says she's restricted to what hours she works at her downtown Denny's now, but counts herself lucky to live so close to her house from her light rail station. "It's kind of a bummer," she said. "Thank God it only takes me 40 minutes to walk home." Regional Transit cut the routes to save money and provide a cushion forthe $25 million that was lacking in their budget. However, the cuts could cause even more loss to RT's income. "I don't even know if I can kee

Sacramento's PRIDE 2010 kicked off with Dyke Night, an evening of music and entertainment on the west Capitol steps to lead into the new location of this year's festivities on Sacramento’s Capitol Mall near between the Tower Bridge and the Capitol building. Here are some moments: Two women in the audience respond to the performers on stage. Allyn Pharo and her dog Sterling. The crowd filled the lawn in front of the west Capitol steps. Aurora (top and bottom) played to the crowd. Emcee and Organizer Hilary Hodge keep the pace going throughout the evening. Tina Reynolds, Equality Action Now, gave folks an update on Prop.8. Dancers from Hot Pot Studios (above)

With an iconic new location--Sacramento's scenic Capitol Mall, expanded marketing efforts and a growing roster of prestigious corporate sponsors and exhibitors, the 26-year-old Sacramento Pride Festival is expected to break attendance records on Saturday. The June 19 Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., attracting an estimated 10,000 visitors and bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of economic benefit to Sacramento’s downtown area. Festival admission is $10. After a number of years at South Side Park, the Festival will move to Capitol Mall in 2010, where a street-festival layout sandwiched between the Tower Bridge and the State Capitol dome is expected to add novelty

This is not your daddy’s Sacramento Pride! Sacramento Pride is making big changes in 2010, all aimed at transforming the annual regional celebration of LGBT culture and accomplishments into an event worthy of its new tagline, California’s Capital Pride. The list of changes begins with the day-long Pride Festival’s move this year to Sacramento’s Capitol Mall. The Festival will be held Saturday, June 19, from 10 am to 5 pm. Sandwiched between the State Capitol dome on the east and the golden spans of the Tower Bridge on the west, the Festival’s move to the scenic city gateway is intended to raise visibility and emphasize the important role of the LGBT community in Sacramento and statewide.

There were several Earth Day celebrations and events Thursday. One of the biggest and most successful was the official City of Sacramento Earth Day Celebration. The event was held at Cesar Chavez Park and in the plaza of City Hall. An estimated 3,500 people of all ages attend this years' event. It was supported by Mayor Kevin Johnson and the City Council. The City of Sacramento Neighborhood Services Department organized the event.   I spoke with Neighborhood Services Department Director Vincene Jones. Jones and her staff started back in January giving early notice to Sacramento area schools, informing them of the event and its value as a field trip. Local media was enlisted to help get t

Last week’s fatal stabbing of 68-year-old Bernice Nickson took place at a downtown Regional Transit stop. While it would be hasty to let one incident determine RT’s entire reputation, the incident does beg the question: Are Regional Transit stops hubs for crime? Alane Masui, assistant general manager of communications for Sacramento RT, said no. She said that when crimes take place on the street, transit stops are just easy landmarks to associate with the incident. “It’s more of a perception than a reality,” she said. “When something occurs, people try to put the incident in context, and transit stops serve as regional landmarks.” There are about 3,800 bus stops and 47 light rail stati

If you're wondering how budget cuts go from abstract accounting to real life, read on: Below is the list of local Regional Transit bus routes that will cease to operate in June. As part of its response to a budget crisis, Regional Transit laid off 37 employees Monday. An additional 14 employees accepted retirement incentives instead of layoffs, according to RT spokeswoman Alane Masui. Monday's layoffs are expected to be followed by further job cuts; transit system officials plan to lay off about 200 employees in the coming months, Masui said. All told, RT is carrying out $11.7 million in cuts. RT has not laid off employees since the early 1980s, Masui said, noting that the current and

Efforts to establish a streetcar line between West Sacramento and Sacramento could advance if the project is awarded grant money from the federal government, West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon said last week. The West Sacramento/Sacramento line is competing with other projects for a grant of up to $25 million for streetcars, he said. If the project is selected, the funds would establish a line from West Capitol Avenue in downtown West Sacramento to 100 Capitol Mall, the location of the Embassy Suites in Sacramento, according to Cabaldon. Both cities would like to run the streetcar to a variety of locations, he said, but initial funding would get the streetcar started. West Sacr

