Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "transportation"

U.S. Transportation Secretary checks out intermodal facility

2012-02-10T01:44:17Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson toured the downtown railyards with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Thursday, showing off the site of the future intermodal facility and – if all goes well for Johnson and the Think Big Committee – the site of a new entertainment and sports complex.

LaHood stopped in Sacramento on a tour of California to discuss investments being made in job-creating infrastructure projects in Sacramento and around the country, according to a press release Tuesday.

LaHood spoke to a crowd of more than 50, discussing the importance of high-speed rail in California, as well as job potential from the future intermodal facility.

“This facility is what I believe is a national model for a transit-oriented development opportunity,” LaHood said. “(It will) not only create jobs for people in Sacramento, but create an opportunity to be a magnet – to draw people to a part of the city that many people never thought would be usable.”

Johnson said Thursday that the 245-acre downtown railyards will be home to “two crucial hubs” in one location: the intermodal facility and the entertainment and sports complex.

“We believe this will be one of the busiest intermodal hubs in the country,” Johnson said. “It gets at two things at once: transportation and economic development.”

The intermodal facility will be a transit center that will provide connections between nearly all modes of transportation: bicycle, pedestrian, bus, light rail, taxi and train, according to the city website.

Work on the first phase of the transit project began in May and is expected to be complete by the end of 2013.

The entertainment and sports complex is expected to generate more than $7 billion in economic activity over 30 years and nearly 4,000 jobs to the region, according to the Think Big Sacramento website.

“We believe the entertainment and sports complex is a game-changer for this community,” Johnson said.

“We’re talking about a project that will bring 3 million people to downtown. (We’re talking about) a project that will double the size of downtown and will bring $154 million in additional revenue to our region,” he added.

If a financing plan is worked out before the March 1 relocation deadline and the project comes to fruition, it will be a 700,000-square-foot complex in the southern section of the railyards.

Representatives from the Think Big Committee planned to unveil the newest artist renderings of the entertainment and sports complex at Thursday’s event, but the plan changed at the last minute.

“(The renderings) just weren’t as perfect as we’d wanted them to be,” said Kunal Merchant, Johnson’s chief of staff.

“Really, though, people aren’t as interested in what it will look like right now,” Merchant added, “they just want to know how we’re going to pay for it. That’s the priority.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

The American Dream?

2012-02-01T07:12:14Z

Free enterprise is the basis of the American Dream but what happens when there isn’t a large enough demand?

Sukhwinder Aujla owns KMM Cab Company, the second largest taxi company in Sacramento, and has been driving for ten years.

“Sacramento isn’t that busy. There’s not very many local customers. Our business depends very much on cab fare from the Convention Center.”

Fredrick Pleines Jr. owns Yellow Cab Co. of Sacramento, the oldest taxi company in Sacramento, and has a different view.

“Our bread and butter is shorter runs,” Pleines continues, “We try to operate leaner and meaner.” Typical fares might include someone who needs to get home from a dental appointment or has a daily commute to work from home.

A cab driver in West Sacramento who wishes to remain anonymous has been working in Sacramento for 22 years. “I don’t waste my time downtown… It’s too crazy. That’s why I do the airport.”

In 2010 the US Census put the city population of Sacramento at 466,488 while last year 452 taxi vehicle permits were issued from the city. This means there is currently about one taxi for every 950 people.

Last May the Law and Legislation Committee recommended limiting taxi permits by issuing a moratorium on new vehicle permits to the City Council.

“You see five taxis on one side of the street waiting and ten on the other,” This from the West Sacramento driver again.

A large part of the issue surrounds where a customer needs to go. Here’s an example: a person stays downtown at the Citizen Hotel and needs to get to the Capitol Building in the morning. The driver, however, may have been waiting in queue for two hours for their turn.

The ensuing exchange ends up leaving both parties unhappy with the service and the exorbitant price of the fare.

Yellow Cab has had a central dispatch system in one form or another since 1917.

“Well over half of the companies don’t have a central dispatch system,” Pleines again. “The rest rely on taxi stands.” Yellow Cab replaced the check stand model with two-way radio technology in 1946.

So what’s the best solution for the city? Is it legislating even higher regulation or is there a better solution?

Whatever the solution, the mantra "innovate or die" comes to mind.

Disclosure: After only a few years as a cab driver in Chicago, Illinois, my grandfather changed careers.

Traffic signals: Long waiting list for city intersections

2012-01-14T02:30:01Z

On a sunny afternoon in August, a group of kids made their way to Valley Hi Park to play. As they crossed the intersection of Arroyo Vista and Center Parkway, a vehicle driving through the intersection clipped the leg of a 4-year-old walking in the group.

The little girl was left with a fractured leg, and neighbors were left wondering if the accident could have been prevented if there had been a traffic signal in place.

What does it take to get traffic signals installed in Sacramento – especially if residents are seeing safety issues in neighborhood intersections?

Sacramento currently has approximately 800 signals in intersections, including nearly 50 flashing beacons, according to Shad Bennett, a technician in the signal operations division of the city Department of Transportation.

The cost of installing a traffic signal – including equipment, labor and materials – varies depending on the complexity of the project, Bennett said.

“They can be anywhere from $500,000 to a couple million dollars,” Bennett said. “Even the smallest signal is in the range of $200,000 to $400,000.”

Linda Tucker, spokeswoman for the city Department of Transportation, said traffic signals are prioritized according to several criteria, and the city can afford to install typically only one per year.

“If a citizen believes a traffic signal is warranted,” Tucker said in an email Friday, “they can contact 311 and request an investigation, and a traffic investigator will look into it and then determine if it does or doesn’t make the list.”

Some of the criteria needed to install a traffic signal include the impact of school crossings on the intersection, the amount of pedestrian activity and the number of vehicle crashes – fatal and injury-only – at the location.

City transportation engineers evaluate approximately 10-15 new intersections each year for traffic signals. Potential signal locations are suggested through a variety of ways, including traffic investigations, resident requests and council member requests.

Bennett said that, once an intersection is determined to qualify for a traffic signal the location is added to a waiting list.

There are more than 100 potential locations on the list of city intersections currently waiting for some form of traffic-calming measure – and it’s growing.

“Things change, circumstances change,” Bennett said, “so the list changes a bit, too. They try to narrow the list to the top 10 most qualified when it’s time to put in a new signal somewhere.”

The waiting list doesn’t apply to new developments, however, Bennett said.

New development projects that drastically change traffic patterns may require a signal installation, but each new development project typically has funding for the signals included, so those signals are not competing with the signals on the city waiting list.

In 2010, according to the program guide, only one new project was added to the city’s traffic signal list: 29th Street at R Street. Ten other intersections were evaluated, but not included in the list.

According to the Transportation Programming Guide – the document prioritizing the city’s transportation projects, the city first looks at an intersection to determine whether there might be ways, other than a traffic signal, which would improve safety at the intersection.

There are three lead traffic investigators in Sacramento who respond to requests for traffic-calming measures, and each investigator is assigned a territory covering roughly one-third of the city.

Investigation may take two to four weeks to complete, depending on complexity.

What can residents do to speed up the process of getting a traffic signal in a neighborhood intersection where they feel there are safety issues?

Tucker said that, for residential streets, the city offers a neighborhood traffic management program that allows neighbors to collect petitions and start the process of adding any number of traffic-calming measures to their neighborhood.

Speed bumps, new traffic markings or adjusting speed limits may be other ways to make an intersection safer, Tucker said.

Once an intersection is selected for a new signal and funding for the signal is in place, the installation – from groundbreaking to up-and-running, Bennett said – takes about six to eight months.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Editorial Note: A correction was made to this article after it was published.

City supports high speed rail for the north state

2011-12-07T04:49:30Z

The city of Sacramento responded to the recently released California High Speed Rail Authority business plan with a letter of support – and a couple of suggestions for the authority to consider as the project develops.

City Councilman Steve Cohn said Tuesday that the city is in support of the project overall, but Cohn and the council want to emphasize two points: recognition that the high-speed rail project must be phased in, and funding should also upgrade existing connecting infrastructure.

“It can’t all be built at once,” Cohn said at the Law and Legislation Committee meeting at City Hall Tuesday. “The revised business plan does a more realistic job of explaining this phasing process (than the initial plan).”

The new business plan, released Nov. 1 to update the 2009 plan, outlines a “building block” approach to connecting the state’s major northern and southern California population centers with high-speed trains.

By building the project incrementally, the plan states, it allows for completion in stages as additional funding is identified.

Cohn said that, from the city of Sacramento’s standpoint, the 20-year project will need to connect well to local and regional transit services as it unfolds.

Some inter-city connectors will need to be upgraded and expanded – and that will not be cheap, Cohn said.

“So far, only $950 million of the original (Proposition 1A) initiative has been set aside for inter-city connections,” Cohn said. “We think that roughly 10 percent of total spending on high speed rail should go into these inter-city connections.”

With an estimated total cost of nearly $98 billion, that means $10 billion over the life of the project directed at essential infrastructure, Cohn said.

Cohn said that upgrades to inter-city connectors and existing rail lines will go a long way to increasing the overall efficiency of rail travel even before high-speed rail is fully realized in the state.

“If we invest money in the tracks and signal equipment between here and the Bay Area,” Cohn said, “We can reach the Bay Area in less than an hour with the exact trains we already have. Those trains are capable of going over 100 miles per hour. The problem isn’t the train, it’s in the track and signaling equipment.”

Cohn said the infrastructure work needs to be completed alongside the high-speed rail project so that, when everything is connected, it will create a smooth transition.

California voters approved $9 billion of public funding for the proposed high-speed rail project with Proposition 1A in 2008. Additional funding for the project will come from both federal and private dollars, according to the California High Speed Rail Authority.

The rail project is planned to ultimately connect Sacramento to San Diego via 800 miles of track, allowing upwards of 44 million riders annually to travel quickly from place to place.

The initial 130-mile stretch is slated to be built in the Central Valley at a cost of approximately $6 billion – including $3.3 billion in federal funds and $2.7 from state funds.

The estimated total cost of the first phase of the high-speed rail project, which would connect the Los Angeles basin to the San Francisco Bay Area, is $98.1 billion.

According to Lance Simmens, deputy director of communications for the high speed rail authority, construction on the initial segment – the “backbone” of the rail line – should start in late 2012.

The first segment of the rail project will extend from just north of Fresno to North of Bakersfield, and construction is expected to take approximately five years to complete. Work to connect to Sacramento would begin in 2026.

“The backbone (segment of the project) will be available for Amtrak San Joaquin (passenger rail) service,” Simmens said, “but it will not be high-speed rail yet.”

Trains on the initial segment will travel at normal speeds – typically between 80 to 100 miles per hour, Simmens said. True high speed rail is capable of speeds up to 220 miles per hour.

Simmens said that further construction will allow for faster speeds.

“We appreciate that the high speed rail authority business plan acknowledges the need for inter-city upgrades,” Cohn said. “Sacramento shouldn’t have to wait until 2040 to benefit from high-speed rail. We should be benefiting all along the way.”

The letter of support from the city of Sacramento will be sent to the high speed rail authority within the next week.

Read the California High Speed Rail Authority draft business plan HERE.

Explore an interactive map of the proposed high speed rail routes HERE.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Hanging with Hatch: Parking enforcement 101

2011-11-09T03:05:43Z

Recently, A&E launched “Parking Wars,” a reality series chronicling the parking division in Philadelphia and Detroit and their encounters with the parking-impaired. I admit, I’m hooked. As I watched episode after episode, I found myself in awe at the sheer amount of rage that one dreaded slip of paper can instill in someone.

As someone who has dumped my own fair share of hard-earned dollars into parking citations, I can understand why the ticketed become irate; times are tough and tickets are expensive.

Curious why anyone would subject themselves to a job where harassment is guaranteed, I set my bitterness aside and asked the city if I could hang out with a parking enforcement officer. I mentally prepared myself for a deluge of verbal abuse, and hoped I didn’t get anything thrown at my face.

At 8:30 a.m. Friday morning, I met with Officer Hatch, one of 50 full-time parking enforcement officers patrolling the city.

In January, Hatch will have been ticketing for five years. He previously worked as a Downtown Guide for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. The experience actually comes in handy in his current role, since officers are regularly approached by tourists asking for directions and information.

Even if others don’t, Hatch loves his job. While many nine-to-fivers are tied to their cubicle and have supervisors breathing down their necks, parking officers get to roam free. Hatch says that he loves the freedom.

This freedom includes roaming 22,000 on-street parking spaces, broken up into 23 “beats.” This includes two neighborhood beats and three street-cleaning beats in additional to 20 regular.

Since non-city employees aren’t allowed in the official parking enforcement vehicles (a Prius or those odd-looking “carts”) we set out on an improvised walking beat starting at City Hall on 9th and I Streets, up to N and 16th streets and back.

Before I arrived, Hatch had already issued three citations since the start of his shift at 7 a.m. A quick mental calculation told me that meant Hatch had already generated a good chunk of revenue for the city.

The average ticket for an expired meter costs around $50, including a recently-added $12 "pass through fee” imposed by the state. The city is required to pass this on to citizens.

Thanks a lot, California.

More serious infractions such as altering residential permits or parking in designated handicap spaces can burn a hefty $500 hole in violators’ wallets. This might explain why the 235,196 citations issued in the 2010 fiscal year generated a stunning $8.3 million in revenue.

I asked Hatch about a recent story I read about a disgruntled former parking officer. The officer claimed, among many other allegations, that officers are given quotas.

Hatch dismissed this, explaining that setting quotas is actually illegal. He continued on to say that supervisors do, however, know the average number of tickets that should be issued for each beat.

So technically, an officer could be reprimanded for not issuing enough tickets, right?

It seems like a gray area but since Hatch was adamant about not having quotas, I later checked with Linda Tucker, Media and Communications Specialist for the Department of Transportation.

Tucker explained, “We do not and never have set quotas. The average would just mean what historically that particular block or block(s) might yield in terms of violations, but this is in no way tied to the rating of an officer’s overall performance. There may be many reasons why an average may fluctuate: weather, special events, the economy...”

Quota or not, I was surprised that by 10 a.m. Hatch still hadn’t issued a single ticket in my presence and the tally sheet in my notes remained blank. I was even more surprised, disappointed even, that there wasn’t a single insult yelled at us by an angry passerby. I started to feel slightly let down by "Parking Wars."

However, as the clock ticked on, we gained some momentum and Hatch began doling out an occasional citation. On the third ticket, the vehicle owner, who hadn’t even bothered to pay, walked up mid-ticket and I braced myself for an exchange of words.

“He’s just doing his job,” the driver said to me. He took the ticket, thanked Hatch and went along on his way. I couldn’t believe that a driver expressed appreciation for being cited! Hatch was surprised too and told me that it is far from a common reaction.

“I’m the guy everybody loves to hate,” said Hatch, half smirking.

Desperate for something juicy at this point, I asked him about any run-ins with ticketing “victims” gone mad. Hatch told me that while he hasn’t experienced any bouts of extreme ticket rage himself, his colleagues have had coffee thrown on them and been spit on more than a few times.

He gets yelled at two to three times per week, occasionally being “flipped off” for good measure. The most common insult he hears?

“Get a real job!”

“I’m still wondering what a ‘real job’ is,” Hatch laughed, obviously unfazed by the harassment as if it's all just part of the job.

Not surprisingly, he recounted many situations when drivers accused Hatch of targeting them or issuing a ticket for no reason.

“There’s a lot of people that will hate us no matter what, even if we’re right,” said Hatch. “You just have to stay calm, that’s the important thing.”

In addition to arguments, he said he gets a healthy helping of excuses. One of his "favorites"?

“I was just inside for one minute!”

Both the officer and the violator know dang well it takes more than a couple of minutes to order coffee, pick up dry cleaning, etc. so you’re better off feeding the meter than using that line.

On the flip side are those that have a "bring on the tickets" attitude. Hatch said there are definitely repeat offenders within some beats. One of these offenders is a local nightclub owner who is repeatedly cited for the same infractions, even having his car booted at one point for too many citations.

“Some people just don’t care,” he said.

While the harassment doesn’t ruffle his feathers, Hatch has a couple of parking pet peeves. The first is drivers who expect him to stop writing a ticket because their meter “just expired.” Hatch explained that this means nothing to the officer. “I have no way of knowing if they put any money in the meter at all.”

Admittedly, I have done this myself and I found myself feeling apologetic for blaming the officers. He’s right; they really don’t have a way of knowing.

However, this isn’t the case for “Pay and Display kiosks,” which give a more accurate readings of exactly when a driver put money in the machine. Hatch has a little more sympathy here.

“If it’s one or two minutes [expired] it’s not a huge deal,” Hatch said.

He’s also sympathetic to responsible drivers who opt to leave their vehicle in place while enjoying a few adult beverages. If a vehicle-owner approaches Hatch mid-ticketing and explains that they left their car instead of drinking and driving, it’s likely they will be sent on their way sans ticket.

I was happy to hear this, as most will likely agree that sometimes finding Tylenol and a Gatorade becomes a priority over getting to your car at 10 a.m. on the dot. One point for the parking enforcement team!

Hatch earned even more points for the parking division when he told me he will usually wait by a freshly-expired meter for a few minutes, giving the driver the benefit of the doubt.

Don't get too excited though.

If it’s twenty minutes? You might as well start writing out that $52 check.

Currently the city has 3,600 single space quarter-only meters and 300 kiosks, which accept multiple tenders. Those who have frantically searched in every nook and cranny of their car for quarters while running late for a meeting certainly understand the convenience of this.

Convenience and longevity (kiosks have an average lifespan of 10 years) seem like a win for both the city and the residents. Tucker said transitioning over to kiosks completely isn’t too far off.

