MAJOR PROJECT SUMMARY 

DOWNTOWN RIVERFRONT STREET CAR:  The cities of West Sacramento and Sacramento, together with the Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) and Yolo County Transportation District (YCTD), recently entered into an agreement to collaborate on the first streetcar project in the Sacramento area since previous streetcar service was supplanted over 50 years ago.

Streetcars are an important part of both cities’ transportation history. Until 1941, a previous streetcar line linked West Sacramento and Sacramento’s central city across the Tower Bridge. A revival of streetcars is taking foot across the country with great examples in Portland, Tampa, Memphis and Little Rock Arkansas.  In these cities, streetcars have provided not only an attractive transportation option, but have played a significant role in resurgence of urban development and activity, triggering significant investment.

As an example, a recent report by the Leland Group, commissioned by RT, indicates that since construction began on the Portland streetcar line, more than $1 billion in real estate development has taken place near the alignment, and much more is planned.  According to the Leland study, “Some of the Portland streetcar’s greatest champions have been real estate developers who recognized the connection between livable, high-density urban neighborhoods, and the ease of mobility offered by the streetcar.”

The cities hope to build on this type of interest and develop an effective public-private partnership to make the project happen.  This partnership, along with an aggressive “fast-track” schedule, distinguishes and defines the proposed street car project.  Should the feasibility and financing studies conclude that the project is a “go”; the cities have established a goal of starting construction within the next 3 to 5 years. The Feasibility studies will include technical studies, financial studies, public interest and outreach, and preliminary environmental screening.

STATUS: 

Consultant Selection will take place during the summer of 2006.  Feasibility studies will begin in September of 2006 and conclude by the summer of 2007.                          

Links:

Next Stop Sacramento, by the Leland Group

Phase I Funding Study, by Economic & Planning Systems

2006 SACOG Community Design Grant Application

June 2006 Request for Proposals

www.riverfrontstreetcar.com

Connection to SRCSD :

The West Sacramento wastewater treatment plant is now going through a decommissioning process that will last for the next several months. Ultimately, the plant will be demolished to make way for future riverfront development. However, the City has and will continue to operate and maintain the city sewer collection system, which consists of 13 sewer lift stations.

For more information on the LWNI project details, please contact Mike Bessette, Associate Civil Engineer at (916) 617-4645

For more information on Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, please visit their website at www.srcsd.com

To report a sewer back-up, please contact Public Works at (916) 617-4850.

Relinquishment of the right-of-way and facilities from the state to the City became effective January 1, 2001. Control of this right-of-way will enable the City to convert the route from a freeway corridor favoring high-speed vehicles to an urban boulevard accommodating pedestrians and bicyclists and providing improved connections between the "Triangle" area and West Capitol Ave. corridor and Raley's Landing.

STATUS:

West Phase, Garden Street Intersection: Construction is to begin in early fall of 2006 and be completed in 2007.

East Phase, Third and Fifth Street intersections: Implementation of the second Phase is dependant upon resolution/relocation of the Lone Star rail spur, and funding for right-of-way acquisition and construction.

A combination of redevelopment funds, grant funding (yet to be acquired) and development impact fees will fund the project construction.

CONTACTS:

Toby Wong, Associate Civil Engineer, (916) 617-4645

US50/HARBOR BOULEVARD INTERCHANGE IMPROVEMENTS: The project will widen Harbor Boulevard and the Harbor Boulevard over-crossing structure to six lanes, modify the geometric alignment of the ramps and install ramp metering. Auxiliary lanes will also be provided for westbound traffic between Jefferson Boulevard and Harbor Boulevard and from Harbor Boulevard to the Interstate 80 Connector ramp. Front Street, Freeboard Street, and Halyard Drive will require minor realignment or modifications to accommodate the interchange improvements. The total project cost is estimated at $36.7 million. The construction cost, including construction management and inspection, is an estimated $23.5 million.

STATUS:

Final Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED) are complete. Construction had been targeted for 2005; however the State budget crisis forced delays. Right-of-way acquisition is now proceeding.  Currently, funding is projected to be available in 2011. However, the City is hoping to move construction up to 2009. 

In the meantime, the City is working with Caltrans on interim improvements to increase the level of services at the interchange ramps and gain operational improvements until the ultimate project can be constructed. The City will construct the interim improvements during the summer of 2006.

Notice of Construction (PDF)

CONTACTS:

CITY:  Cameron Beebe, Senior Civil Engineer, (916) 617-4645

CALTRANS:  Clair Singleton, Project Manager (916) 274-0653

MEASURE K ROAD REHABILITATION: With limited funding, all local agencies struggle to find ways to maintain the investment in their streets, to keep them in a state of good repair. In November 2002, the City’s ability to address these needs received a boost when city voters approved Measure K. Measure K provides an one-half cent tax on all sales within the City of West Sacramento. West Sacramento is in the unique position in which the majority of sales that are taxed are business-to-business transactions that do not impact our City residents’ personal expenditures, but that will generate revenue through the tax to benefit our residents.

The Measure K Sales Tax has afforded the City the opportunity to establish a consistent meaningful road rehabilitation program during the life of the sales tax. This is a contrast to the recent past when the City has had to rely upon fluctuating grant funding for road rehabilitation. As proposed, over the 10-year life of the one-half cent sales tax, the program directs $1 million annually towards pavement rehabilitation projects. A five-year Road Rehabilitation Program was developed and accepted by Council in 2003.

