Sacramento County Transportation Digest

Get the details of the Sacramento City Council consideration of a Pedestrian Safety State of Emergency declaration and the increasing pedestrian and cyclist fatalities behind it.

Experts don’t know how much gas prices may rise from the revised California climate program, which tightens standards and gives incentives for low-carbon fuels. The board ordered an annual review of the cost impacts.

With the second-most expansive urban tree canopy on the planet (after Paris), clearing the streets of fallen leaves every autumn is serious business.

California motorists buy and consume a billion gallons of gasoline each month and are very sensitive about pump prices, which are markedly higher than those in other states. Naturally, they are a political football.

In their October 23 meeting, the Elk Grove City Council heard from a Sacramento Regional Transit official about plans to extend services into Elk Grove.

The state air board will vote on changes to its landmark clean fuel program that would cut more greenhouse gases but could raise the cost of gas and diesel.

Tens of thousands of California ride-hailing drivers, and possibly more, could eventually get back pay after a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that clears the way for the state and some cities to proceed with their lawsuits against Uber and Lyft.

The state Senate signs off on Gov. Newsom’s bill to stop spikes in California gas prices. A final vote is scheduled on Monday.

On Aug. 31, when Gov. Gavin Newsom called a special session on gas prices, California motorists were paying $4.61 per gallon on average, $1.27 more than the national average.
On October 7, when the state Senate finally convened, prices were $4.68 in California, or $1.51 above the national average.

The Assembly approves Gov. Newsom’s bill on oil refineries on a 44-17 vote. But the state Senate will have its say during the special session.

The governor wants new gas reserves to dampen seasonal price spikes. Refiners say the move would raise prices and require new storage tanks.

With work already underway on the projected $1.3 billion project to expand and upgrade Sacramento International Airport, plans are underway to issue $500 million in municipal bonds to help pay for it.

California is the seventh U.S. state to adopt mobile driver’s licenses for iPhones, part of a growing push by businesses and governments to make digital IDs commonplace.

The Sacramento Observer shines a light on the hundreds of thousands of bats who make their home in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, and how they benefit local sustainable agriculture (and eat a lot of insects.)

The new trains are designed to be easier to use by disabled and mobility-challenged riders.

This city is lending residents e-bikes for up to three weeks and sponsoring a purchase voucher program for qualified applicants.

The Sacramento Bee presents a guide for requesting speed bumps or other traffic calming options to increase road, bike and pedestrian safety in your neighborhood.

California Highway Patrol officers received historically high raises in 2022 and 2023, but it continues to face a high vacancy rate of 16%.

In their August 20 meeting, Sacramento County Supervisors approved $1.75 million in funding
over 5 years for the Sacramento Regional Transit RydeFreeRT program.

The Sacramento Area Council of Governments is seeking public input through an online survey about what areas in the region are most in need of transportation investment.

The Sacramento Bee provides a look at the progress of nine traffic and road projects scheduled for Elk Grove.

Two upcoming road construction projects are expected to lead to periodic traffic delays.

The EPA must grant a waiver before the diesel truck measure can be implemented. It’s one of California’s most controversial measures to clean up air pollution and greenhouse gases.

Sacramento County is seeking public input as it consider how to improve traffic safety on a three-mile stretch of Watt Avenue.

A groundbreaking ceremony on August 5 marked the beginning of the $1.3 billion expansion project expected to be completed in 2028.

Sacramento County is seeking public input and feedback on how to improve the North Watt Avenue Corridor through the month of August.

The City of Elk Grove is launching two programs to encourage electric bike and scooter usage and ownership.

The City of Sacramento is preparing its Streets for People Active Transportation Plan and is seeking public input through online comments and in workshops.

Sacramento International Airport is undertaking seven major upgrades as part of its $1.3 billion SMForward initiative, to be completed by 2028.

The second phase of the Auburn Boulevard Complete Streets Revitalization Project has begun on the section from Rusch Park to Interstate 80.

Public chargers must be built at an unprecedented pace to meet the target in less than 7 years, and then doubled to 2 million in 2035. The high cost — $120,000 or more for one fast charger— is just one obstacle.

Work is slowly underway on the Altamont Commuter Express station on Dwight Road in Elk Grove.