“We are looking at phasing [in] single space meters that can accept credit cards in the not-so-distant future.”

In addition to pay kiosks, the city decided to make drivers’ lives even easier when they implemented the ability to contest tickets online.

I asked Hatch how he feels about making it easier to contest the tickets he writes, and I caught another glimpse of his soft side. Hatch said he’s all for the system, since people don’t have to stand in line at Revenue Services, which can be a lengthy process.

As we continued on our beat, roaming the perimeters of the State Capitol, I noticed a trend. It seemed like more than half of the vehicles belonged to disabled drivers.

“Generally, any government building has a ton of placards,” Hatch explained. I was astounded. Hatch, obviously used to the placard-mania, explained that there are so many placards that the city created an undercover “Disabled Placard Task Force” dedicated to regulating abuse of them.

While not a part of this task force, officers are responsible for confiscating expired and illegally-modified placards. During one shift, Hatch issued 14 tickets for expired placards.

From using markers to modify temporary residential permits to “posing” vehicles in photos to fight legitimate citations, Hatch’s stories proved Sacramentans are quite the sneaky (and crafty) bunch. He recalled one violator cutting the entire bottom portion off of a disabled placard, claiming it was issued to him that way. Another instance that stood out was the placard-holder who extended his own permit, punching a hole in the current year and taping the punched out circle into the expired year.

However, thanks to new photo-ticketing technology, it is more difficult to pull the wool over the city’s eyes. Officers’ ticketing guns now have cameras built into them, proving that a vehicle was in violation.

Oddly enough, I found myself grateful for a feature that makes officers' jobs easier.

When I first met up with Hatch, I have to admit I was a disgruntled victim of the parking system. While it’s certainly a possibility that he was on his best behavior in the presence of media, this good behavior nonetheless melted my bitterness away and replaced it with a bit of unexpected sympathy.

Like the guy said, “He’s just doing his job.”

Visit the City of Sacramento’s Department of Transportation website here.

10 additional tidbits I learned while hanging out with Officer Hatch:

1) Owning two wheels can save you money on parking: “Piggy-backing” is a completely legal practice: This is when motorcycles park in a stall paid for and parked in by another vehicle. The practice is okay as long as they fit within the white brackets painted on the street.

2) Sometimes owning two wheels can cost you too: Paid-for parking receipts are often stolen from motorcyclists, who are forced to display them out in the open. One local motorcyclist got smart and began autographing his.

3) Owning a Zipcar is good for your wallet: Hatch has only ever cited one Zipcar and, although there are designated single Zipcar spaces, officers won’t ticket Zipcars if they are on the same block as the parking space. This is in case another car illegally parked in the Zipcar space, making it unavailable.

4) Your money goes further on pay and display kiosks: If you pay at a pay stall on one block and still have time remaining, save the receipt! You can use that same receipt while you finish up your errands. The time you paid for isn’t just valid on the one block.

5) Officers aren’t intentionally parking that way to be rude: Many of us like to think officers park in red zones and double-park just because they can. An ordinance allows officers to park in red zones and double-park, mainly for safety. When retrieving VIN numbers, they often have to stand in traffic and parking their car as a buffer is a safety measure.

6) Complain to the business owner, not the officer: Business owners have the ability to change and set restrictions in front of and around their establishment.

7) Old Sac is not just a “hot spot” for tourists: In order to encourage turnover of vehicles in this tourist area, regulations are enforced seven days a week. Hatch told me this area has one of the highest volumes of tickets issued.

8) Evening shifts are where the money’s at: Officers make five percent more for working after 6 p.m.

9) Street cleaning is the parking enforcement jackpot: Hatch said in almost five years, the day that he recalls giving out the most tickets was during a street cleaning beat. He issued 100 tickets within three to four hours.

10) Land Park loves parking enforcement: Hatch told me his favorite area to patrol is Land Park because the residents actually want officers there, even thanking officers on a regular basis.

Sacramento leaders learn from New Orleans tour

2011-10-12T00:52:54Z

A delegation of Sacramento business and political leaders returned from a four-day tour of New Orleans with fresh insight into what it takes for a city to recover and thrive after a disaster, including improving transportation methods, sustainable housing and flood protections.

“New Orleans had a unique opportunity to reinvent itself because of all the investments made there after Katrina,” City Councilman Kevin McCarty said Tuesday. “We need to look at how we can reinvent ourselves here, too.”

On Tuesday, Council Members Angelique Ashby, Steve Cohn and Kevin McCarty and Mayor Kevin Johnson shared the lessons learned from the people in New Orleans about methods of recovery the city has used to rebuild itself after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.

“(New Orleans) Mayor (Mitch) Landrieu is a vibrant, energetic mayor,” Johnson said, “and he is an excellent example of the focus it takes to turn things around after a disaster. We went (there) to learn from the work they have done in New Orleans.”

Johnson, Ashby, Cohn, McCarty and 85 other delegates joined Maggie Townsley, public policy vice chairwoman for the Sacramento Metro Chamber, for the chamber‘s 13th annual study mission in Louisiana last week.

The study mission is a program the Metro Chamber develops every year to provide a learning experience for delegates about the challenges faced by other regions and how they successfully manage those challenges for long-term regional prosperity, according to the chamber website.

“We represent about 170,000 employees in the Sacramento region,” Townsley said. “One of the key things we do is partner with government and nonprofit organizations to further specific objectives for the region.”

Some of the objectives highlighted on this year’s study mission include improving city transportation, public housing and flood control.

Delegates on the tour had the opportunity to meet with Landrieu and other civic leaders and came away with ideas for improving Sacramento and the region.

“It’s been six years since New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina,” Ashby said Tuesday, “but the devastation from that event was widespread, and you can still see it.”

Ashby said that one thing that struck her was that the flood waters during the hurricane reached nearly 20 feet in height.

“Should our levees break in Natomas,” Ashby said, “we could be as deep as 33 feet. We can’t let that happen.”

Ashby said it is necessary to improving flood protection for the region, including having the levees in her district certified by the federal government for improvement funding.

One thing McCarty said he found fascinating in New Orleans was how they are rebuilding their public housing.

“One in five kids lives in poverty,” McCarty said, “and many times those families are isolated in neighborhoods divided from economic development and grocery stores and other public investments that improve the neighborhood.”

McCarty said one thing that the city of New Orleans has done to “reinvent” the city’s public housing is taking down old units and rebuilding them as mixed-income units.

“They are making sure they have (an economic) blend to bring in development opportunities,” McCarty said. “That is something we are going to look at for some of our neighborhoods here in Sacramento.

McCarty said that neighborhood housing and development, especially for low-income populations, should be a priority for Sacramento.

Representatives from the Sacramento Metro Chamber are preparing a report about the study mission and said they expect it to be completed sometime next week.

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

Art installed in Terminal B, opens Oct. 6

2011-09-13T03:55:23Z

Art installations are largely complete as the Sacramento International Airport’s new Terminal B readies to open Oct. 6, and they include a range of pieces from technologically advanced works to traditional painting and mosaic pieces.

While not the first thing arriving passengers will see, a giant red rabbit seemingly jumping from outside the building into a waiting suitcase opening up like a vortex on the floor is one of the most-talked-about of the 12 currently installed works.

More than 1,600 aluminum triangles make up the rabbit’s exposed surface. The work, entitled “Leap,” is by Denver-based artist Lawrence Argent and is suspended above the ticket hall in the “land side” portion of the terminal.

The land side is the portion housing the ticket halls and is nearest the parking lot. The air side portion contains the gates and Jetways, and the two are connected by two trains.

Argent’s “Leap” is one of the more literal interpretations in the theme of “bringing the outside in,” said Shelly Willis, director of the Art in Public Places Program of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission.

SMAC helped select artists and works, and $8 million was set aside for the arts, with $6 million already spent and the rest put into an endowment for future preservation and maintenance of the works, Willis said.

While public projects like the airport usually have about 2 percent of their budgets spent on art, a little more than three quarters of a percent of the $1.03 billion project’s budget was spent on the arts, a number approved by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.

Artists and their works were selected by about 50 panelists from various organizations including SMAC, the airport and arts professionals, Willis added.

Opposite two of the second-level ticket counters are wood works by Los Angeles-based artist Christian Moeller titled, “The Baggage Handlers.”

The 8,000 pieces of wood that make up the two wall panels are unique, and computers were used to ensure the art flowed well and had no seam lines where the wood comes together, Willis said.

Six faces – five men and one woman – make up the artwork, and they are the faces of airport baggage handlers, who were photographed about a year ago.

Sacramento International Airport spokeswoman Karen Doron said the airlines refer to the baggage handlers as people who work “under the wing.” Bringing them into the visible area of the airport is a way to pay homage to them, she said.

Sacramento artist Gregory Kondos has an oil-on-canvas painting in the air side section of the terminal entitled “Sutter’s Gold.”

In the painting, a nod to the 1848 discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill, the Yuba river is prominent. Placed in the international arrivals section, it is one of the first works visitors will see and is meant to give them insight into the region’s history.

One of the other initial pieces of artwork to be seen in the air side portion of the terminal – connected to the land side by a pair of elevated trains – is a propeller-shaped tree with Swarovski crystals hanging from it.

Titled “Acorn Steam,” San Diego-based artist Donald Lipski’s mixed-media piece portrays three Valley Oak trunks coming together and branching out at their ends, with the hand-cut Austrian crystals giving it the feel of a chandelier.

Willis said the arbor motif is especially applicable to Sacramento as the “City of Trees” and is a good representation of the region.

Local artist Suzanne Adan created one of the mosaics on the floors, a 12-foot-by-18-foot work called “Flying Colors.”

A circular design with numerous birds and cattails is reminiscent of the wetlands areas throughout the region.

Another of the air side portion of the terminal’s artworks is just in front of where the security checkpoint will be.

Willis said the house serves as a reminder of being home, the ultimate destination for all travelers.

The glass sculpture with metal framework is called “The House Will not Pass for any Color but its Own” and was done by San Francisco native Mildred Howard. At 17 feet tall, travelers are free to walk inside it and explore the way light plays off the glass surfaces.

Possibly the most interactive piece of art in the area, “Your Words are Music to My Ears,” by artists Po Shu Wang and Louise Bertelsen, allows travelers to compose email messages to loved ones and send them. Those messages are then, through a computer code, translated into musical notes and played from the gleaming French horn-shaped artwork on the air side of the terminal.

Installed as part of the ceiling in the international arrivals area is Marcia Stuermer’s “Migration,” which is a piece made with 32 acrylic panels depicting cranes migrating through a backdrop that changes colors as lights behind the piece come on and off.

Another interactive piece is in the land side portion of the terminal, installed as multiple flat screens on the side of one of the glass elevator shafts.

“Active Ecosystem,” by Camille Utterback and Michelle Higa, will feature animations of seeds, leaves, birds and other natural elements. Computers will control the movements and speeds to keep the work constantly changing and unique.

A 12-foot-by-18-foot mosaic in the floor by Joan Moment is called “A Fragment of the Universe” and shows a world of water and air in thousands of hand-cut pieces.

“You can really see the artist’s hand in the work,” Willis said, adding that the work contrasts with some of the very technologically advanced pieces in using a technique that goes back to ancient times, yet still provides a relevant experience today.

Near the mosaic is a Terrazzo-and-steel work with suspended resin pieces by California artist Lynn Criswell, called “As the Crow Flies.” Numerous birds, including a steel magpie taken from a painting in 1650 by Johann Walther, decorate the floor, and 21 emerald-green birdcages will be suspended overhead.

Artist Ned Kahn’s steel wind vanes are placed along the elevated train tracks connecting the two portions of the terminal and move with the movements of the trains or wind.

“It’s really exciting that there’s such a range of work that is represented in this collection from this monumental (rabbit) sculpture to the mosaic floors,” Willis said. “You have work that’s much more subtle, you have work that’s interactive. It’s really exciting.”

Check back tomorrow for more information on Sacramento International Airport’s Terminal B.

To see shots of the construction from one year ago, click here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

R Street construction on pace for fall finish

2011-08-19T00:02:40Z

Construction on R Street downtown is on schedule for completion this fall, and local residents and businesses are largely supportive of the revamped streetscape that adds sidewalks, lighting and other amenities.

“It’s progressing wonderfully,” said Dino R. Grassini, a manager at the Fox and Goose Pub and Restaurant, which sits on 10th and R streets. “Teichert (the contractor) is really helping minimize the impacts on business.”

Construction has been taking place on R Street from 10th to 13th streets since last September, and the goals of the approximately $2.75 million project are to make continuous sidewalks, add street lighting and benches, and preserve some of the historic character, namely by keeping railroad tracks in place.

The project costs didn’t take up the full amount of funding earmarked for the project by the federal government, so an archway was added to the design.

The project should be completed in October, but the archway might push the final completion date into November, said Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Tucker.

“It’s on schedule, and we’re right around where we need to be,” she said.

Grassini said he thinks the improvements will help make R Street a more attractive part of town.

“So far, we’re really happy with what’s going on,” he said. “Accessibility is going to be great, and it’s going to draw more attention to the corridor”

He added that business at the Fox and Goose hasn’t slowed during the construction, attributing it to both a loyal customer base and ample signage from Teichert letting people know that the R Street businesses are open during the work.

Christina Handal, who works for the Foundation for California Community Colleges near 13th and R streets, said the construction is an inconvenience, but the benefits are worth it.

“I walk down here two or three times a week,” she said. “I never used to walk on R Street because there were no sidewalks, but it’s a lot safer now. I don’t have to go down to S (Street) anymore.”

Not everyone is happy, however, as Richard Tolmach, who lives near 13th and R streets, said he would like to see trees planted in the area.

“The net effect is it’s going to be ugly and uninhabitable in the summer,” he said.

Trees that had historically been on R Street were removed in the 1960s, he said.

He added that the concrete areas have become popular with skateboarders.

Tucker said the Department of Transportation has been working with him since 2006 to address issues he has brought up.

Eleven trees have since been slated for inclusion on the north side of the street, she said Thursday, and staff is determining whether another tree can be added to the south side.

A second phase of the project, according to Tucker, will see similar improvements to R Street from 16th to 18th streets. City staff is currently looking at funding options for that portion of the project, and funding should be ready by 2013.

In addition to sidewalk improvements, it will incorporate a market plaza between 16th and 18th streets as a communal gathering place.

For more information on the second phase, click here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

No longer a ‘pedestrian mall,’ K Street prepares for cars

2011-07-12T02:39:31Z

On Tuesday evening, the City Council will consider revising a local ordinance that will bring the city one step closer to seeing cars on K Street for the first time in more than 45 years.

The revised ordinance will change a city code that has been in place since the early 1960s that defined the five blocks of K Street between Eighth to 12th streets as a “pedestrian mall,” closing it to vehicular traffic.

“It was something that was happening in a lot of places back then,” said Denise Malvetti, department manager at the city’s Economic Development Department. “Cities were trying to replicate the suburban experience, and they created a lot of these pedestrian malls. It was a failed experiment, though.”

Roughly 150 cities in the U.S. installed pedestrian malls in the 1960s, Malvetti said, and now about half of those have converted back to allow street traffic.

“We’ve been working on getting cars back on K Street since late 2008,” Malvetti said. “We’ve put a lot of consideration into this project, and we did a lot of outreach to the community.”

Business owners were outspoken in saying that returning cars to K Street is vital to increasing retail activity in the area, Malvetti said, but they won’t see an instant change.

“It will likely be an incremental increase over time,” Malvetti said.

City Council recently approved numerous projects intended to revitalize the J-K-L corridor, and K Street in particular, in order to stimulate economic activity in the area and bring people back to what was once a hub of activity in the city, Malvetti said.

The “Cars on K Street” project was part of a $2.7 million construction and design project approved by City Council in April 2010.

The purpose of the project, according to a staff report, is to “increase access and visibility to businesses, promote a safe environment, stimulate additional economic activity, and improve (traffic) circulation.”

“Sacramento needs to be more pedestrian-friendly,” said Councilman Steve Cohn, “but the way that part of K Street is laid out, it wasn’t working as a pedestrian-only street.”

Cohn said returning cars to K Street makes sense because it will help with traffic flow and make it easier for people to get to the businesses along that part of K Street.

In order to allow for the reintroduction of cars on K Street from Eighth to 12th streets, the city code must be amended to remove the definition of “pedestrian mall” currently applied to those five street blocks.

According to provisions in the city charter, the council must first pass the revised ordinance for publication, and then it can finalize the approval at the following City Council meeting.

This is one of the last steps before construction can begin, Malvetti said. The Department of Transportation will bring a construction contract to City Council next week for approval, and then groundbreaking can begin within the first week of August.

Design plans for the “Cars on K Street” project include creating new crossing signals at 11th and K streets, wheelchair access at intersections and the addition of edge treatments (possibly planters or street furniture) to provide a buffer between the roadway and sidewalks to increase pedestrian safety and make the blocks more visually appealing.

“Our goal is to have cars back on K Street in early November,” Malvetti said. “It’s one more step in the revitalization of K Street.”

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

Bridge over tracks to connect Curtis Park, Land Park

2011-06-14T00:53:50Z

Residents will get a chance to see the design of a planned pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the railroad between Curtis Park and Land Park Wednesday night.

The city’s project team will give a construction update at the Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community, 2791 24th St., at 6 p.m. ~~6:30 p.m~~ . Wednesday

The bridge is designed to give pedestrians and cyclists safe access over the railroad tracks from the light rail stop at Sacramento City College near the intersection of 24th Street and Sutterville Road.

“Currently, pedestrians and bicyclists must use Sutterville Road to travel between Curtis Park and the light rail station,” according to a Department of Transportation newsletter. “This multi-lane, high-speed roadway makes walking and bike riding a risky and inconvenient way to travel.”

Click here to see the city's map of the area.

According to the newsletter, the elevated track crossing will be 12 feet wide, with concrete railings and access shields to give riders and walkers enough space for safe two-way traffic.

Engineers will be able to begin the design phase in July, when the environmental phase is completed. A grant of $500,000 was received from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, and no funding is coming from the city’s general fund, which is currently $39 million in the hole as City Council attempts to balance spending and revenues.

Sacramento Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Tucker said the project is a candidate to receive Proposition 1B funds from SACOG.

“The city should succeed in getting the money to build it,” she said in an email Monday. “It’s really a ‘feel-good’ project that will get students and RT riders from Point A to Point B in the safest, most direct fashion.”

The design phase is expected to be completed in 2012.

Currently, the design includes using both ramps and staircases to access the elevated crossing. Ramps will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and stairs might have small ramps incorporated into them that would allow cyclists to push their bicycles up the stairs if they don’t want to use the longer ramps.

The approach ramps are 400 feet long on either side of the 300-foot span over the railroad tracks.

The project goes back to 2006, when a feasibility study was funded as the city looked to link the already pedestrian-oriented Curtis Park and Land Park neighborhoods and provide better access to public transit, according to Tucker.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

Seersucker Ride by Sacramento Tweed June 26

2011-06-04T00:05:03Z

About 200 people are expected to don seersucker clothes for the upcoming Seersucker Ride by Sacramento Tweed, where a bicycle ride, a picnic and culture will intersect.

The ride was delayed from this weekend to June 26 due to unusually wet weather.

“I love that it allows people to come together and meet each other,” said organizer Rick Houston. “Lots of people in town are interested in cycling ... and this gives everyone an opportunity to meet.”

The riders will meet at 11 a.m. June 26 in front of Revolution Wines and Temple Fine Coffee and Tea at 29th and S streets.

Riders bedecked in their finest seersucker outfits – summer is (usually) too hot for tweed, after all – will assemble, though seersucker is not required.

“We’re not a fashion ride, we’re a costume ride,” Houston said, adding that the idea was hatched in London in 2009 before spreading to Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Sacramento. “The emphasis is just to have a really good time.”

“Even if Sunday turns out to be a gorgeous day, with us having a picnic, we don’t want the ground to be all wet,” Houston said.

The ride will leave 29th and S at noon June 26 and head to William Land Park, where the hour-and-a-half to two-hour picnic will be held. Cupcakes from Icing on the Cupcake and gourmet popsicles from Fat Face will be available, and local band The Alkali Flats (for music samples click here) will play, Houston said.

Riders will then take the riverside trail to the Crocker Art Museum, Third and O streets, where a group rate of $8 per ticket has been worked out, and the courtyard will be open to bicycle parking. Finally, the ride will conclude at de Vere’s Irish Pub, 15th and L streets.

The ride is free, and for those who don’t want to pack a picnic lunch, Revolution Wines is opening an hour early to sell sandwiches to the cyclists.

“It’s great exposure for us, and it’s a unique, fun thing,” Revolution Wines co-owner Gina Genshlea said. “The whole thing is to be part of the community and be a part of something everyone enjoys.”

The ride is not strenuous, and in other events over the past two years, people have come who have not been on a bicycle in 15 years, said Erin Houston, Rick Houston’s wife.

“The ride is free, and it’s open to everyone,” she said. “We try to make sure that at all of our stops people can bring their kids, and we have a wide age range as well as families and single people.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Bicycle-sharing program coming to Midtown

2011-06-02T01:21:12Z

Sacramentans will soon be able to borrow bicycles in Midtown for free – if they’re fast – or for a nominal fee as a group moves forward with a pilot bicycle-sharing program that will launch by June 11.

Starting small with just 12 bicycles for a six-month trial, Ride Your Own Way allows anyone with a credit card to rent a bicycle from an automated station, which organizers say is perfect for the Midtown and downtown lifestyle.

Renting a bicycle is free for the first 30 minutes, and a $2 per half hour charge is applied after that.

“I see this having many uses,” said Rob Kerth, Executive Director of the Midtown Business Association, which is a partner in the endeavor. “Folks who don’t have a bike but don’t want to deal with parking at lunchtime would be a perfect example.”

Similar programs are in place at other cities, including Washington, D.C., and Paris.

The pilot program will run for six months, after which it will be evaluated, according to Kerth, who added that no concrete date for the evaluation has been set.

“If people get behind it, we’ll definitely grow it, but if they yawn and walk away, probably not,” he said, adding that there are no plans to scrap the program after six months.

If the program grows, he said he can also see having rental stations at light rail and bus stops, which office workers commuting on public transit could use to ride to their offices, where they would be able to drop the bicycle off at a nearby station.

For now, cyclists who rent at stations located within the Priority Parking lots at 28th and J streets and 16th and I streets must return the bicycles where they picked them up.

Watch the video below, where Kerth explains how the system works.

The $200 authorization is not charged to your credit card, but is only on hold until the bicycle is returned, at which point the actual cost is charged.

Kerth said he has used the system in Washington, D.C., which he described as very extensive, with more than 50 rental kiosks.

The idea was floated within the city of Sacramento as many as 10 years ago, according to City Councilman Steve Cohn, but it was never officially proposed.

Cohn said he was again looking into a similar program a year ago, but on a larger level, and finding a sponsor proved difficult.

“It’s kind of a pilot program to see how it works and can maybe grow into something similar to Washington, D.C., and Paris,” Cohn said. “If it’s promising, it can grow. Obviously, we’d like to add more downtown and closer to the Capitol and City Hall.”

As the program grows, Cohn said it makes the most sense to focus on the central city, but he can also see it expanding to the farther reaches as well if it is embraced by the community.

The Bianchi Milano eight-speed bicycles were provided by Midtown bicycle shop Ikon Cycles, 1126 18th St.

“I had some extra money and I thought it was kind of an investment in Sacramento,” Ikon Cycles owner Adrian Moore said. “I’d like to see a private entity be able to run it and profit from it, but the reality is there really is very little profit in bike share programs.”

Moore said he expects the six-month program to help determine if it’s feasible for a private business to run it, but he said it makes sense to partner with the city or have a nonprofit organization run it.

“I’m just afraid that if it’s run only by a private company, and it goes away, that it will never come back,” he said.

Currently, there is no city money in the program.

Moore bought the bicycles on close-out from Bianchi for $4,000, including accessories, he said, and the MBA spent about $3,000 in construction costs at the sites, which were donated by Priority Parking, Kerth said. He added that Curb Systems donated the equipment at the sites that holds and releases the bicycles.

Cohn said he thinks the city would be willing to donate some of the public right of way spaces it controls to future kiosk locations, but he doesn’t think a private entity alone will be able to run the program on a large scale.

Kerth said partnering with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments or Regional Transit would make sense, and they might be able to write grants for the program.

“It wouldn’t take very much at all to keep this going,” Kerth said. “Sacramento is great bicycle country. We have tree-lined streets, it’s flat and the weather is great for it.”

He added that Sacramento has an air quality problem, and for every person who would ride light rail from Folsom and grab a bicycle from a convenient station, it would save a roughly 40-mile commute and cut down on traffic and parking congestion.

Moore, originally from Portland, said he hopes a program like this one can work with zip cars and other infrastructure projects, including the planned downtown bicycle lanes, to make the city less reliant on cars.

One concern with the program is bicycle theft, which is a significant problem in the area.

Currently, the bicycles are being modified to prevent theft, and locks might or might not be provided as the program moves forward.

“It’s difficult with the locks,” Moore said, adding that locks have been purchased and will initially be included with the bicycles, and renters will be able to set their own combinations.

“I’m not sure that’s going to work as it goes forward,” he said. “We’ve got a lot to figure out in the six months, but I can see it going to a lock rental system too, especially if we could get a vending machine company to donate to us.”

For helmets, riders are encouraged to bring their own, but Moore said he will be renting them out of his shop for a low rate, possibly around $3 per day.

The program in Paris, which is coming up on its fourth anniversary, has proven very successful, according to a March press release from city officials.*

Since its inception, bicycles have been rented close to 100 million times, according to the release, which adds that in that time, riders have traveled enough to circle the world 8,000 times, save 44,000 tons of CO2 emissions and burn calories equivalent to 10 million hamburgers.

*Editor’s note: Press release translated from French by Brandon Darnell.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Extra funds for R Street improvement project

2011-05-19T04:53:44Z

The R Street improvements currently under construction from 10th to 13th streets are getting a few more amenities, as construction left extra funds in an approximately $1 million ~~$1.5 million~~ federal grant allocated to the project.

The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to approve 13 more pedestrian benches, 13 banners affixed to streetlights and a decorative arch that spans R Street at 10th Street and a pedestrian arch over the sidewalk on 12th Street and R Street, to be constructed by Teichert Construction, the main contractor for the project.

“This will be the icing on the cake to R street and will make the area more pedestrian-friendly,” Sacramento Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Tucker said.

The R Street improvement project will add uniformity to the area that currently lacks consistent curbs, and it will also add parking spaces and street lights as well as restore the area’s mixed-use industrial, business and residential buildings.

Adding the new benches, banners and archways was an extension of federal funds already dedicated to the project.

“We got the go-ahead from Caltrans to make use of federal funds already budgeted for the project,” Tucker said.

According to Department of Transportation Project Manager Zuhair Amawi, a lot of thought went into the improvements.

“The selection of the concepts and design of the items in the change order was the result of many months of R Street stakeholder meetings organized by CADA (Capitol Development Area Authority) and approved by the City Preservation Commission,” Amawi said.

The project had a 36-week construction timeline and is still on-target for a summer finish.

Ground was broken last September.

“We can expect an opening event to celebrate R Street’s new look sometime this summer,” Tucker said.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

Congresswoman Matsui Introduces Safe and Complete Streets Legislation

2011-05-05T19:42:49Z

Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) introduced the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011, legislation that would require each state’s department of transportation and metropolitan planning organization to put in place a Complete Streets policy that ensures all Federally-funded transportation projects accommodate the safety and convenience of all users. Complete Streets policies ensures roadways are built with all users in mind – including bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, motorists, freight vehicles, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. This bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by Congresman Steven LaTourette (R-OH).

“Complete Streets policies are a win-win for local communities: they save lives and create forward-looking projects that provide lasting value,” Matsui said. “I have seen firsthand the interest in Complete Streets on the local level, and a Federal Complete Streets standard will ensure a consistent approach for all of our transportation investments.”

“We are so pleased to have Congressional champions who are committed to creating safer streets,” said Barbara McCann, Executive Director of the National Complete Streets Coalition. “Representatives Matsui and LaTourette are being responsive to communities across the country that are adopting state and local Complete Streets policies and want to see a consistent commitment to safety reflected in federal transportation investments as well.”

The Urban Land Institute has estimated that carbon emissions from transportation would be 41 percent above today’s levels in 2030 if driving is not curbed, and a recent study by the Texas Transportation Institute found that providing more travel options, including public transportation, bicycling and walking, is an important element in reducing traffic congestion. The study concluded that congestion was responsible for an annual $78 billion loss in fuel during traffic jams in 2007, an increase from $57.6 billion in 2000.

“Especially at a time when gas prices are putting enormous pressure on the pocketbooks of American consumers, more and more people are looking for alternatives to driving,” added Matsui. “However, far too often, our roads are designed with one thing in mind – trying to move vehicle traffic as quickly as possible. The risks of such design are apparent in the number of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths and injuries we see every year, and often discourage more people from considering other transportation methods. By completing our streets, we can open up our roadways to pedestrians and cyclists – helping to ease congestion and providing an alternative to gas powered vehicles. In doing so, we take strides to fight air pollution and global warming and improve our public health and safety.”

In 2008 alone, over 5,000 pedestrians and bicyclists died on U.S. roads and more than 120,000 were injured. One study found that designing roads for pedestrian travel by installing raised medians and redesigning sidewalks and intersections reduced pedestrian risk by 28%. That means that seniors walking to the grocery store or church and children walking to school are put at unnecessary risk.

Congresswoman Matsui’s home state of California was one of the first states to put a Complete Streets policy in place, and the Sacramento region’s Blueprint for growth has been a model for other metropolitan areas. The Blueprint incorporates Complete Streets polices on the local level, and the Safe and Complete Streets Act would do so on a national level.

“Complete Streets polices are designed to ensure streets, intersections and trails are designed to make them easier to use and maximize their safety," said Mike McKeever, Executive Director of Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG). "This legislation will encourage Americans to live more active and healthy lifestyles, while also providing more travel options, and cutting down on traffic congestion. SACOG applauds Congresswoman Matsui’s leadership in helping to implement our region’s Blueprint policies on a national level.”

Terry Preston, Complete Streets Coordinator for WALKSacramento, added, "WALKSacramento applauds Rep. Matsui for her strong leadership in support of Safe and Complete Streets in our communities. The Safe and Complete Streets Act will provide needed direction and guidelines for Federally supported road design and construction. Pedestrians are consistently overrepresented in traffic injury and death statistics due to poor road design. Yet, our need for sustainable communities calls on us to support more walking trips to the park, the bus, our children’s’ school and elsewhere. We need safer, healthier and more complete streets. WALKSacramento looks forward to working with Rep. Matsui on developing and enacting a Federal transportation measure that will complete our streets and meet the needs of all users regardless of age, race, income or disability. Our roads belong to all of us."

A copy of the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 is available HERE. A copy of a Dear Colleague letter being circulated in support of the legislation is available HERE

Mara Lee is the Communications Director for Congresswoman Doris Matsui.

"Jane's Walk" Urban Planning Walks

2011-05-04T05:27:47Z

Sacramento Jane’s Walk 2011: Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8

Jane’s Walk USA is a series of free neighborhood walking tours that helps put people in touch with their environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities to discover themselves. Since its inception in 2007, Jane’s Walk has happened in cities across North America, and is growing internationally. Sacramento’s Jane’s Walk series incorporates elements of urban planning, neighborhood advocacy, urban history, and architectural history, to demonstrate how a neighborhood’s physical form promotes its walkability, sustainability and economic and social vitality. All tours are free of charge; show up at the starting point at the designated time in comfortable walking shoes. No RSVP is necessary.

In 2010, Sacramento's first Jane's Walk series took place on May 1 with four simultaneous tours. This year, five total tours are being held over two days; except for the Oak Park and Southside Park tours, the tours are held at different times, so people can attend more than one.

Sacramento Jane’s Walk Schedule

Saturday, May 7

Alkali Flat
10 AM – Noon
Tour Guide: Luis Sumpter, Sacramento Old City Association Board Member
Starting Point: Shine Coffee, 1400 E Street
SOCA and Alkali Flat Neighborhood Association board member Luis Sumpter will lead a tour of Sacramento’s oldest surviving residential neighborhood, Alkali Flat. This tour will visit local architectural landmarks, neighborhood businesses, adaptive reuse projects, and new mixed-use projects under construction.

Midtown
2 PM – 4 PM
Tour Guide: William Burg, Sacramento Old City Association Board Member
Starting Point: Mondo Bizarro, 1827 I Street
William Burg, historian and author of Sacramento’s Streetcars, will guide this tour of Midtown’s mixed-use business corridors and adjacent residential neighborhoods, from the days of Sutter through the streetcar era to the present day. The tour will focus on walkability, transit, mixed-use neighborhoods, and Midtown’s legacy as a regional epicenter of creativity and art.

Sunday, May 8

Southside Park
10 AM-Noon
Tour Guide: William Burg, Sacramento Old City Association Board Member
Starting Point: Callahan Bandstand, 7th and T Street, Southside Park
William Burg, historian and author of Sacramento’s Southside Park, will lead this tour, focusing on the neighborhood’s rich cultural diversity, transportation, landscape and urban design, neighborhood activism, and adaptation to changing neighborhood roles.

Central Oak Park Walking Tour
10 AM-Noon
Tour Guide: Tom Sumpter, Oak Park Neighborhood Association
Starting Point: Guild Theater, 2828 35th Street
Neighborhood activist Tom Sumpter will lead a tour of Oak Park’s historic business district along Broadway and nearby landmarks, designed by Sacramento State geography professor Robin Datel and using a tour brochure published by the Center for Sacramento History.

Downtown: From the Railroad Tracks to the Civic Center
2 PM – 4 PM
Tour Guide: Melisa Gaudreau, Sacramento Heritage Inc. Board Member
Starting Point: Sacramento City Hall, 915 I Street
Historic architect Melisa Gaudreau will lead a tour of downtown Sacramento, focusing on Sacramento Heritage Inc.’s new tour of the Civic Center area along H, I and J Street between the historic Southern Pacific passenger depot and City Hall.

About Jane’s Walks
Jane’s Walk USA honors the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs who championed the interests of local residents and pedestrians over a car-centered approach to planning. Jane’s Walk USA helps knit people together into a strong and resourceful community, instilling belonging and encouraging civic leadership.

All Jane’s Walk USA tours are given and taken for free. These walks are led by anyone who has an interest in the neighborhoods where they live, work or hang out. They are not always about architecture and heritage, and offer a more personal take on the local culture, the social history and the planning issues faced by the residents. Jane Jacobs believed strongly that local residents understood best how their neighborhood works, and what is needed to strengthen and improve them. Jane’s Walks are meant to be fun, engaged and participatory – everyone’s got a story and they’re usually keen to share it.

Thousands of people have taken part in a Jane’s Walk USA. Past walks have explored a wide range of urban landscapes, from social housing slated for redevelopment to areas with a rich architectural and cultural heritage, to teen hangouts and secret gardens. Walks are led by individuals and small groups. Some are focused around historical themes more than geographical areas, for instance, some strolls have been built around ideas like the history of the bicycle, gay and lesbian history, places of relevance to the homeless, the history of ‘skid row’, and urgent planning matters facing certain neighborhoods.

About the Sacramento Old City Association
The Sacramento Old City Association promotes actions that preserve and enhance a high quality of life for Central City residents, businesses, working people and visitors. The organization works to achieve balanced and harmonious relationships among residential, commercial and employment uses in the Central City. To achieve these goals the Sacramento Old City Association works to:

•Increase public awareness of the irreplaceable historic, architectural and cultural resources of the Central City
•Gather and disseminate information useful in the preservation of structures and neighborhoods of Sacramento.
•Advocate the policies and positions of the organization to the appropriate public agencies and private parties.
•Build and strengthen coalitions with other organizations working to achieve similar goals.
•Promote a quality urban environment through the encouragement of compatibly designed and constructed housing, commercial and office buildings.

For More Information about Jane's Walk or the Sacramento Old City Association:

http://www.sacoldcity.org
http://janeswalkusa.wordpress.com/

Disclosure: William Burg is a board member of the Sacramento Old City Association.

City mulls new taxi regulations

2011-05-04T00:54:20Z

The City Council will decide within the next few months whether to stop issuing new taxi permits, and the council’s Law and Legislation Committee will take more time to decide whether central dispatching systems should be required for taxi companies.

“If approved (by the City Council), no new taxicab vehicle permits will be issued or renewed,” said Dafna Gauthier, business permit manager for the city. This will limit the number of cabs, she said, referring to the moratorium.

“There seems to be a consensus that there are too many taxis in the downtown area,” she added.

That was one part of a proposed ordinance city staff has been working on since last October.

The city’s taxi fleet was essentially unregulated until about seven years ago, according to Councilman Steve Cohn, adding that for the more than 20 previous years, “we ended up with about the worst taxi system there is.”

At the time those regulations were put in place, Sacramento had 258 taxis, a number that has since increased by 66 percent to 428, with population growth that does not come close to equaling the growth in taxis, according to the staff report for Tuesday’s meeting.

Councilman Darrell Fong said the concentration of taxis downtown is too great.

“I see them queued up in lines and arguing over parking spaces,” he said.

Cohn and Fong both supported the moratorium, while Councilman Jay Schenirer said he opposes limiting the number.

“We have a competitive business (environment),” he said. “People should be allowed to compete.”

A second piece of the ordinance is more controversial and will come back to the Law and Legislation Committee at a date to be determined, when Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy, who also sits on the committee but was absent from Tuesday’s meeting, will be available.

Schenirer said that as the city faces a smaller workforce with the impending budget crisis, he wants to make sure it “rises to the level of priority” to warrant using diminished resources.

The dispatch piece of the ordinance would require taxi companies to have central dispatching stations where drivers are given fares via two-way radio or mobile data terminals – in-car computers – rather than using cellphones, as some companies currently do.

Frederick Pleines, president of Yellow Cab Co. of Sacramento was one of about 10 people who spoke during the public comment session on the proposed ordinance.

He said his company already uses an automated dispatching system that provides better service, sending callers a text message letting them know how far away their cab is along with the driver’s name.

Another asset to an automated system, he said, is that it stores data for a year, and that can help law enforcement. He added that police ask him about four times per year for information about incidents in which suspected criminals use taxis for transportation.

“These are all good things,” he said. “The problem is, if you don’t require everyone (to have the same system), it makes us weaker.”

He also agreed that there are too many cabs in the city.

Dave Nirop, assistant manager of the AAA Association taxi company, said his drivers are opposed to the idea of the dispatch system.

He cited the cost of the system as a problem, and he said there is a customer service issue to consider as well.

People who call cabs, he said, oftentimes find a driver they like, and they want to get the same driver the next time they need a cab, so they will call his or her number directly, something he said a dispatch system might not allow.

Requiring taxi companies to use low-emission vehicles is something Schenirer, Cohn and Fong all agreed should be looked at in the future, but will likely have to be phased in, as it would present a large up-front cost to taxi companies.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Bike Month Kicks Off This Sunday

2011-04-29T22:56:54Z

The weather should be perfect this weekend as May is Bike Month kicks off in the Sacramento region. Get your bike tuned up and ready to ride this weekend and then ride to work on Monday, May 2, and come out for a lunchtime ride led by the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates.

The kick-off will start at 11:30 a.m. along the Sacramento Riverfront Promenade, located at 1800 Front Street in Sacramento, just south of O Street. The low-speed bike ride will start at noon, traveling through downtown and midtown and ending by 12:50 p.m.

Bicycling has taken off in the Sacramento region as an easy way for people to get to work or school, run errands, or just ride for fun. Sacramento was recently ranked fourth in the nation for bicycle commuting and the region is a prominent part of the Amgen Tour of California.

May is Bike Month is a campaign to get people on bikes for the first time, as well as encourage regular bicyclists to keep it up. At Mayisbikemonth.com you can pledge miles to ride during May that add up to a regional goal of two million miles. You can also use the bicycle trip planner to choose from bike-friendly or direct routes.

Other things to look forward to in May include a Bicycle Film Festival, the Amgen Tour of California and lots of local events. Find out what’s happening close to where you live or work on the events page.

When you're cruising around town, look for the Pedal Saver window decal at restaurants and shops to save money when you ride in.

May is Bike Month is coordinated by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments and the region's transportation management associations and organizations. Learn more at Mayisbikemonth.com or find us on Facebook.

Erik Johnson is the government and media affairs coordinator for SACOG.

Get in Gear for Bike Month

2011-04-22T18:58:21Z

May is just a few days from now, so tune up your bike, visit May is Bike Month.com, and get ready for a month of great events, promotions, and rides.

Spend a few minutes today at Mayisbikemonth.com and register for 2011. Every week that you log miles in May, you'll be entered into a drawing for bike socks and gift certificates to local bicycle shops.

Once you're on the website, click over to the calendar and see over 40 events scheduled. Check back whenever you visit the site, as we're adding new events every day. We'll have Bike Month gear to giveaway at many of the events, so come out and get yours.

New this year, our Pedal Saver discount program will earn you freebies and discounts when you bike to participating businesses. See a listing and map of participating businesses as well at Mayisbikemonth.com, and look for the Pedal Saver logo when you're on your bike.

We're also cranking up the mileage goal this year because of the continuing success of the campaign. This year, we're aiming for 2 million miles logged at Mayisbikemonth.com. Share this email with a friend or use our enhanced "challenge" feature to encourage a little friendly competition.

You can also find us on Facebook.

May is Bike Month is coordinated by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments and the region's transportation management associations and organizations. Erik Johnson is the government and media affairs coordinator for SACOG.

Drawing America by Bike: Cycling through the recession

2011-04-19T00:23:41Z

With a string of dead-end jobs taking him nowhere despite having a master’s degree from Rutgers, Eric Clausen decided to ride his bicycle around the country, documenting what he sees and the people he meets through sketches.

“New York is kind of a terrible place for young artists,” the 26-year-old Clausen said. “There’s plenty of art to look at, but there are almost no opportunities. I was kind of miserable and decided to just hit the road.”

He sold almost everything he owned and started in Brooklyn on Sept. 5. He arrived in Sacramento this weekend.

A run-in with a bicycle gang, a fall that cut his arm so badly he had to stitch himself up and a night spent in an improvised shack are a few of the stories he tells in his blog, Drawing America by Bike.

His blog drives the primary funding for the trip, and with a budget of $20 - $30 per week, he said he almost has enough to finish out the journey's remaining seven months.

“If they send me $5, I send them a postcard,” Clausen said, adding that the link to the donation page is on his blog.

He travels light – with three sets of clothing, a few sketchbooks, a metal box of pens and pencils, an iPhone and a few other odds and ends that fit in a backpack smaller than many college students lug for a single day of classes.

“I spend a lot of nights camping, and I find some places through Couch Surfing and Warm Showers, a site like that for cyclists,” he said.

Clausen arrived in Sacramento on his way to Carson City and Reno, after which he will loop back to the coast and head north.

“This is one of the coolest places I’ve been,” he said Monday afternoon. “It’s got a great bike and art culture, and the drivers are really good and make way for you.”

He said bicycle lanes are far more frequent on the West Coast, and the drivers are more aware of cyclists.

Clausen made a stop in Sacramento because he was contacted by Mike Flanagan, owner of local music label Bad Current Records.

Flanagan found Clausen’s blog and started reading because it was something he’d wanted to do, but didn’t think would be practical.

“It’s such an undertaking just to think about doing that,” Flanagan said. “Just to even be able to figure out how you’re going to map something like that and take a year to bike around the States, it’s impressive.”

Flanagan, who knows what road life is like from a musician’s standpoint, offered Clausen a place to stay and shower.

“I trusted him, and he seemed like a good guy,” Flanagan said. “I know that it’s nice to have a place to stay, since you don’t want to have to pay for a hotel just to use a shower and some other amenities. You can’t afford it.”

Clausen joined Flanagan and some friends at Luigi’s Slice in Midtown and spent a lot of time biking around the city Monday afternoon.

“It’s amazing how easy it is to get around here,” Clausen said.

When it comes to sketching, Clausen said he rarely draws the touristy locations, preferring to sketch people and oddball objects he spots on the road.

“I drew some of Joshua Tree (National Park), but I usually just draw interesting people I meet,” Clausen said.

In the photo above, Clausen drew a couple of cyclists he came across in Los Angeles. One woman rode with a birdcage on her handlebars, and a man had a chainsaw stuffed into his backpack.

Oftentimes, Clausen arrives in a town without knowing where he will sleep, but he’s learned to ask about campsites at police stations and from other “bike hobos.”

That was how he met a newly formed bicycle gang in Tennessee.

“I saw these guys out in a front yard,” he said. “They had bikes, and as I got closer, I saw they were all wearing the same thing – army fatigues with cut-off sleeves and jeans shorts and combat boots or flip-flops.”

They had just purchased their bicycles a few days earlier, and they invited him to stay with them – and he eventually spent the night in one of their cars, which was full of fast food wrappers and half-burned incense sticks.

Looking back on seven months – and 7,700 miles – Clausen said the initial challenge was the physical demand of traveling 70 - 110 miles per day, but the later stages of the trip demanded more mentally than physically.

“I don’t listen to music when I ride because I want to hear the cars,” he said. “I end up playing games and making up songs as I ride.”

He also counts things – like alligators in the Florida Everglades. Over a period of an hour and a half in December, he counted 230 alligators sunning themselves.

He said he calls his girlfriend for normal conversation, since he otherwise ends up having the same basic conversations over and over with people he meets on his travels.

The trip will eventually be the basis for a graphic novel he wants to publish, he said. It will be expanded from his blog, which is typically short since he writes from his smartphone.

Having reached the halfway point of the trip, he said he doesn’t think about the future and the uncertainty that lies ahead.

“Almost nothing in my life is certain,” he said. “I’m just enjoying the trip. I always knew I wanted to take a trip and see America, but I never thought that trip would be on a bike.”

Clausen leaves Sacramento Tuesday and said he expects to be in Carson City on Wednesday. To see him describe his route and a little bit of his travels, watch the video below.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @brandon_darnell.

More bicycle access coming to downtown

2011-04-13T23:25:28Z

Downtown Sacramento is going to get more bicycle-friendly over the next year and a half, as the City Council gave the nod for the Department of Transportation to begin planning more bicycle lanes for downtown streets Tuesday night.

“The intent of the project is to create bike lanes on some of the most traveled downtown streets,” said Ed Cox, the city’s pedestrian and bicycle coordinator.

The project will be completed in two phases. The first phase involves painting bicycle lanes on a number of streets that are already wide enough to handle the bikeways without losing any lanes or parking spaces, Cox said Wednesday.

“We’re looking at J Street, I Street, Ninth Street, Fifth Street, 10th Street and Capitol Mall,” Cox said. “We’re essentially repainting them to include bike lanes.”

The second phase will involve removing one lane of vehicle traffic from some one-way streets and painting bicycle lanes on both sides of them.

The streets being considered for phase two are Fifth, Ninth, 10th, G and H.

Cox said the bicycle upgrades are going to be very similar to the way Midtown is set up, and with the project being in its earliest phases, no comprehensive traffic flow studies have been completed.

“Based on preliminary assessments, it seems the streets we’ve chosen will not be badly impacted by taking away a lane,” Cox said.

The funds allocated to the project at the City Council meeting Tuesday night amount to $629,000 of Measure A transportation funds. None of the money will come from the general fund, which currently faces an estimated $35 million - $40 million shortfall.

According to the staff report, the addition of bicycle lanes downtown is in line with the city’s long-term goals as decided in 2002.

The project’s timeline is not set, but Cox said he hopes the design will be done in time to piggyback the project on the city’s annual street maintenance so there is no extra construction for drivers to navigate.

That annual street maintenance – which typically consists of sealing or re-laying asphalt – typically takes place in the summer.

Cyclists questioned downtown by The Sacramento Press Wednesday afternoon were in favor of the project.

“I was just thinking about bike lanes,” said Charles Davis-Burkes, who was riding his bicycle on the sidewalk of Fifth Street between J and I streets. “I was wondering what would happen if I got in trouble riding my bike on the sidewalk here, but my knee hurts, and I don’t feel comfortable riding on the street with it like that.”

He added that he thinks designated bicycle lanes would be a safer option than riding among the cars.

Cyclist C. Bradfield said he would feel safer with designated lanes downtown.

“There’s always danger,” he said. “Most of the drivers are pretty polite, but some idiots will all but run you down.”

Bradfield said he is a “big bike advocate” and uses the lanes whenever they’re available.

The bicycle lanes will give added safety and promote using bicycles downtown, said Downtown Sacramento Partnership Marketing Director Lisa Martinez.

“I think in general the Downtown Partnership is very supportive of encouraging people in the central city to use multimodal transportation – on foot, in a car and on a bicycle or public transit,” she said.

She added that being able to share the right of way between cars and bicycles will be better for the city in general.

“This is a good step in getting Sacramento to be seen as bike-friendly and really being able to have that as an amenity,” she said.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Celebrating Rosa Parks Day in the California Capitol

2011-01-06T19:51:19Z

Friday, February 4, 2011, the birthday of Rosa Louise McCauley Parks is our official kick-off for Rosa Parks Day in California featuring “Let’s Move !! Food as Medicine” and challenge our “Faith Based Partners” toward implementation of Healthy Solutions in California to met the economic challenges of diet related disease impacting our entire community, especially the youth.

On Saturday, February 5, 2011, at the California State Capitol, our Rosa Parks Day Celebration ~ International Year for People of African Descent will honor regional community youth who demonstrate the faith and courage of Rosa Parks featuring a key note address by Delaine Eastin, former California State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

On Monday, February 7, 2011, official Rosa Parks Day in California, intermodal transportation systems throughout the State of California will continue to build support towards achieving equity and equality, this special UN, International Year of People of African Descent.

We are proud to share our extended agriculture heritage through the legacy of Rosa Parks that connects Classical African Civilization, through the Black Warrior River Basin of Alabama to the Central Valley of California, “the Greatest Garden in the World.”

California Working Group, utilizing the broader platform of the United Nations International Year of People of African Descent will expand this year’s celebration of Rosa Parks into a broader global examination of essential structural adjustments necessary to achieve universal healing caused by traumatic centuries of human rights violations considering “Food as Medicine.”

Rosa Louise McCauley was greatly influenced by her parents Leona and James McCauley, her grandparents Rose and Sylvester Edwards helped stabilize the young family in the difficult days of the "Jim Crow" south where terrorism of Black people was a common and accepted practice.

Rosa's mother was a schoolteacher who taught "Ag in the classroom" and cultivated her favorite vegetables broccoli, collard greens, sweet potatoes and string beans in the family kitchen garden just outside of Tuskegee, Alabama.

The origins of the name Alabama comes from a rough translation "herb gathers" from indigenous language the Tombigbee River Basin, Black Warrior River Valley, part of a larger ancient civilization of "Mound Builders," reaching back well over 5000 years ago, Washitaw Proper.

The broader Mississippi River Basin was part of the "Louisiana Purchase," nearly 1/3 of the entire continental United States, acquired in 1803 from the Emperor of the French, Napoleon Bonaparte, who was given authorization to the land claim by Spanish authority.

After fall of the Spanish Port at Mobile Bay in 1814, the path to become a U.S. territory and later the State of Alabama, affectionately known as the heart of dixie, was ratified by the U.S. Congress in 1819, our 23rd State.

In 1823, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision which stated that "Indians" could occupy lands within the United States, but could not hold title to those lands. Thus only white men could hold U.S. title to land in America. This is the legal foundation and ongoing belief fundamental to Native American and people of African Descent unable to retain vast acres of land throughout the United States of America.

In 1830, President Andrew Jackson established an official U.S government policy called the "Indian Removal Act."

Indigenous populations continue to call it the "Trail of Tears and Death" a forced removal from the land and destruction of cultural ways.
Taking ancestral lands and establishing "King Cotton" on the back of enslaved human beings, destroying ancient civilizations of antiquity.

Jefferson Davis, a West Point Graduate, Mississippi Senator and a U.S. Secretary of War, was elected President of the Confederate States of America and fought bravely to retain slavery throughout the land.

Today, members of the 112th Congress marks the Sesquicentennial of the U.S. Civil War and celebrate a fond memory of January 9, 1861, Citadel troops at Fort Sumpter, South Carolina destroying maritime trade lines in an effort to "Preserve America."

Montgomery, Alabama, original capital of the Confederate States of America, was the site of Rosa Parks’ singular action, supported by the yearlong Montgomery Bus Boycott, organized and mobilized by community action that changed the world and renewed the promise of America.

Earlier the historic Tuskegee Institute Airman, trained at nearby Maxwell Air Force Base to facilitate integration of air transportation during World War II, greatly assisted by Eleanor Roosevelt. Clean and green U.S. Transportation is essential to restoring, "Food as Medicine."

Many were reminded by President Barack Obama on Inauguration Day and U.S. Transportation officials are beginning to recognize Rosa Parks Day and the broader contributions of People of African Descent to the various intermodal transportation systems essential to sustain our broader U.S. Trade and Commerce objectives as well as essential clean and green public transportation to our daily lives.

2011 Rosa Parks Day in California, we pause to reflect upon our "International Year for People of African Descent… a Tribute to Dear Rosa" and remember her faith and courage as we consider “Food as Medicine” this special season of new beginnings.

Disclosure: Michael Harris is the Project Director for Rosa Parks Day in California

What Rural Issues Mean To You: Make the Rural-Urban Connection

2010-12-01T18:12:58Z

What do farms in our region have to do with the quality of life in your community? Where we build homes and which roads we invest in affect urban and rural communities equally. The Rural-Urban Connections Strategy is the next step in implementing the Blueprint, the region's vision for growth promoting housing and transportation choices, use of existing assets, and natural resources conservation.

On December 10, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments is holding a regional forum on the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy, a project looking at how to keep rural communities rural, farmers farming, and protect our natural resources. It's also looking at how to increase access to local food. At the event, you'll:

Learn about the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy, the greenprint to the regional Blueprint
Understand the importance of agriculture to our urban places.
Hear from USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Victor Vasquez
Identify opportunities for expanding the agricultural economy

The event will take place at the Sacramento Convention Center from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and it's free. A locally focused breakfast will be served as well. Space is filling up, so register today!

SACOG will also be presenting its annual SACOG Salutes! awards to 10 organizations who have made a significant difference in the region in 2010.

Bill Hughes Elected Official: Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui
Blueprint Excellence: Yolo County 2030 General Plan
Businesses of the Year: Bogle Vineyards and Mulvaney’s B&L
Citizen of the Year: Joanne Neft
Employee of the Year: Jim Campbell, Yolo County
Organization of the Year: Soil Born Farms
Mary Brill Youth Excellence: GEO Environmental Science & Design Academy at Grant Union High School
Project of the Year: Highway 70 East Nicolaus Bypass
Special Recognition: Apple Hill Growers Association

Whether you live in midtown or Meridian, this is an event not to miss. Learn more at www.sacog.org/rucs/forum2010/about/.

Erik Johnson is the government and media affairs coordinator for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.

Land, Food & You: Make the Rural-Urban Connection on Dec. 10

2010-11-20T01:17:11Z

The Sacramento region is home to over 2 million people, but did you know that farms in our area contribute over $2 billion to our economy? And of all that food, only about 2% is consumed locally? On December 10, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments is holding a regional forum on the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy, a project looking at how to keep rural communities rural, farmers farming, and protect our natural resources.

The event will take place at the Sacramento Convention Center from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and it's free. A locally focused breakfast will be served as well.

SACOG is best known for the Blueprint, a bold vision for growth that promotes compact, mixed-use development and more transit. The Rural-Urban Connections Strategy is the rural companion to the Blueprint--the "greenprint".

Through presentations, videos, and real-time polling activities, the event will explore current agricultural conditions and challenges, identify market opportunities for expanding regional agricultural activity, delve into the role of rural communities, rural transportation issues and agriculture in the region, and share innovations from the project that will help shape our region's future economic and environmental health.

The forum will also feture a keynote address from USDA Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Victor Vasquez.

Erik Johnson is the government and media affairs coordinator for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.

2nd Sacramento Safe Routes to School Conference - Friday, November 12

2010-10-29T23:49:02Z

In 1969 almost half the children in the U.S. walked or rode a bicycle to school. Today, fewer than ten percent do. The consequence for our children has been more obesity and related health problems, poorer social connections to the community and less responsbility for self-management.

The Safe Routes to School movement works to change all that. enable community leaders, schools and parents across the United States to improve safety and encourage more children, including children with disabilities, to safely walk and bicycle to school. In the process, programs are working to reduce traffic congestion and improve health and the environment, making communities more livable for everyone.

Locally, WALKSacramento and the Sacramento County Department of Transportation are hosting the 2nd Sacramento Safe Routes Conference on Friday, November 12, from 9 am - 4 pm at the Sacramento County Office of Education, 10474 Mather Boulevard, to bring together parents. school district staff and leaders, transportation planners and others to learn more about how to organize walk ot chool programs, deal with liability concerns, address 'stranger" danger and find the money to do it all. The event is FREE with an optional lunch.

Building on the success of last year, this year’s conference will have breakout sessions with something for everyone from Safe Routes novice to transportation engineer. The day will include information on:
 Evaluating conditions through surveys and walk audits
 Selecting engineering treatments for roadways
 Incorporating pedestrian and bicycle education in school curriculum
 Funding Safe Routes to School
 Establishing policies supporting Safe Routes to School
 How to stay safe on the journey to and from school

View the agenda and register online at sacramentosaferoutes2010.eventbrite.com. Cost is FREE to attend with an optional lunch.
We have a limited number of complimentary lunches available.

Contact tpreston@walksacramento.org or 916-446-9255 for more information.

This conference is provided by a U.S. Dept of Transportation Safe Routes to School planning grant. Co-sponors include the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, 50 Corridor TMA, North Natomas TMA, Safe Kids Coalition of Greater Sacramento, Local Government Commission and local school districts.

Disclosure: Terry Preston is Complete Streets Coordinator at Walkable Communities - Communities of Walkers

Regional plan for 2035

2010-10-29T05:26:22Z

Sacramento area residents voiced their opinion on the region’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan at a workshop on Wednesday, and they largely agreed to support a plan that includes greater emphasis on the environment and public transit.

This plan, or MTP2035 (Metropolitan Transportation Plan for 2035), is based on assumptions regarding population growth, the economy, transportation, housing, employment, and how infrastructure will need to adjust for the inevitable changes that will occur over the next 25 years.

“We’re not shy to give you a lot of information to work with,” said SACOG Executive Director Mike McKeever.

Updating the plan, which is a federal requirement, has involved the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) to hold nine workshops throughout the region: one in each of the six counties and three in Sacramento County.

Held at the Sacramento Convention Center, the MTP2035 Workshop involved an explanation of the three possible planning scenarios for the region, round table discussions on these scenarios, and an on-the-spot voting session, with some 157 participants able to cast their opinions onto the front screen via handheld polling devices.

According to electronically submitted polls, 96 percent of the tables were in favor of the proposed “scenario three plan.”

Scenario three would see the least amount of growth in established, developing and rural residential communities while anticipating the most growth in central and corridor communities. In regards to transportation, it would see the least construction in new or expanded roads, the most offered in transit service, more money to pedestrian, street and trail improvement, as well as additional bike paths. And with regard to the environment, scenario three would see the least amount of farmland converted to development, the least amount of vernal pools (wetlands) affected by development and the least amount of greenhouse gas emissions per passenger vehicle, according to SACOG.

SACOG Senior Planner Kacey Lizon presented some of the big themes of the new plan, which involves a reworking and implementation of the current 2008 plan while also expanding and improving current infrastructure to account for the estimated 359,000 more jobs created and 300,000 more homes needed by 2035.

Lizon briefly explained considerations the plan has to make for the diverse communities within the region. She shared the little-known fact that Sacramento County boasts the largest wine and grape production in the region and also has the only dairies in the region.

Other than these rural residential communities, the plan recognizes the unique set of needs and differences within developing communities like Natomas and Southport, established communities like South Sacramento and Land Park, and central corridor communities like Old Sacramento and other highly trafficked areas that contain transportation services, bustling commerce or historic downtowns.

In addition to understanding how the plan would work within each unique community, attendees were provided with maps of the region, displaying the impact each scenario would have on roads, housing and business development, environment, and pedestrian travel.

“We want to know how this plays in the real world,” McKeever said. “We need a plan for the big, diverse region we live in.”

McKeever said the workshops are important because they work with real people representing the needs, opinions and wants of their specific communities.

The public were able participate at the workshop by way of polling questions and round-table discussions, allowing for interaction, debate and discussion on the proposed scenarios.

Some of the questions posed to the audience were: “What do you think is the most important issue facing the Sacramento region at this time?” “If you have a choice for transportation, what influences your choice?” and “Which scenario do you prefer of the three regional and county scenarios discussed tonight?”

McKeever explained how each of the three potential scenarios would change the region, while highlighting certain projects that would result from their being adopted as the plan of action.

By 2035, the Sacramento region, which includes Yuba, Yolo, Sutter, Sacramento, Placer and El Dorado counties, is expected to add nearly 900,000 people to its population, according to SACOG.

In order to prepare for the effects of this growth in relation to land use, and housing and development, SACOG must initiate an 18-month process of research and update its current plan (adopted in 2008) every four years.

SACOG Government and Media Affairs Coordinator Erik Johnson said that all of the workshops are open to the public.

Johnson said that results from previous workshop polls have varied.

He added that a public hearing will be held in spring to discuss the information gathered from the workshops and SACOG’s research.

SACOG must adopt an updated Metropolitan Transportation Plan by December 2011.

To view the complete contents of the Metropolitan Plan for 2035, click here.
To review the results of past workshops and their survey results, click here.

Bike around town? Free classes will help you tune up your skills

2010-10-08T16:48:28Z

Bicycle riding on the road is as complex as driving on the road. Anyone that wants to be more confident riding on the street will enjoy the Urban Cycling Skills classes on October 19, 23 and 30 at Bicycle Chef Bicycles, 32nd & N in Sacramento.

The instructors are certified by the League of American Bicyclists, which designed the course. The information is presented in three sections so students can absorb the information, study the manual and practice the skills. Don Bortel, a bicyclist who took the class in July says, “I got something from all three sections. The combination of printed materials, off-bike instruction, and on-road practice have made me a more confident and skilled cyclist.”

The first class covers basic bicycle maintenance, bike and helmet fit, equipment, clothing, and safety gear: Classroom instruction includes rules of the road; reasons for crashes and how to avoid them, bike security and route planning. On the street, cyclists learn to bicycle safely and predictably, communicate with motorists, practice hazard avoidance skills, lane positioning and how to cycle safely through intersections.

The class is free, funded by a grant from SACOG and coordinated by the Sacramento Transportation Management Association. Students that complete the nine-hour class receive a certificate from the League of American Bicyclists. Diane Miller, who completed the none-hour course, said, “We tend to forget (if we ever knew) the best strategies to ride safely in traffic. I didn't think it would need nine hours, but there was so much great information, I’m still reviewing the manual and practicing the skills.”

Register or learn more by contacting Marilyn Bryant at sactma@surewest.net or 916-737-1513, or visit: www.smart-cycling.org

Erik Johnson is the government and media affairs coordinator for SACOG.

Help Shape Our Region's Transportation Future

2010-10-06T18:30:55Z

Where should we spend money on transportation as our region continues to grow? The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) is hosting workshops throughout October to gather input from residents on transportation and land use planning in the Sacramento region.

SACOG is a regional planning agency for Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba counties. As part of the transportation planning process, SACOG updates the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) every four years. The MTP includes investments in transit, freeways, roadways, and bike and pedestrian improvements.

In an effort to plan thoughtfully for all regional travel needs, SACOG will host nine public workshops around the region--two in downtown Sacramento--in which residents can get information and provide input on the MTP. This process is very important because the MTP will guide transportation in the short and long term. Residents can help shape the plan by voicing their needs, experiences and thoughts on transportation in the Sacramento area.

Everyone is encouraged to attend. No previous meeting participation or transportation planning experience is needed. The workshops are FREE and food will be provided.

Register today at www.sacog.org/update or call (916) 321-9000.

Central SACRAMENTO County Workshop (Morning)
Wednesday, October 27
11 a.m.- 2 p.m.
Sacramento Convention Center
1400 J Street
Sacramento, 95814

Central SACRAMENTO County Workshop (Evening)
Wednesday, October 27
6-9 p.m.
Sacramento Convention Center
1400 J Street
Sacramento, 95814

For information on other workshops, visit www.sacog.org/update.

Erik Johnson is the government and media affairs coordinator for SACOG.

Local transportation projects winning fed grants are Cap-to-Cap priorities

2010-08-03T17:51:33Z

Two local transportation projects that were part of the Sacramento Metro Chamber 2010 Capitol-to-Capitol advocacy program have received Congressional funding.

The city of Sacramento will receive $500,000 for improvements to the Sacramento Valley Station. The funds will help construct access for vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists for the Amtrak, Capitol Corridor, light rail and bus station.

The county of Sacramento will receive $400,000 to upgrade the Highway 50 interchange at Watt Avenue, where the initial segment of a bus rapid transit system will be installed, linking it with light rail and making the congested area safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. The announcements were made by Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento.

“Beyond the jobs the actual construction projects create, these improvements will increase mobility by connecting many different transportation modes and, in the long run, help to improve the quality of life in our region,” said Michael Faust, Metro Chamber senior vice president for public policy and economic development. “These two projects have been part of the Metro Chamber’s ongoing Capitol-to-Capitol advocacy efforts. The federal grant process is increasingly competitive, and our region’s success is due to efforts of project specialists and the efforts of more than 300 business and government leaders each year who participate in the Cap-to-Cap program.”

The Sacramento Valley Station and the Highway 50/Watt Avenue interchange projects were identified by the Cap-to-Cap transportation team delegation as the region’s highest federal funding priorities, and their inclusion in the House-approved fiscal year 2011 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Bill reflects the Cap-to-Cap program’s success in fostering regional collaboration to secure federal funds for Sacramento’s six-county, 22-city region.

View the Metro Chamber’s advocacy papers on 2010 Cap-to-Cap transportation issues here.

One Million Miles Bicycled in the Region Since May 1

2010-05-26T17:58:24Z

For the third consecutive year, the Sacramento region has traveled one million miles by bicycle in a month. Since May 1, 7,108 (and counting) people young and old, students and commuters, families and friends have chosen to bike rather than drive. Commute, recreation, errands and work trips have all contributed to the million miles.

What does a million miles mean for our region?

One million miles of bicycling removed over 5,000 pounds of smog-forming oxides of nitrogen from our air. Air pollutants lead to many illnesses, including asthma, which is the most common reason for missed school days in Sacramento County.
Just looking at commuting or doing errands by bike, individuals saved approximately 18,000 gallons of gas this month, which at $2.67 a gallon saves them nearly $45,000.
An individual bicycling one mile instead of driving reduces carbon emissions by 0.5 pounds of CO2, which is the same as turning off a 100 watt light bulb for 8 hours.

Trip planner gets you there by bike
The Sacramento Area Council of Governments has launched a bicycle trip planner (www.sacregion511.org/bicycling/trips/) with detailed routes for the entire region. The trip planner draws on local government data, user information and a community forum to offer the best information for novice and veteran bicyclists. Sacramento Region 511 also has information about traffic information, transit, and a bicycle commuter guide at www.sacregion511.org.

Events & more at Mayisbikemonth.com
Tomorrow, May 27 is Bicycle Night with the Sacramento River Cats. Visit mayisbikemonth.com for discounted tickets and more information. And with Memorial Day this weekend, it’s a great time to enjoy our communities by bicycle. Remember to log your miles at mayisbikemonth.com. It’s not too late for people to visit the site to learn how to get started riding this summer, find bicycle routes, and other tips.

About May is Bike Month
Throughout the month of May, bicyclists young and old have been encouraged to challenge friends, family, co-workers and themselves to pledge miles. The region has been aiming for the million mile goal since it began a month-long campaign to promote bicycling in May in 2005. Last year, over 6,000 individuals rode 1,288,676 miles in May.

May is Bike Month is coordinated by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments and the region's transportation management associations and organizations. More information is at www.mayisbikemonth.com.

Fatal accident on Hwy 50 near I-5

2010-05-25T12:04:06Z

A life was lost this morning when a disabled vehicle was slammed into on Hwy 50 in Downtown Sacramento
May 25, 2010, Sacramento, CA

The call came in at 12:40 this morning for an accident that occurred on west bound HWY50 just before the North Bound I-5 interchange downtown.

A Z28 broke down on the freeway just before the interchange and was slammed into by a second vehicle. The CHP officer on scene stated that they are not sure yet if the Z28 ran out of gas or was broken down. CHP also stated that there were no skid marks indicating that the driver of second vehicle probably didn't even see the white Z28 before slamming into it at full speed. The driver of the Z28 had to be extricated and the passenger was pronounced dead on scene and had to be extricated for the coroners office. CHP hadn't talked with the driver of the second vehicle yet, but stated that it appeared that both occupants of the second vehicle were uninjured.

CHP wants to remind, if you do break down on the freeway, especially in the middle of night, be sure your emergency flashers are on and seatbelt fastened. If able, it may be advised to safely exit the vehicle and get to the side of the road to safety.

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Sacramento Region Wins $65 Million for I-80 Improvements

2010-05-21T01:14:32Z

On Wednesday, the California Transportation Commission awarded $65 million for high-occupancy vehicle lanes, also known as carpool lanes, on Interstate 80 from west of Interstate 5 to Watt/Longview where the new lanes will connect to the existing HOV lanes to Placer County. Construction on the project is scheduled to start in March 2011. The funds come from nearly $190 million in northern California cost savings from projects funded by Proposition 1B, the voter-approved bond measure from 2006.

The funding through the CTC is especially timely in closing a large funding gap and making it possible to coordinate construction of the HOV lanes with highway rehabilitation investments along the corridor; a total of $171 million will be invested. Construction activities are anticipated to begin once the CTC funding is secured in the fall.

The high-occupancy vehicle lanes are part of the Sacramento region’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan for 2035, but were not expected to be complete until 2015. The CTC funding helps the delivery timeline considerably and makes it possible to transfer nearly $100 million in Measure A funding for the I-80 HOV lanes to the I-5 HOV project, thereby moving up the delivery of that project as well. High-occupancy vehicle lanes, commonly known as carpool lanes, help the region’s freeway system, by making travel easier for carpoolers and also allowing for commuter buses to offer improved service.

Yesterday’s CTC action also included $3.5 million for the El Dorado County Transportation Commission to extend HOV lanes further east in El Dorado County.

Rail Construction closes Seventh Street downtown

2010-05-18T18:59:28Z

Street closures affect vehicle traffic as well as bus routes.

Construction workers dig up old sewage pipes on the west side of 7th Street between G and H Streets this morning. They will also dig up old pipe on the east side of the street which will be the location of the new light rail tracks between downtown and Richards Blvd. New sewage pipes will be laid on the west side of 7th Street.

RT construction contractors will close two lanes of 7th Street between F and H streets, effective Monday, May 17 through Wednesday, June 2, 2010. Two lanes will be closed to traffic to perform work associated with RT's Green Line to the River District light rail project, which will extend light rail 1.1 miles north to 7th Street and Richards Boulevard at the Township 9 development.

RT has worked with the City of Sacramento to develop detours during the road closure, and signs will be posted to direct motorists. Sidewalks will remain open. Pedestrian access and access to all businesses and parking lots will be maintained. The bus stop at 7th and G streets will be temporarily relocated. All affected inbound bus routes will end on 8th Street at H Street. All affected outbound bus routes will start on F Street at 8th Street.

SacPress Photo | Kati Garner

May is Bike Month Website is Quick and Easy

2010-05-04T01:52:20Z

After attending the May is Bike Month kick off press conference and ride last Saturday, I rushed home to register and log my bicycling miles online. I found the May is Bike Month website to be quick and easy. It also has a lot of cool features like commuter clubs, an employer directory, programs for schools, and you can even challenge a friend! If you live in the Sacramento region, please visit www.mayisbikemonth.com and help make this a Million Mile May.

I especially appreciate the May is Bike Month effort because it encourages people to actually use their bikes to commute and get things done. Since America's love affair with the automobile and subsequent addiction to cheap oil, bikes are often marginalized as mere toys that are used for exercise and recreation only. Most folks just don't seem to recognize bicycles and tricycles as tools that can be used to move people and things from point A to point B.

A great example of this destructive mindset is when some people visit Practical Cycle and learn about Pedego Electric Bikes, they ignorantly blurt out, "doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of riding a bike?" Absolutely not! There are many health benefits to riding, but its not always just about breaking a sweat. Sometimes you want a workout, and sometimes you just want to get where you are going quickly in comfort and style.

I commute ten miles each day from Howe Park to Old Sacramento. On a regular bike it takes about 45 minutes plus an additional 10 minutes to go to the gym for a shower. On a Pedego Electric Bike, it only takes 30 minutes and I can go straight to work without a shower. The electric motor helps the Pedego better serve its purpose, which is getting me to work.

It is my position that Pedego Electric Bikes help address some of the major objections that everyday people have to bicycle commuting including safety, hills, distance, health reasons, knee problems, aging, or the inconvenience of having to shower and change at work. Furthermore, if everyday people start looking at all bicycles and tricycle as transportation tools rather than recreation and fitness toys, then the Sacramento region could easily log a Multi-Million Mile May!

Bike Month Kicks Off This Saturday

2010-04-29T18:46:11Z

The weather should be perfect this weekend as May is Bike Month kicks off in the Sacramento region. Join us on Saturday, May 1, at 1 p.m. for a kick off event and a ride led by the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates.

The kick-off will be at River Walk Park, 651 2nd Street in West Sacramento, right next to the Ziggurat and CalSTRS buildings.
Bicycling has taken off in the Sacramento region as an easy way for people to get to work or school, run errands, or just ride for fun. Sacramento was recently ranked fourth in the nation for bicycle commuting and the region is a prominent part of the Amgen Tour of California, racing through cities from Auburn to Winters.

May is Bike Month is a campaign to get people on bikes for the first time, as well as encourage regular bicyclists to keep it up. At Mayisbikemonth.com you can pledge miles to ride during May that add up to a regional goal of one million miles. You can also use a new bicycle trip planner that includes route information from all across the region and lets you choose between the most bike-friendly or the most direct route.

Other things to look forward to in May include the Bicycle Film Festival, the Amgen Tour of California and lots of local events. Find out what’s happening close to where you live or work on the events page.

May is Bike Month is coordinated by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments and the region's transportation management associations and organizations. Learn more at Mayisbikemonth.com or find us on Facebook.

"Ride for Earth" Draws Crowd to Old Sacramento

2010-04-25T10:24:25Z

A diverse crowd of people gathered in Old Sacramento on Thursday to celebrate Earth Day and the Grand Opening of Practical Cycle. Riders of all ages and from all walks of life were drawn together to be a part of the first annual "Ride for Earth."

With a diverse crowd of people came a diverse crowd of bikes! Many riders brought their own bikes, and Practical Cycle let out its entire rental fleet of Made in USA and Electric bicycles and tricycles for free. There was even a Velocab and a high-wheeler replica!

The ride followed the Sacramento River to its confluence with the American River in Discovery Park. Afterwards, fresh-squeezed organic lemonade that was delivered by an old Worksman tricycle was served at Practical Cycle, and the Rubber Band played some good old-fashioned rock-n-roll.

"What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to spend some quality time with Mother Nature and good people on bikes," says Tim Castleman.

Sacramento 'Blueprint' marks 5 years

2010-04-03T02:44:12Z

The Sacramento region's "Blueprint" for a sustainable, thriving future must include communities connected through economic equality, mass transit investment and smart growth, experts said Friday.

The area already is already helping to nudge the country away from an autocentric culture that's promoted sprawl for decades through its Blueprint Transportation and Land Use project. The Sacramento Area Council of Governments board adopted the Blueprint in December 2004 to help plan more compact growth, protect natural resources, and reduce traffic congestion and pollution over the next 50 years.

Now, research shows that sprawl is caused in part by social distance and inequality. While intellectual centers such as universities and innovative technology industries spur economic growth, factors such as poverty, inequality and segregation can get in the way of economic growth, said Manuel Pastor, a University of Southern California professor who directs the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity.

"Areas marked by inequality and segregation are growing more slowly — partly because they have less consensus for how to grow," he said.

Pastor was one of several experts in economics, planning, transportation and regional equity who spoke Friday during SACOG"s "Blueprint: Then, Now, Next." At least 750 turned out for the event, held at California State University, Sacramento's University Union. It celebrated the Blueprint's five-year anniversary and considered challenges to its implementation.

Several speakers agreed that sustainable communities must contain a variety of housing types and transportation infrastructures that enable people to bike, walk, use public transit or drive.

But it's equally important for regions to figure out to connect poor communities to jobs and other economic opportunities. That kind of equity can give the Sacramento region a "competitive advantage" in building sustainable communities, Pastor said.

"Success is not really stasis," he said. "Success ... is resilience. It's the capacity for regions to respond to issues, to survive the recession and to be able to lead on these questions of inclusion and equity as well."

Tretheway Denies Impact of RT's Bus Service Cuts on Natomas Residents

2010-04-03T01:02:40Z

As of June 20, weekend bus service in Natomas will be reduced dramatically. North Natomas loses all of its weekend bus service and South Natomas loses much of its weekend bus service, despite false assurances from incumbent city councilperson Ray Tretheway.

This week, in response to a fiscal emergency caused by reductions in state funding, the Sacramento Regional Transit District Board of Directors voted to cut bus and light rail services throughout the region, effective June 20. Tretheway is also on RT's Board of Directors.

According to RT's northwest route map, Natomas currently receives weekday service on Routes 11 (Truxel Road) and 89 (Gateway Oaks), with service 7 days a week on Routes 13 (Northgate), 14 (Norwood), 86 (San Juan - Silver Eagle), and 88 (West El Camino). Based on service reductions described in RT's published summary, bus routes 13 and 14 are losing their weekend service, and bus route 89 is being eliminated altogether.

Routes 13 and 14 were the only routes that included any North Natomas stops (see maps for Route 13 and Route 14), so this has the effect of cutting North Natomas off of weekend service entirely. South Natomas loses its critical Northgate weekend service, although routes 86 and 88 will continue their weekend runs -- at least for now.

Considering where all of the city's low income housing was constructed in the past several years (much of which is concentrated near Del Paso and Truxel Roads) and the economically challenged Northgate corridor, it appears Natomas residents with the least amount of resources were disproportionately impacted by these transit service cuts. These are our neighbors who are more likely to depend on public transit, many of whom have varying work schedules and are more likely to rely on weekend bus service to get to their jobs.

Candidates for the June 8 city council election responded to constituents’ concerns about these service cuts at a debate hosted by the Natomas Community Association Wednesday night, moderated by the League of Women Voters of Sacramento County.

Angelique Ashby responded with concern that Tretheway did not advocate for Natomas residents with the greatest need. “RT has been cut, and this week we took another huge disproportionate hit,” Ashby said. “I don't understand -- and Ray is on that board.”

Tretheway claimed that the bus service cuts would not have much of an impact on Natomas. "I'll assure you that no [bus] lines in Natomas, South or North, were cut, with one exception, for weekends at all," Tretheway said. "One goes through North Sacramento, ends up to Natomas Marketplace and out, so it's got, the last leg is Natomas. That one was cut on weekends. All the rest I fought to restore. They were on the cutting block a week ago Monday -- every one was restored."

However, upon carefully reviewing RT route maps, RT's Issue Paper, and the bulletin posted on RT’s home page, the only Natomas route that was restored from the original proposal was Route 13 (Northgate), and that restoration only applies to weekdays, not weekends. All of the other proposed Natomas service reductions were voted into effect, in spite of Tretheway's assurances to the contrary.

Either Tretheway is quite confused and does not know what he voted for this week in his capacity as an RT Board member, or he is being dishonest to his constituents. Neither is acceptable.

Residents throughout Natomas are tired of paying for services and not receiving their fair share. Many in North Natomas are sharing the same frustrations of broken promises that residents in South Natomas have been feeling for decades. In just two months, voters will have the opportunity to elect an intelligent and articulate leader who is willing to work together, build partnerships, listen to the community, and advocate for the region – someone who will fight for the people of Natomas and help our region and Sacramento as a whole meet its potential.

Keith Sharward is a Board member and co-founder of Witter Ranch Community Alliance and a member of the Natomas Crime & Safety Leadership Team. He endorses Angelique Ashby in her campaign for Sacramento City Council's District One (Natomas/Downtown).

Stepping Out In Midtown: Beyond the Valet of the Dilettante

2009-10-26T02:58:15Z

Three young women navigated the west sidewalk of 18th Street last Friday evening. The one in front says to her friends behind her, "Last time we were down here, I was thinking I might like to live here." The Friday night scene was crackling, with loud music filling the air and cars filling the streets.

"Yeah," says her friend, "but you'd need a place with a driveway. There's actually a lot more of them than I thought." The third woman says, "You wouldn't have much of a back yard."

The trio crossed 18th Street at Capitol and stopped to reclaim their car from the valet. The street parking or East End Parking Garage may have been closer to whichever business they were coming from, but the valet represents the convenience and perceived safety that many local visitors opt for.

Even those who think that they "might like to live here," bring their suburban expectations with them. "You'd need a place with a driveway." Or you'd need a place in Midtown that was not overrun with too many businesses, which are given too many parking waivers, so that rightful residential street parking becomes impossible.

"You'd need a place with a driveway," or a place with parking provided where it historically has been in Midtown -- in the alley. "You wouldn't have much of a back yard." Traditionally, Midtown residences have deep front porches and shallow green setbacks, that match the others on the block, enough to catch the Delta breezes. In the back is a deeper yard, many with a parking garage at the alley. The deep lots and alleys provide a buffer to the overimpaction of bars and restaurants surrounding them.

Many businesses move into Midtown and immediately want parking waivers, so that they don't have to meet the parking requirements that their business is legally responsible for. This impacts the street parking that is available for residents and other businesses. The overuse of parking waivers and the dependence on valet parking as a solution to Midtown's parking woes, actually exacerbate the problem.

Valet parking reinforces the attitude that patrons need to park as close to the door of their destination as possible. It reduces the number of people who are parking on the street or in public parking garages and walking a few blocks.

Valet parking perpetuates the illusion that it is not safe or realistic to look for parking further from the door and walk. Yet, that's what the displaced residents have to do, when visitors, valets and restaurant/bar employees fill up the nearby parking.

More people walking on the streets encourages more people walking on the streets. It also increases public safety, where the valet service does not. Better lighting and signage at the available and inexpensive public lots will also encourage more people to use them.

The more transit options that are available, the more lighting that is provided, the more that people see others walking around Midtown and the more that public parking garages are well lit, affordable and highly visible; the more new visitors may broaden their expectations of what their Midtown experience -- or even living here -- has to offer.

photos: Marion Millin

Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase Announces Keynote Speaker Daniel Sperling

2009-10-03T01:39:34Z

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase keynote speaker Daniel Sperling is an internationally-renowned expert on transportation, energy and sustainability issues. In December he co-authored the book Two Billion Cars which projects that within 20 years the number of motor vehicles on the planet will double from its current total of one billion due primarily to growth in India and China.

Sperling is a Professor of Engineering and Environmental Science & Policy at the University of California, Davis, and Founding Director of the university's Institute of Transportation Studies. He also serves on the California Air Resources Board, chairs the Future of Mobility Council of the Davos World Economic Forum, and has authored 10 books and over 200 technical papers and reports on transportation and energy.

Recently, The Clean Tech staff sat down with Dan Sperling to discuss the future of green technologies in the Sacamento region and the upcoming Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase.

CleanTech: How important will green technologies be to the economic growth of the Sacramento region?

Dan Sperling: Green technologies could provide a large economic boost to the Sacramento area. UC Davis and Sacramento State provide the knowledge base and, very importantly, the scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs needed to build green technology companies. Angel and venture capital investors are key to launching entrepreneurial start-ups, while larger biotech and IT companies have the resources to expand their Sacramento initiatives.

CleanTech: Can you give us a preview of your keynote address?

Dan Sperling: We need to transform our vehicles, fuels, and mobility systems if we are to significantly reduce oil use and greenhouse gases. It is less a question of cost than vision, leadership, and will. Most vehicles of the future will be powered by electricity, hydrogen and biofuels. Such a future transportation system would be very efficient and could be very low carbon.

The two places with the most troublesome emissions problems - California and China - are taking the lead in developing effective strategies that can help wean us from our reliance on conventional, petroleum-fueled cars.

California's embrace of eco-friendly policies, supported by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and China's willingness to confront the twin environmental and energy crises wrought by exponential growth in cars, suggest that if they can develop ingenious and effective solutions, there really is reason for hope.

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase features some of the nation's key thought leaders on green and clean technology. It is the ideal venue to network with experts, explore new technologies, navigate regulations and examine workforce concerns.

The Clean Tech Showcase will be held Friday, October 16 at Sacramento State University. For more information or to register, visit www.cleanstart.org.

The Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase is produced by CleanStart, an initiative of SARTA (Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance) designed to accelerate the development of clean technology ventures within the Greater Sacramento Region. SARTA is a non-profit organization founded to foster entrepreneurial growth and attract investment capital to the greater Sacramento region.

Join the Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase Facebook Page

Take the Low-Car Challenge in October

2009-09-30T16:05:56Z

Want to save money, reduce your time in traffic, improve air quality and get the chance to win a $50 gift certificate? This October is the time to give your car the day off and try a different way to get around.

Pick any week in October to try an alternative to driving alone for any of your daily trips. Share the ride (carpool), take transit, telecommute, bike or walk. If you can make a change for any trip (errands, work or elsewhere) three days in a week, you could win a $50 gift certificate to a local bicycle shop, a local restaurant or for transit passes..

If you aren’t sure where to start, visit www.sacregion511.org for tips and tools for ridesharing, transit and bicycling. That’s also where you’ll find the participation form to enter for the $50 gift certificate.

The Low-Car Challenge is supported by Sacramento Region 511, a service of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. For more information, visit www.sacregion511.org or call 511.

Amtrak locomotive gets an eco-makeover

2009-07-23T07:20:19Z

California's air may start to look a little cleaner, thanks to the California Department of Transportation and its project partners.

Caltrans's revolutionary "green locomotive" debuted Wednesday morning at the Amtrak Sacramento Valley station.

Members of Caltrans and its project partners assembled within the train station at a press release to make statements regarding the new locomotive, considered a major step toward reducing California's carbon footprint.

It is one of the 15 F59PHI model locomotives owned by Caltrans and operated by Amtrak that is now installed with a 710ECO Repower upgrade package. The package is said to consist of the latest microprocessor-controlled locomotive engine technology for lower emissions, increased fuel economy and predictable maintenance costs.

The F59PHI models were initially built by Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. in October 2001 to meet Tier 0 Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards, the minimum EPA requirement for fuel emissions from passenger locomotives.

James Goldstene, executive officer of the California Air Resources Board, explained that in other words, the newly-installed technology in the F59PHI model makes the engine run cooler and uses fuel more efficiently, allowing the locomotive to advance from Tier 0 to Tier 2 EPA emission standards, resulting in a 50 percent reduction of operating emissions.

Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson said that the development is "an illustration of our willingness to work with anyone and everyone to clean up the air for Sacramentans." He added that climate change and global warming is an issue that must be addressed at the local level by communities, and that the newly-introduced technology makes riding the train a "smarter and better" decision than ever before.

Following the statements, the representatives of Caltrans, the EPA and other organizations descended into the tunnel beneath the Sacramento Valley rail tracks, resurfacing to stop and admire the "green locomotive."

The retrofitted model has already begun operating on the intercity passenger rail service Capitol Corridor between Sacramento and the Bay Area as of three weeks ago.

The Capitol Corridor serves the Sierra Foothills in addition to Sacramento and the Bay area, and it is operated by the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority in partnership with Caltrans and Amtrak.

Along with Amtrak California’s Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquin intercity rail line, Capitol Corridor is the third busiest rail line in the nation with a ridership of 1.7 million.

Capitol Corridor alone is responsible for eliminating 559 million miles worth of highway travel, said Eugene Skoropowski, Capitol Corridor managing director.

Caltrans is working to convert the remaining 14 Amtrak-operated locomotives to this upgraded model — which is the cleanest diesel electric passenger locomotive in the country — as quickly as possible, stated Caltrans Division of Rail chief Bill Bronte. So far there is available stimulus funding for seven of the 14, he said.

Money for the project came from the Carl Moyer Program, a partnership between the California Air Resources Board and local air boards in the state that provides grants for projects reducing pollutants from heavy-duty engines. Retrofitting the F59PHI involved both the Sacramento Metropolitan and Bay Area Air Quality Management districts.

Kevin Bahline of EMD said that the company is in the process of launching the eco-friendly technology globally.

See also: Eco train engine unveiled

Photo Credit: Images 1, 2, 4 & 5 by Ed Fogle; images 3 & 6 by Kati Garner.

Riding Cool?: fixed-gear bikes without brakes

2009-07-06T00:53:38Z

Jonathan Smalley, an employee at City Bicycle Works, said he has been stopped three times within the past five months for riding his fixed-gear bike without brakes, but has managed to evade a citation each time by playing the "ignorance card."

Of the people in Sacramento who ride brakeless, knowing that it's illegal, Smalley suggests some do it as a "f--- the cops" gesture, while others do it because "they know what they are doing." Smalley said he rides without brakes because he, too, "knows what he is doing."

"It's a purely cosmetic thing for me," he said. "I like the minimal look."

Wayne Sigmund, service manager at Mikes Bikes, said that by subtracting brakes from fixed gears -- bikes where you are already constantly pedaling -- ups the risk factor, and coolness factor in the younger community, of the bike.

"It can help you reach a different level of riding, it elevates the danger of the bike ... you have to be more aware, otherwise you put yourself in a lot of trouble very quickly," Sigmund said.

Sgt. David Valdez of the central bike unit of the Sacramento Police Department said that although fixed-gear bikes are becoming a trend, it is against the law in California to ride without a brake.Valdez explained that riding without a brake system is considered dangerous by the police department, even if brakeless, fixed-gear riders use alternate stopping techniques such as side-skidding or pedaling backward.

"I'm sure that there are people that are talented on them, but ultimately [riding without brakes] is not safe" he said.

He added that with an increase in the number of people riding without brakes there will likely be an increase in the number of accidents, which has prompted police to "move away from education and closer to enforcement." He said that a failure to comply with the biking regulation could result in either a fix-it ticket or a violation citation, based on the officer's discretion.

Smalley said although he recognizes the potential danger of riding without brakes, he said he avoids dangerous situations using foresight, making sure to prepare for stops well in advance.

"I just don't put myself in a situation where I need brakes," Smalley said.

Sigmund said he has noticed a large increase in the number of people who get cited for not having bike brakes. "They come in looking for brakes and wanting to get their fix-it ticket squared away," he said.

"Honestly I think it's just cops that just have nothing better to do, so they look for people with bikes that don't have brakes and then they pull them over and give them a ticket," said Jason Martel, a mechanic at Bicycle Chef.

Martel said one his friends got a ticket three or four months ago, and another friend got a ticket just the other week.

When asked what the advantage is to riding a fixed gear without brakes, he said, "Nothing, really, it's actually a lot less safe." Like Smalley, he said that brakeless bikes offer a cleaner look. "I think [it] is why people like fixed-gears so much...When you have a regular road bike there's all these gears, all these cables, all these extra things on there to add weight to the bike," he added.

Martel said he has also been riding a brakeless fixed-gear for fours years and has never gotten a ticket. "I've just learned how to be able to control the bike without needing a brake. I definitely have had my accidents in the past. You have a whole different level of awareness to cars and stuff like that because you have to be more cautious knowing that you can't stop as fast as you would with a brake.

"It's good that people are getting on bikes, in my opinion, even if it's starting to become the trendy thing to do...It's still better than driving a car," Martel said.

Mopeds Vs. Scooters...

2009-07-01T04:54:13Z

The amount of mopeds and scooters out on the roads these days in Sacramento, and really all over the U.S., has been steadily growing in the past few years. I would imagine that this is the most common they have been since the mid to late 70s. I have been watching it happen since about 2005 when I purchased the first moped I had ever even ridden. But even The Wall Street Journal is reporting about their increase in sales.

The Wall Street Journal reports that “domestic sales of scooters have surged as budget- and environment-minded consumers look for relief from high pump prices and as more-appealing models come on the market.” Sales of scooters with engine sizes of 150CCs or less…have jumped 200% to 48,000 by 2004 from c.16,000 in 1999 and they continue to rise."

With so many models to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you, moped or scooter? A moped has pedals so if you run out of gas, you can still pedal home; a scooter does not. If you plan on owning any scooter, you have to have an M1 license, insurance, registration. This isn’t a bad thing considering that most scooters can do a maximum speed of about 39-80 mph.

The decision for me is more about style and preference. Although I myself am a moped person, most people tend to be scooter people just because they are more cushy and comfy and they go faster.

The moped these days is a lot more about restoration and customization. There are so many things that you can do to them and ways to make them look really cool for a lot cheaper than what it costs to buy a scooter.

Here in town if you're looking to find your way into the moped scene you might want to make your way over to Motomatic Mopeds located behind Bows and Arrows Vintage, in the alley. But it is the only place in Sacramento where you can get this type of moped expertise since they don’t really make very many more new ones. In fact, there is only one brand of moped around anymore, and that is Tomos.

So if you really want to get a moped the best way to go about it is to head over to Motomatic or hit up craigslist and start searching for an old rusty moped to get your hands on and then head over to Motomatic to get it running like a champ. Mike Rafter and all the Land Squids over there (Land Squids is the Sacramento Moped gang can do anything from the littlest tune up to full-on customization and overhauling.

If you are in the market for a motor scooter, however, there are a vast number of options to chose from. You can go all over the place and get a scooter for about $1500 brand new. But Vespa still reigns supreme in the scooter world. The Vespa is the classic Italian scooter that basically every other scooter you see on the road was modeled after. If you are looking for Vespa specifically, head to the Internet and check out Vespa.com or you can check out Hot Italian on 16th and Q as well.

I wouldn’t mind having me a sweet old Vespa at some point in time. Regardless of which one you choose, you are getting some bang for your gas buck. Mopeds get around 80-100 miles to the gallon. Four-stroke 150CC scooters top out at 60 mph and get around 70-80 miles to the gallon.

If you are considering alternative transportation, just do a little research, take a few test drives, and you’re bound to fall in love with one of them.

Sacramento region gears up for ‘marine highway’ system: Cargo to be shipped by barge between Port of Oakland and Port of West Sacramento

2009-06-26T18:03:07Z

Very soon, you will see barges loaded with containerized cargo sailing into the Port of West Sacramento. This movement of goods is called the “marine highway” and it will help bring hundreds of new jobs to the region while improving air quality and reducing highway congestion by taking more than 1 million truck trips off area roads.

More than 100 business and civic leaders heard details of the “marine highway” outlined during the Northern California World Trade Center’s annual State of the Sea Ports event, held June 25 in West Sacramento.

The company expecting to begin shipping containerized cargo from the Port of Oakland to West Sacramento and Stockton is Denver-based The Broe Group and San Francisco-based Eco-Transport. Company vice president Alex Yeros said he hopes operations will start this year.

The “marine highway” concept offers many positive contributions to the region’s economy, Yeros said, including creating new family wages jobs in the San Joaquin Valley, reducing harmful air emissions, improving traffic congestion and safety and reducing wear and tear on highways and infrastructure.

“The operational concepts are in place, and there’s enough shippers support to begin an entry level service,” Yeros said.

Currently, more than 25 percent of the Port of Oakland’s import and export freight travels to and from the Valley over the road, so the marine highway is an environmentally sustainable alternative, he said, citing figures that show one container barge equals two stack trains or 350 container trucks.

The marine highway also offers advantages of reducing harmful air emissions—more than 660 tons per day—and reliance on foreign oil as one gallon of fuel can move one ton of cargo 60 miles by truck, 426 miles by train but 500 miles by ship.

Michael Faust, president & CEO of the Northern California World Trade Center, calls the marine highway development potentially a huge economic engine for the Central Valley and our community.

“This will help make Sacramento, Yolo County and the Port of West Sacramento a gateway to Asia,” Faust said. “It will create hundreds—if not thousands of new jobs over time—and also help our agriculture and manufacturing industries stay competitive as shipping costs can be reduced.”

Other positive business developments at the Port of West Sacramento were outlined by Port Director Mike Luken:

• Rice shippers ADM and Farmers Rice exported nearly 360,000 metric tons in 2008-09 to Japan, Korea, Papua New Guinea, in bagged rice. Connell Rice & Sugar sent 20,000 tons of bulk milled rice to Puerto Rico. Increased rice export is helping the port during the recession.

• The Port of West Sacramento is positioned and equipped to help clean energy technology advance at several of the region’s windfarms: 75 complete windmill units and related project cargo arrived in the port June through October 2008 for Solano County.

• Germany-based Enligna is completing one of the world’s most modern commercial wood pellet facilities at the Port of West Sacramento. The project will have a “zero carbon footprint” and create wood pellets from forest wood slash, orchard waste from Valley farms and wood waste from construction projects. The wood pellets are designed to replace coal in coal-fired power plants throughout the Pacific Rim. Exports are expected to be in excess of 235,000 metric tons a year.

• West Coast Recycling is building a plant to shred crushed automobiles, planning on shipping 200,000 metric tons a year.

• Deepening of the Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel 35 miles from West Sacramento to Collinsville will begin thanks in part to the Metro Chamber’s Cap-to-Cap efforts that have secured $10 million in federal funds for the $80 million total project cost.

City Council votes not to move historic passenger depot

2009-06-04T01:41:21Z

The Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday night to accept the recommendation of Sacramento’s Preservation Commission, rescinding a 2007 resolution to move the 1926 historic passenger depot and approving the “Don’t Move the Depot” alternative as part of the city’s Intermodal Transportation Facility Project.

Last night’s decision marks the latest transformation of the Intermodal Transportation Facility Project, which has changed a number of times since 1999. The facility is intended to serve as a multi-use transportation hub, including access to car, city bus, intercity bus, light rail, commuter train or long-distance train.

The project has been the subject of heated debate among local politicians and historians on how to best use the space without damaging the historical integrity of the depot’s structure and usage. At one point, the parcel containing both the depot and the railyard was even considered as a potential site for a new arena for the Sacramento Kings as part of a comprehensive entertainment complex.

In 2007, the City Council voted to relocate the depot by rolling it back approximately 300 feet north, to meet the proposed relocation of the tracks and to act as the hub of the new Intermodal Transportation Facility. In that proposal, housing units and retail space would be created in the depot’s current location.

As Sacramento city staff further researched the issue, concerns were raised regarding the “Move the Depot” decision. As a result, Sacramento’s Preservation Commission was asked to make a suggestion to the City Council regarding two proposals: “Move the Depot” and “Don’t Move the Depot.”

The Preservation Commission overwhelmingly favored the “Don’t Move the Depot” option, citing it as the better option in almost all of the categories under consideration, which included: transportation function, cost, connectivity, historic considerations and deliverability. The “Move the Depot” option was the clear winner in only one area of connectivity – the walking distance between the historic depot and the rails.

Preservationists and historians have taken both sides of the debate, some arguing that the only way to preserve the integrity of the building is to keep it in its current location, while others, such as Kay Knepprath of the “Save Our Rail Depot” Coalition are concerned that the depot will lose its historic integrity if it is located apart from the tracks and not used as an official passenger station.

William Burg, a local historian, spoke to the City Council in favor of the “Don’t Move the Depot” proposal, reiterating that “a building that is moved is not eligible to be listed on the historic register.”

Sacramento city staff urged the City Council to postpone discussion or decisions regarding the logistics of the relocation of the tracks, pointing out that if the project doesn’t begin by the end of this year, funding for the project is at risk.

Ultimately, the possibility of losing federal funding appeared to be the driving force behind the council’s decision. Councilmember Bonnie Pannell (District 8) echoed a common sentiment that, during these trying economic times she “didn’t want to risk losing any federal money that might come to our city.” The city would no longer be eligible for reimbursements of up to 80 percent of the total project cost through federal programs if the historic passenger depot is to be moved from its original location unnecessarily.

The Sacramento City Council will make a decision regarding track logistics at an upcoming meeting.

Sacramento Celebrates "Bike to Work Day," Offers Bike Racks to Businesses

2009-05-21T06:40:08Z

This Thursday morning, I'll be hopping on my bike and heading to work at City Hall to kick off "Bike to Work Day." And the City of Sacramento will be out in force at the Capitol BikeFest at the West Steps of the Capitol from 11 to 1 p.m. too.

To promote bike commuting, the city is offering bike racks to local businesses. The bike racks will be installed in the City right-of-way and become City property, owned and maintained by the Department of Transportation.

Funds for the racks ares coming from the Measure A (half-cent sales tax) Bikeway Fund and from downtown Transportation System Management funds that are earmarked for projects that decrease automotive trips.

Later in the year, the city will launch the second phase of its program to promote bike commuting. The Transportation department will be investing $10,000 from Measure A to leverage $40,000 in grants from the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District bike parking rebate program, which will mean $50,000 for the program. Other business organizations are being approached to participate in cost-sharing as well.

Businesses interested in seeing if they qualify for a free bike rack can call my office, or visit the City’s webpage at www.sacpark.org.

Note: Along with other City participants, DOT’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator Ed Cox will ride his high wheel bicycle in a bicycle ride Thursday morning from the Delta to the Capitol. The ride has been organized by Assemblymember Tom Torlakson’s office. Bicyclists expect to be riding over the Tower Bridge around 8:30 a.m.. Joining the riders is Martin Krieg, who recently set off on a cross-country trip pedaling a rare backwards HiWheel bicycle. Read more about Martin at http://2009hibustour.blogspot.com/.

Historical Train Comes Through Sacramento

2009-04-20T07:49:18Z

At 8 a.m. today, the historic Union Pacific steam locomotive 844 will move through Sacramento in route to Oakland where it will be on display.

The Steamer has been in Roseville at the UP Yard for the past couple of days. Saturday, UP844, along with other UP locomotive memorables were on display for general public and Sunday they were held for a private showing accessed only by UP friends and family. If you are looking for good photo ops to catch old UP844 puffing down the tracks, it will roll out of Roseville and will be highly visible through the wetlands near CalExpo, You should also be able to see the puffer rolling through the downtown Amtrak station and over the "I Street" bridge.

If you miss it's robust whistle and chugs this morning, never fear because you will have another opportunity in a few days as she works her way back up through Stockton, Roseville and Oroville. A schedule has been provided below and the locomotives pictured will be accompanying UP844. You can read all about 844 by CLICKING HERE. Over the next few days you will be able to find the locomotives on display and open to the public in Oakland, Stockton, Roseville and Oroville.

UP844 Heritage Tour Schedule, California
• Monday, April 20
o Depart Roseville- 8am
o Arrive Oakland- 11am

• Tuesday, April 21
o Layover and Public Display at Oakland, Cal-UP Yard- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Wednesday, April 22
o Depart Oakland- 9am
o Arrive Stockton- 11am
o Public Display, Stockton, Cal—Ace Station, 949 E. Channel St.

• Thursday, April 23
o Layover and Public Display- 8am to 5pm

• Friday, April 24
o Depart Stockton- 8am
o Arrive Roseville- 11am

• Saturday, April 25 to Wednesday April 29
o Roseville Layover and Public Display- 10am to 5pm
500 W. Atlantic St.

• Thursday, April 30
o Depart Roseville- 8am
o Arrive Orville- 11am

• Friday, May 1
o Oroville Layover at Mitchell Ave Crossing and UP Tracks

• Saturday, May 2
o Depart Oroville- 8am
o Arrive Keddie- 11:30am / Depart 12:30pm
o Arrive Portola- 3pm

• Sunday, May 3
o Layover and Public Display- 8am to 5pm

What Doesn't Suck about Regional Transit?

2009-04-10T06:11:35Z

A lot! Eager readers expecting a slam on Regional Transit – read on – you might be surprised. That’s another story to be written by someone with an opposing point of view, of which I’m sure there are many. In two years of consistently riding Regional Transit, the complaints I’ve heard run the gamut.

What hasn’t been heard – why nine times out of ten, I ditch my car in favor of Regional Transit? When I started riding the bus, I received numerous offers of rides along with groans of pity when I mentioned I’d be bussing over. To this day, I’ve not yet managed to convince my friends that riding the bus is fun! It’s not just a cost factor – it’s everything from a sense of community to the chance to read the newspaper.

Contrary to popular belief, most drivers do want to talk to and help people. I’ve seen drivers stop on a dime for what’s deemed in the public transit community as “a runner”. I’ve seen them go out of their way to help an elderly or disabled person, and I’ve seen the riders courteously offer their seats to other riders when the bus is full. I’ve personally experienced this, having been offered a seat numerous times when standing on the bus. I’ve made acquaintances and learned about new things happening in the community, and, nine times out of ten, I arrive at work on time.

While I have long been a proponent of Regional Transit, last week, my belief in the system was cemented when I left my lunch on the previous bus or on the island at the connecting point. I mentioned it to my driver, who said that when he went back to the connecting point, he’d check to see if it was there, stated the time he would be back at the stop near my work, and left. Right – I knew I’d never see that lunch again. Ever the optimist, however, I proceeded to the stop at the allotted time, and there he was – right on time – and – there was my lunch! It had to have taken a tremendous effort of coordination for him to recover the lunch and bring it back to me. I really enjoyed my lunch that day!

My opinion is that the issues that most people experience are not due to inadequacies on the part of the drivers, they are due to inadequacies in funding, support, and lack of knowledge about how to use the system – but that’s for another story.

Every morning, I look forward to my brisk (usually very brisk) walk to the bus stop. I get exercise, fresh air, reading time, and save money to boot. Who knows who I will meet or what I will learn today? I need to close for now…I have a bus to catch.

NAST caught in state budget process, but wins mitigation for Highway 50 expansion

2009-03-04T01:20:11Z

As everyone who reads the news or watches TV knows, California’s budget process has been a disaster. This is not too surprising considering the state of the economy, the fact that it takes a two-thirds majority to pass the budget, and the inability of the Democrats and Republicans to work together on anything. But what was surprising was that a recent transportation lawsuit won by Sacramento neighborhood and environmental groups was unexpectedly caught up in the middle of it.

In June of 2007, Neighbors Advocating Sustainable Transportation (a coalition of Sacramento neighborhood and community groups, and the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS)) filed a lawsuit over Caltrans’ inadequate Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for widening Highway 50.

Caltrans plans to add an additional lane to Highway 50 in both directions between Sunrise and Watt Avenue; the lanes would become high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV lanes) also known as carpool lanes. In July 2008, Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley agreed that Caltrans had not complied with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and ordered Caltrans to complete a new EIR.

One of his requirements was that the new EIR include an alternative that could reduce traffic congestion on the Highway 50 Corridor without adding lanes to Highway 50. In other words, a mass transit alternative. In addition, the judge ordered Caltrans to analyze the greenhouse gas emissions that would result from more cars using the widened freeway.

NAST and ECOS were starting to look into such a transit alternative when Governor Schwarzenegger announced that he planned to exempt Highway 50 and ten other highway projects from CEQA. His reason: without CEQA, all 11 projects could begin construction immediately and thus qualify for federal stimulus money. The unsavory catch for legislators and the public: the Governor was asking the legislature to use its powers to overrule the court's decision on the Highway 50 CEQA lawsuit, a very worrisome precedent.

Budget negotiations dragged on. There was a lot of lobbying about CEQA: Democrats wanted no changes to CEQA; Republicans wanted to get rid of it completely, not just exempt 11 projects. State and national environmental organizations weighed in. As the state’s economy continued to worsen, Democrats were under increasing pressure to compromise in order to get a budget passed.

Finally NAST and ECOS were asked if they were willing to negotiate with Caltrans for projects that Caltrans could do to address the problems found by the judge and mitigate the negative impacts of widening the freeway.

After much soul searching, NAST and ECOS agreed. They did so for two reasons: First, it was quite possible that the legislature would simply override their lawsuit and they would be left with nothing. Second, winning an EIR lawsuit doesn’t stop a project, it just means that a new EIR must be done. Hopefully, the new EIR will result in an improved project that fully addresses negative impacts. But, no matter how compelling the new EIR’s findings, the agency in charge of the project, in this case Caltrans, can still ignore them, claim “overriding considerations," and build the project without addressing the public’s concerns.

The NAST/ECOS negotiations were attended by representatives from Regional Transit (RT), Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), the legislature, and state environmental organizations, all of whom had an interest in the outcome for their own reasons. In the end, NAST/ECOS agreed to ask Judge Frawley to vacate his ruling (which he subsequently did) in exchange for major project mitigations that CalTrans would not otherwise have provided: 1) Three years ($3.6 million) of RT’s operating costs for double tracking light rail from downtown to Folsom (this money will leverage construction funds and mean that the double tracking can occur sooner than would have otherwise been possible); 2) $3.9 million in signal improvements that will increase frequency of service from Hazel to downtown and allow for additional peak period express trains from Folsom to downtown and 3) find $820,000 for construction of a bicycle pedestrian crossing over Highway 50 near Mather Field Road to provide better access to the Mather Field light rail station.

Budget negotiations are now over. California has a new state budget. Unfortunately, it is one that leaves much to be desired in terms of neighborhoods, the environment and transportation.

RT’s Folsom line is better off because of NAST/ECOS’ lawsuit and negotiations. But 11 major highway projects, all with the potential to increase green house gas emissions and increase the number of cars on our roadways, will soon be under construction.

The new state budget eliminated all state money for public mass transit. The Highway 50 HOV project will cost $145 million, money that could have been used to give Sacramentans real alternatives to their cars. Hundreds of millions will be spent on the ten other, now CEQA exempt, highway projects.

The Highway 50 project goes as far Watt Avenue. SACOG and Caltrans still want to bring the widening downtown and also add HOV lanes to I-5 and I-80. And Sacramentans who want to use transit are still left with very few alternatives. NAST and ECOS aren’t going away and neither is the fact that Judge Frawley’s ruling was the first time that a judge said that a freeway project EIR needs to look at greenhouse gases and transit alternatives for relieving highway congestion.

The bottom line for NAST is that no additional money should be spent on expanding streets and highways until our region has built a transit, bicycle and pedestrian transportation system that provides people with real alternatives to cars. Such a system would reduce traffic congestion on our existing highway system so that, when you need to use a car, you still can. For more information about NAST and to get involved, go to www.nastsacramento.blogspot.org.

Neighbors take action to improve Sacramento transportation system

2009-03-04T01:16:15Z

Sacramento is a city with limited transit options and lots of freeways, a city at the absolute downstream end of freeway rivers flooded with vehicles. Light rail only serves some portions of the city, and farther out along the light rail lines, many neighborhoods are not connected to stations, forcing residents to drive downtown.

Buses are few and far between. There aren’t enough bicycle routes. Pedestrians take their lives in their hands when they cross the street, even if crossing on a green light with a walk sign. Freeways and streets grow more congested every year and, at least in the Central City, parking grows ever more expensive and difficult to find.

Air pollution is getting worse. Green house gases are rising and people who don’t own cars or can’t drive any longer are finding it difficult to get to work, school or daily errands.

Sacramento is a city badly in need of a transportation make-over of the kind that would provide the average person with a viable alternative to his or her car. Unfortunately, that isn’t the direction in which we seem to be heading.

The Sacramento Council Area of Governments (SACOG), the agency which is responsible for determining how state and federal transportation dollars are allocated, continues to put the bulk of the region’s resources into expanding existing freeways and highways and building new ones. One of the major goals in its 2035 transportation plan is to add so called "high occupancy vehicle" (HOV) lanes, or carpool lanes, to all of our freeways. That means an additional lane in both directions on Highway 50, I-5 and I-80 from outlying areas to downtown. It also means “flyover bridges" that will allow HOV lane users on one freeway to transition onto another freeway without ever leaving their special lanes and new HOV on and off ramps along the WX portion of Highway 50.

SACOG justifies all this on the grounds that HOV lanes will encourage more car pooling and, thus, reduce congestion. But there is no evidence to show that car pool lanes really do get more people to car pool and, except for morning and afternoon peak periods (a total of six hours per day), anyone, solo drivers included, can use the lanes. SACOG’s plans, if carried out, will result in our region spending hundreds of millions of dollars on freeway expansions which will serve only the needs of people who own cars while leaving little money to spend on a multi-modal transportation system that would serve everyone and be more cost effective and efficient.

The first freeway targeted for expansion in the SACOG plan is Highway 50. The potential impact of the Highway 50 widening, including the proposed “fly over” lanes and new, elevated on and off ramps along the WX, galvanized the community into action. Neighborhood associations on both sides of the WX realized that, not only would this project give more money to freeways at the expense of other forms of transportation, but the increased traffic that it would generate, together with the increased noise and visual blight that would result from the elevated fly over lanes and on and off ramps, would seriously impact their neighborhoods. They organized a coalition of neighborhood and community groups called Neighbors Advocating Sustainable Transportation (NAST) to fight back.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that any construction project that has the potential to significantly affect the environment must undergo an Environmental Impact Review (EIR). The purpose of an EIR is to review all the potential impacts of a proposed project -- if and how those impacts can be mitigated, and what possible alternatives there might be to the project. Caltrans' stated purpose for the Highway 50 HOV project was to relieve traffic congestion on the highway by widening it. Caltrans prepared the EIR for the first phase of the project, HOV lanes from Sunrise to Watt Avenue. Although EIR’s are supposed to include alternatives, Caltrans did not think to include the obvious alternative of expanding the capacity of mass transit along the Highway 50 Corridor.

NAST and The Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) reviewed the EIR, found it did not analyze a transit alternative, nor did it address the increased air pollution and green house gas emissions that would result from more vehicles using the widened freeway, and decided to sue. The suit was filed in June of 2007 and on July 15, 2008 Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley ruled in their favor.

Caltrans was ordered to prepare a new EIR and to include an analysis of how much additional green house gas would be emitted if the project were built and how enhancing mass transit in the Highway 50 Corridor would compare to widening the freeway. The judgment was groundbreaking in that it was the first time that a California judge had said that greenhouse gases must be considered as part of an EIR. And it provided NAST and ECOS an opportunity to work with RT to develop a public transit alternative that Caltrans could use for its analysis.

NAST came into being because of the proposed Highway 50 expansion, but NAST members quickly realized that Highway 50 was just one part of a much bigger problem and that it needed to broaden its goals from stopping Highway 50 to fighting for a transportation system that 1) focuses on moving people in the most efficient ways possible rather than solely on moving cars; 2) creates a series of transportation options that will benefit everyone at any time of their life and no matter the price of gas; and 3) protects neighborhoods and business districts from the impacts of traffic and freeways, thus helping them become livable, walkable and bikeable.

The bottom line for NAST is that no additional money should be spent on expanding streets and highways until our region has built a transit, bicycle and pedestrian transportation system that provides people with real alternatives to cars so that traffic congestion is reduced and people who can’t or don’t want to drive can get where they need to go.

For more information about NAST go to www.nastsacramento.blogspot.org.

Stimulating Transit

2009-02-09T22:51:54Z

Fears that the U.S. Senate would gut the stimulus money for transit in the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act" appear to have been unfounded. The Senate is preparing to vote on bill that essentially maintains the House-passed funding levels. The Senate final vote is expected by Tuesday, with the House and Senate conference starting soon after.

According to the American Public Transportation Association, "Transit funding is expected to remain at $8.4 billion and high-speed passenger rail funding will remain at $2 billion. Transportation programs in the Senate bill are funded as follows:

* $8.4 billion, urban and rural transit formula;
* $27 billion, highway formula;
* $5.5 billion, intermodal/discretionary program;
* $2 billion, high-speed rail corridor investments;
* $250 million, intercity passenger rail grant program;
* $850 million, Amtrak;
* $60 million, ferryboat discretionary grants;

Last week Sacramento Regional Transit General Manager Mike Wiley explained the importance of the stimulus package to RT during his monthly web chat.

"RT has been working closely with our funding partners, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, other transit agencies, and Caltrans, to identify projects that will benefit from the economic stimulus program. These projects are intended to provide improvements in our light rail and bus operations, improve transit user information systems, and help us accelerate service improvements such as limited stop (express) services. We are still unsure about how much funding will be provided, but RT is ready to 'hit the ground running' when the funding becomes available. We anticipate that the stimulus package will be signed by President Obama before February 15."

A CITY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE

2008-12-24T06:05:34Z

Greetings from City Hall.

I've been on the job for about two weeks now. Fortunately I was able to hit the ground running with the help of a 100+ community members that were part of my transition team. They included the director of the 40 Acres Art Gallery, the director of Regional Transit, faith leaders, and bicycle advocates. As you may know, my campaign slogan was "A City That Works for Everyone," and we've started out exactly that way.

One of the first products of the transition team's work is a policy paper on transportation, which you can view on my website, www.kevinjohnsonformayor.com. Its focus is to reduce traffic congestion and promote mass transit. I'd welcome your feedback. (More policy discussions will be forthcoming in future columns.)

In the interim, I'm also moving forward with several other initiatives designed to make city government more accountable and transparent. I've begun publishing my daily calendar on the city website (the first Mayor to do so) and am holding media availabilities every week. I'm writing here on sacramentopress.com, but also in several monthly community newspapers (such as "Inside the City" and the "Pocket News"). Watch for me every Monday morning on Fox40's "Mondays with the Mayor," and on News10 "talkback live" every Wednesday at 5 p.m., where you can ask questions live online. You can also hear me on KFBK every Wednesday at 3:30 with R.E. Graswich.

On top of that, I will have open office hours for any city resident at least one Saturday each month, and a "town hall" style meeting in each city council district every month. My goal is to be accessible, and to listen (and respond) to your ideas about how to make Sacramento a world class city.

When it comes to policy, we're also moving fast. I was able to line up the nation's premier municipal budget firm to begin an independent assessment of how our city can can deliver services better. And they're doing it for free!

I'm also pleased to report that we'll be adding 11 more police officers to Sacramento streets beginning in January. I worked closely with the Police Chief and City Manager to hire these new graduates of Sacramento's police academy to help reduce the city's rising crime rate.

I'll be writing more here about policy on a regular basis -- as well as expanding the city's website to include video and interactive features (such as an online town hall meeting). In the meantime, you can get the latest news on my website, www.kevinjohnsonformayor.com and http://cityofsacramento.org/council/Mayor/press-releases.html. I welcome your feedback and insight.

In the meantime, happy holidays!

Light Rail Crime Statistics

2008-12-12T04:26:54Z

As of October 2008, there were 182 crimes reported for the year.

These statistics are for the transit system, which also includes bus travel. Crimes include everything from assault, robbery, auto theft and vandalism to petty theft and trespassing.

In an average month, there is far less crime reported for someone riding the light rail than reported crime in Downtown Sacramento. The Sacramento PD offers a crime mapping tool where you can obtain a detailed report of all crimes during a specified period for either a particular neighborhood or intersection.

In the month of October, 2008, 100 incidents were reported in the downtown area. With 17,000 residents in the downtown area, this makes for 5.8 crimes per 1,000 people.

Compare this rate to reported transit crimes during the same month: 41 crimes for the 1,627,000 transit passengers, which means only .012 crimes per thousand passengers.

However, it's difficult to compare crime in the downtown area with crime related to the transit system. For example, riding in the actual light rail cars would naturally be safer than walking around certain parts of Downtown Sacramento. The light rail cars are heavily monitored by RT officers, while there aren't necessarily going to be officers paroling every street.

Once a person steps off the light rail car, though, safety will depend heavily on the location of the station. Again using the Sacramento PD crime mapping tool, I was able to map all crime that occurred from August through October, 2008, within a one-mile radius surrounding various light rail stations.

Crime varied drastically, even within the downtown stations. At the Marconi and Arcade station there were 222 reported incidents. At the 8th and O street station there were over four times this amount, with 948 incidents. Riders should choose their routes carefully, especially if traveling alone or at night.

How does the Sacramento RT system compare to public transportation in other cities?

Current Bay Area Rapid Transit System crime statistics were difficult to obtain, but in the year 2003 the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency reported .79 crimes per 1,000 patrons, per year. Overall, 17,770 crimes were reported in the year 2003 for the estimated 22,387,072 patrons who rode the BART system that year.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported .0047 incidents on the trolley cars per 1,000 riders in the year 2007.

Off track, Amtrak parking

2008-11-03T10:22:29Z

Our office, The Sacramento Press office, is located at 431 I Street right next to the Sacramento Valley Station. We share a parking lot with the train station.

Parking at this location is not a pleasant experience. The lot serves as parking for our building, the train station and often times the Sacramento Federal Court house.

Most days I choose not to drive to work, firstly because I prefer to use the very convenient light rail option, but secondly because the parking situation is so terrible.

By 10 a.m., the lot is almost certainly full and the few remaining spots are almost always 2 hour spots, not suitable for those hoping to park and ride the train.

After finally finding a spot most travelers are unaware that the most difficult aspect of parking still lies ahead, the parking kiosks. While there are small black signs sprinkled throughout the lot that inform people to remember their space number, that fact often goes overlooked.

Many times I will assist parking lot patrons who have not remembered their space number. Then there are those who remember their space but assume that the letter 'C' on each spot is a part of the number. 'C' in this case stands for "Compact" but try and tell that to a frustrated motorist who can't locate the letter 'C' on the keypad of the kiosk.

And last but not least is the question that almost every person has but is mentioned nowhere in the parking lot; do you need to put your parking slip in your car?

The answer seems to be no, but I will consult the City of Sacramento and find out all the facts.

Until then, share your troubles parking in the Amtrak parking lot in the conversation below. Do you have different problems than the ones mentioned above? Do you have any suggestions for how the lot might be improved?