Regional Transit wrapped up their talks about service cuts earlier this week, though there was still plenty of room for finger pointing and analysis at the District 1 Candidates Debate. "Natomas is losing all routes on the weekends as my understanding," said candidate Angelique Ashby. "That means people have jobs elsewhere on the weekends and they are going to ride the bus, they can't do that anymore." Ashby said she didn't understand why current District 1 Councilmember Ray Tretheway, who is on Regional Transit's Board of Directors, did not fight to keep a route in Natomas. "I don't understand how he can let them all go," said Ashby. "We certainily pay into that tax system that provide

Dozens of bus routes in the Sacramento region will vanish and light rail will slow down on the weekends as a result of sweeping Regional Transit budget cuts. The agency’s board of directors slashed bus, light rail and paratransit service Monday night to resolve a $10.6 million deficit. One of the major budget fixes scales back night service seven days per week. The RT board decided that light rail, bus and paratransit trips that now begin after 9 p.m. will cease. Public transportation will also be slower on weekends. Right now, light rail picks up passengers in 15-minute cycles during the weekend. The cuts mean that riders can catch the light rail every 30 minutes on weekends, explained

As someone who enjoys fun and festive community events, I am more than happy to report on one of the best events in the area that took place over the weekend, the Black Expo. This was my second visit to the annual expo, which is held during Black History Month and provides a means of networking and showcasing the best of black business and culture. I was eager to see what had changed between last year and this. I heard from some who can remember the expo's past, and it is heartening to learn that it has come a long way since it began 14 years ago. No longer an obscure event with little fanfare or sponsorship, the Black Expo welcomed thousands of people over the weekend. More than 100 spo

After months of delay, officials say the K Street renovation project is on course for completion. The streetscape renovation includes the installation of intersection and gateway elements, lighting, landscaping and benches through the 700 block of K Street. According to project details posted by the city's Economic Development Department, the project is aimed to enhance the aesthetics and safety of the block, as well as provide for better pedestrian accessibility and increased connectivity. The makeover, a joint undertaking of the city and Sacramento Regional Transit, was projected to be completed in November, in time for the holidays. However, construction delays forced the Midto

When it comes to a showcase of events from Sacramento’s black community there is only one event that stands out and that is the annual Sacramento Black Expo exhibit held at the Convention Center this weekend from February 19-21. From people shopping to vendors selling goods it’s a chance to experience a lot of what the culture of African-Americans is all about. Whether its business, health, spiritual, finance, fashion, music, food, and education there is something for everyone. Among special events include a “Youth Talent Show”, “Glory Awards”, Soul Food and Exhibitors”, and “Gospel Sunday Program”. There will be a host celebrities and personalities in attendance. Major sponsors include S

"When are the Operators going to get a furlough day?" Hearing that question from one of Regional Transit's Admisistrative staffers who happens to be a close friend of mine, I had to pause and chuckle. The powers that  be at Regional Transit have taken on the arduous task of bridging a 9 Billion dollar budget defecit, and that ain't no easy fix.  Furloughs, hiring freezes, unfilled vacancies....the list goes on and on but makes nigh a dent......See, the problem lies with how Regional Transit recieves, and in turn allocates funds from the Fed's and the State. Why are we facing service cuts and possibly layoffs?  Simply put, our Operational bucket is almost empty while our Capital Bucket

In January 2008, Sacramento Regional Transit cut bus service 5 percent in order to balance the 2008 fiscal year budget. To balance the 2009 budget, RT eliminated the free rides for Paratransit-qualified riders, raised the price of monthly passes from $85 to $100, daily passes from $5 to $6 and single fares from $2 to $2.25. Now for 2010, RT is again standing in a budget hole looking for a way out. Monday evening, RT staff will present its proposals for balancing the coming year's budget and get some direction from the district's Executive Board Committee on whether any of these ideas will fly when the issue gets a public hearing before the full board on June 8. The fare increases that t

 On Wednesday, May 14, Hot Italian gave out free slices of pizza. On Sunday, May 17, Chipotle gave out free burritos during a four-hour period. And through the end of the month, Lucca Restaurant and Bar is giving out dessert with a purchase of any entree and Morgan's Bar & Grill will be selling Pabst Blue Ribbon for only a buck and pitchers for $5. But wait...there's a catch. All of these offers are only valid if you arrive at the eatery or bar via bicycle. As part of Bike Month, local businesses have come together to encourage riding on two wheels instead of driving on four. The month is about to end but cyclists still have a chance to don their helmets and partake in the festivities; o