When presented with the proposed Road Rehabilitation Program in June of 2003, the Council expressed a desire to explore a more aggressive pavement rehabilitation/maintenance program. Please click HERE to view the 2003 report. In May of 2004, the City Council approved an approach for a more aggressive accelerated, Measure K program along with the associated costs and considerations. The 2004 City Council report for this program may be viewed HERE. The PDFs listed below are projections for the future progress of the program based on the accelerated approach. (Low Quality is recommended for dial-up users due to download times.)

STATUS:

After four years into the Road Rehabilitation Program, funded by Measure K sales tax, the City has completed rehabilitation of over 61 centerline miles of city streets at a cost of approximatly $10.74 Million.  The rehabilitations completed have consisted mostly of slurry seals, asphalt rubber cape seals, and some overlays. 

In lieu of the conventional grind and overly treatment, the City has started to utilize a different, less commonly used, form of rehabilitation treatment called a Rubber-Asphalt Cape Seal.  This treatment is basically a Rubber-Asphalt Chip Seal (using bigger aggregates) on the bottom, followed by a standard Slurry Seal (using smaller aggregates) on top.  When the Cape Seal process is finished, the Chip Seal should not be noticeable, so that the Cape Seal street will look just like streets that received only the Slurry Seal.  The Rubber-Asphalt Cape Seal provides a stronger pavement surface (by providing a stress absorbing interlayer - Chip Seal)  for those streets exhibiting severe distresses, at half the cost of a conventional grind and overlay treatment.  For those who want to learn more about this Rubber-Asphalt Cape Seal process, you can go to the website for the Western Pavement Maintenance Association (www.wpma.net).

Asphalt Rubber Cape Seal Informational Flier

CONTACTS:

SACRAMENTO RIVER CORRIDOR PLANNING FORUM:  Convened in 2002 by the Reclamation Board, the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, the Cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento and Sacramento, Yolo and Sutter Counties, with the cooperation of DWR and the Army Corps of Engineers, the Forum is a voluntary collaborative planning effort drawing together 45 public agencies and private interests with a charge “to identify goals and policies for sound floodplain management, flood conveyance, erosion control, levee stability, and levee maintenance, including guidelines for riparian habitat, public recreation, and riverfront development as floodway encroachments.”

The Guidelines represent an extraordinary effort to define jointly a set of tools and methods on how to enhance common values within the corridor and where possible expedite the decision process through wider understanding and agreement on criteria for design of floodway projects for all purposes. The meetings continue to bring together flood control engineers, land use planners, habitat ecologists, farmers, recreation planners and a variety of business, community and public interest groups to work through issues in a proactive manner.

STATUS:

During the summer of 2006, the guidelines will be presented and discussed with the State Reclamation Board, in which rests permitting authority for projects along the Sacramento River levees.  After Reclamation Board review the guidelines will be taken to the individual participating agencies for approval.

How can you share your views?
Interested individuals and organizations are encouraged to contact Jody Monaghan, Assistant Mediator/Facilitator (916) 445-2079, Email:   jmonaghan@ccp.csus.edu for more information.

For more information on the Forum, connect to:
http://www.safca.com/collaboration/SRPF.html

CONTACTS:

SOUTH RIVER ROAD BARGE CANAL CROSSING & VILLAGE PARKWAY EXTENSION:  The South River Road Barge Canal Crossing and Village Parkway Extension Project includes:

       •   four-lane bridge over the Yolo Barge Canal (approximately 460 feet long)

       •   extension of the four lane Village Parkway to the new canal crossing

         •   widening South River Road to three lanes (north of Barge Canal to the

           business 80 off-ramp)

A four-lane viaduct is planned to accomodate traffic circulation within the future park/development area to the south of the barge canal.

The widening of South River Road to three lanes north of the Barge Canal is considered interim due to existing right-of-way constraints along this segment, enabling earlier implementation of the project. As the South River Road industrial area redevelops, the ultimate widening of South River Road to four lanes will be required. Additionally, the project will include a two-way left-turn lane, median islands, bike lanes, traffic signals, curb, gutter, sidewalk, storm drainage, and landscaping.

Traffic Impact Fees are funding the project.

STATUS:

Dokken Engineering is providing engineering design, environmental assessment and right-of-way engineering services for this project. The project is currently under design. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is scheduled to be available for public review in May 2006. The project design will be completed in December 2006, with construction beginning in the spring of 2007. Construction is expected to wrap up by summer 2008.

CONTACTS:

U.S. 50/JEFFERSON BOULEVARD & U.S. 50/SOUTH RIVER ROAD INTERCHANGES:  The project involves the improvement of the existing interchanges at U.S. 50 and Jefferson Boulevard and U.S. 50 and South River Road in West Sacramento. The improvements are identified in the City’s General Plan to help mitigate the cumulative effects of anticipated development, improve traffic operations, relieve traffic congestion and improve safety conditions. Previous studies have identified various needed improvements to ramps, traffic signals, cross streets, and the Tower Bridge Gateway (relinquished SR275). The City will be the lead agency for this project. 

Traffic Impact Fees are funding the project.

STATUS:

The City requested proposals for engineering services for the preparation of a Project Study Report (PSR) for improvements to the U.S. 50/Jefferson Boulevard and the U.S. 50/South River Road Interchanges. Consultant proposals were received on March 24, 2006, and are currently being reviewed. The City expects to have a consultant onboard by the end of May 2006 to begin the technical analysis.  The PSR work will include community outreach to identify community issues and concerns to consider in the fomulation of alternatives.

CONTACTS: