City of Sacramento
City Council - 5PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2025-01740 10/21/2025
Submittal of Applications for Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant and Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) Regional Project Prioritization Program File ID: 2025-01740
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution: 1) approving submittal of the Transit Needs in Sacramento to meet Climate, Equity and Mobility Goals
grant application to Caltrans Fiscal Year (FY 2026/27
Sustainable Transportation Planning Program; 2) authorizing the Interim City Manager or designee to submit any related documents necessary to support the grant applications; 3) authorizing the Interim City Manager or designee to execute the grant agreements, amendments, and any related grant documents upon award of the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant; 4) approving partnering with Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) to submit the Greenline Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility Study;
and 5) approving submittal of projects to the SACOG Regional Project Prioritization Program.
Contact: Chris Dougherty, Transportation Planning Manager, (916) 808-2669, [email protected]; Jennifer Donlon Wyant, Mobility and Sustainability Division Manager, (916) 808-5913, [email protected]; Department of Public Works Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Resolution
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: Staff is requesting approval to apply to two programs, the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program and the SACOG Regional Project Prioritization Program, and to partner with Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) on one of their project applications.
FY2026/27 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program: Caltrans issued a call for projects for the FY2026/27 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program in September 2025.
Applications are due on November 21, 2025. This program consists of several sub-programs,
File ID: 2025-01740 10/21/2025
Sustainable Communities (Competitive and Technical), Strategic Partnerships (standard and dedicated transit), Native American - Tribal Governments, and Climate Adaptation Planning programs. Individual projects have a maximum request ranging from $500,000 to $700,000 depending on the sub-program.
Staff recommends submittal of one grant application as the most competitive candidate for funding:
Transit Needs in Sacramento to meet Climate, Equity and Mobility Goals .
In addition to the proposed grant submittal above, staff is recommending partnering with SacRT to submit a grant application for the Greenline Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Feasibility Study . SacRT would
lead the submission of this project to the Strategic Partnership - Transit Program.
SACOG Regional Project Prioritization: SACOG’s Regional Project Prioritization Program is a strategy to prioritize a limited number of regional projects to better compete for discretionary federal grant funding programs. Inclusion in this program does not award funding to specific projects but instead develops a short list of projects for regional endorsement for identified funding programs.
Once adopted, these projects are included in SACOG’s state and federal advocacy platform. This program includes two tracks for projects to be prioritized, projects that are seeking construction funding from specific funding programs, and projects still in development. For projects in development, they receive additional technical assistance from SACOG that includes funding strategy support, early advocacy and grant development support. Applications are due to SACOG on October 24, 2025.
Projects that meet the criteria and are recommended for nomination include the following:
· I Street Bridge Replacement
· Envision Broadway
· Sacramento Valley Station
o Regional Bus Mobility Hub (RBMH)
o Westside Access (Northbound Ramp Relocation/3rd Street Extension) · Stockton Boulevard STEP (Safety and Transit Enhancement Project) · Truxel Bridge
Project details are included in the “Background” section of this report.
Policy Considerations: The submission of the projects is consistent with the City General Plan goals of promoting safety and enhancing livability, sustainability, and economic vitality. The recommendations in this report are in accordance with the following specific policies from the Sacramento 2040 General Plan:
M-1.9 Equitable Processes and Outcomes. The City shall ensure that the transportation system is planned and implemented with an equitable process to achieve equitable outcomes and investments so that all neighborhoods one day will have similar levels of transportation
File ID: 2025-01740 10/21/2025
infrastructure such as sidewalks, marked low stress crossings, and bikeways.
M-1.11 Increase Bicycling and Walking. The City shall strive to increase bicycling and walking citywide so that it can meet its equity, reduced vehicle miles traveled, and sustainability goals.
M-1.17 Improve Bicycling Connectivity. The City shall plan and seek funding for a continuous, low-stress bikeway network consisting of bicycling-friendly facilities that connect neighborhoods with destinations and activity centers throughout the city.
M-1.20 High-Frequency Transit Service. The City shall collaborate with the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) to facilitate implementation of high-frequency transit service on a network of interconnected corridors with characteristics that best support high-frequency transit service and those characteristics that meet City goals, managing corridor operations to provide for adequate transit vehicle speed and reliability.
