Sacramento County Transportation Digest

Public transit is a lifeline for low-income Californians, and the key to realizing reduced carbon emissions. But the state’s major public transit agencies are facing myriad issues and are looking to state lawmakers for a solution.

The Folsom Historic District has launched a new ride-share app that allows easy access to the free visitor shuttle service.

The law was prompted by an audit revealing that up to 35,000 parking placards in use were in the names of deceased people.

Sacramento Rapid Transit, which annexed Elk Grove’s transit system last year, meets to discuss bus stop improvement, expansion, other systemwide adjustments. Draft plan to be released perhaps as early as January.

Next fall, tens of thousands more California 4-year-olds will be able to attend class through a phased expansion of the state’s transitional kindergarten program. By fall 2025, all 4-year-olds will be eligible.

Bobbie Singh-Allen, first directly elected Sikh mayor in America, will be sworn in for her second term as mayor of Elk Grove. She says upcoming tasks includes a new train station, improvements in Old Town, public safety, and affordable housing.

Reviver, a tech company founded by Black entrepreneur Neville Boston and based in Granite Bay, is the creator of the world’s first digital license plate. About 10,000 California drivers bought digital plates during the pilot program.

The trains, built at the Siemens Mobility plant in Sacramento, will allow 70 passengers per car, plus larger spaces for bicycles. All are ADA compliant.

California cities have some of the worst drivers, according to QuoteWizard by LendingTree, an online insurance service. The annual report looked at 2022 data on insurance quotes and ranked cities based on number of speeding tickets, driving citations, accidents and DUIs.

Four of the deadliest stretches of road in California are in Northern California, according to a study by the website MoneyGeek. The report, which analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, includes stretches of freeway in San Jose, Berkeley, Richmond and Sacramento.

Checking for obstacles to foot and bike traffic, a group conducted a walk audit of an area of downtown Galt on Sept. 10. Joining the walk audit, also called an active transportation audit, were organizer Gilbert Valencia and representatives from Sacramento nonprofit Civic Thread.

Elk Grove is moving closer to having its own passenger train station, according to a new city report. Construction on the $42 million station, part of a project to provide passenger rail service between Sacramento and Stockton, is set to begin next year.

Of the Californians who have taken the written exam to get a driver’s license over the past two decades, more than half have failed. The annual rate, however, has been inconsistent.

According to a recent report from Energy Innovation Policy and Technology, in many states, electric cars are cheaper to buy than traditional gas cars.

CalTrans employees, families and friends gathered on the steps of the State Capitol fto remember and honor the 189 public servants who have died since 1921 while building and maintaining California’s transportation system.

A proposal to set up digital highway signs along Alpine County highways has sparked opposition from the Friends of Hope Valley. Caltrans has extended the public comment period until May 2 on signs along Highway 88, Highway 89 and Highway 4.

Backers of California’s High Speed Rail project haven’t had much to celebrate, given soaring costs and scaled-back service, but a new poll shows a solid majority of voters still want to move forward and finish the job.

A multi-phased renovation project is under way to redesign the California State Railroad Museum lobby. On average, the museum welcomes nearly 300,000 visitors during a typical year.

Gov. Gavin Newsom released a proposal to help Californians dealing with high gas prices, while also lowering the cost of public transit. Under the $11 billion proposal, California car owners would get a debit card worth $400 for each car (a limit of two vehicles, but no income cap).

The California Mobility Center held its first public viewing for the Ramp-Up Factory on the first-year anniversary of commercial operations for the facility devoted to commercializing low-emission mobility tech. The CMS is a partnership between SMUD, Sacramento State, UC Davis and the city of Sacramento.

The Biden administration will allow California to set its own rules on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks, rebuffing a Trump-era decision.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’s working on a plan to help Californians cope with rising gasoline prices. The Democratic governor said during his State of the State speech that he will work with the Legislature to provide relief for drivers.

As part of a multi-year effort to generate more sales taxes for Sacramento County transportation projects, a coalition will try to place an initiative on the November general election ballot to raise sales taxes by one-half a percent and generate about $8.5 billion over the 40-year life of the tax.

Volunteers of the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad finally got their wish when a steam locomotive named The Chiggen took its maiden voyage along a section of tracks in Folsom. The locomotive will begin excursion service this year.

The California High Speed Rail Authority announced Feb. 8 that efforts to create a high-speed rail line connecting north and south will cost another $5 billion more than anticipated.

The Capital City CHP says a law putting the brakes on “sideshows” was needed, but safety advocates don’t understand why it won’t go into effect until 2025.

Now that the federal government has passed the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, the SCDA is expecting to receive millions of dollars over the next five years.

The big infrastructure bill passed by the House could mean another $5.8 billion over five years in new federal dollars to California. The bill will help fix highways and bridges, and it provides funding for programs to make communities more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly.

A new rail service connecting Sacramento with the Central Valley and San Jose is behind schedule and over budget, forcing officials to consider dropping some of the 16 new train stations that were part of the $1.3 billion-plus plan.

Caltrans recently announced a Clean California plan that offers volunteers up to $250 for taking the time to clean up litter on a section of highway.

The city of Sacramento is repealing its pandemic-era parking rules, which previously allowed for free parking after 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, and all day on weekends. Meters will be fully restored to the old rules by Jan. 3.

After a 19-month hiatus due to the pandemic, Amtrak once again has a connecting route from Sacramento to Bakersfield. Since March 2020 the route required a bus trip.