M-1.21 Extension of Transit Service. The City shall coordinate with the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) to plan for the extension of frequent transit service and other related transit improvements that are comfortable, convenient, and interconnected from the Greater Land Park, North Natomas, Pocket/Greenhaven, South Area, and South Natomas Community Plan Areas to areas with concentrated employment. This may include frequent bus service provided by SacRT as an interim solution along routes ultimately planned for light rail service.
M-1.22 Increase Transit Ridership. The City shall support work to increase transit ridership citywide.
M-5.1 Regional Mobility System. The City shall partner with regional mobility partners to plan and operate a cohesive regional mobility system, including the following: Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG); Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT);Yolo County Transportation District; California Department of Transportation (Caltrans); Freight rail operators; Regional passenger rail and bus operators; Adjacent cities and unincorporated areas, and Local transit operators.
M-5.2 Sacramento Valley Station. The City shall work to establish Sacramento Valley Station as the premier regional transit hub of Northern California, linking regional rail, light rail, bus, and high-speed rail service, and plan for the expansion of rail service to strengthen connections between Sacramento, the Central Valley, the Bay Area, Northern California, and beyond.
File ID: 2025-01740 10/21/2025
Economic Impacts: None.
Environmental Considerations: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): The pursuit of grant funds is not subject to the provisions of the CEQA. Under Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Applying for funding is an administrative action which will have no effect on the environment and is therefore not subject to CEQA review. Appropriate CEQA review for individual projects will take place as part of project development.
Sustainability: The projects are consistent with sustainability goals of promoting walking by developing a universally accessible, safe, convenient, integrated, and well-connected transportation system. Transportation is also responsible for 57% of Sacramento’s local greenhouse gas emissions, the single largest sector. Providing safe, walkable, and bikeable transportation alternatives helps to reduce single-occupant vehicle use and contribute towards Sacramento’s climate change goals.
Commission/Committee Action: The City’s Active Transportation Commission reviewed staff recommendations for these grant programs at its September 18, 2025, meeting and the Commission forwarded a recommendation to City Council to submit the Transit Needs in Sacramento to meet Climate, Equity and Mobility Goals Project
grant application.
Rationale for Recommendation: With limited available sources of local funding to meet the City’s goals to advance transportation safety and mobility options, grant funding is essential to deliver projects. In many cases, the granting agency requires that the City Council authorize the list of projects and that the City Manager or designee sign the applications. City staff have reviewed potential projects and identified those that best meet the grant program criteria, are consistent with City policy and programming documents, and have the necessary project delivery readiness.
Financial Considerations: Federal and State funding are the primary sources of funding for transportation projects in the City of Sacramento. The Sustainable Planning grant provides for up to $700,000 in grant funds. If awarded, local match funds would be provided through ongoing transportation programs.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
Background:
FY2026/27 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program Transit Needs in Sacramento to meet Climate, Equity and Mobility Goals:
The City’s Climate Action
and Adaptation Plan calls for reaching 11% of all trips to be made by transit by 2030 to meet the City’s climate goals. The City’s 2040 General Plan supports transit improvements through many
File ID: 2025-01740 10/21/2025
policies outlined in the Policy Considerations in this staff report. City policies also support equitable processes and outcomes.
The proposed project will present the opportunity to identify existing travel patterns for all modes; geographic areas within the city where existing transit service could be improved; identify which non- transit trips are likely to be converted to transit; and identify what the City can do to reach 11% transit mode share.
This project was submitted to the Sustainable Communities sub-program in the last cycle and was not successful. Staff is requesting to confirm that support for resubmission for the upcoming program cycle. The program has a $700,000 maximum award and an 11.47% match requirement. Typically, Caltrans funds a maximum of one to two of the City’s applications. Last year it did not fund either of the City’s applications.
In partnership with SacRT, the Greenline BRT Feasibility Study will be submitted to the Strategic
Partnership - Transit program, a sub-program of the Caltrans Sustainable Grant Program. This program is only eligible to Metropoliotan Planning Organizations and transit agencies. This SacRT- led effort will result in a locally preferred alternative for bus rapid transit service to North Natomas and eventually to the airport. This study is a crucial step toward both adding high quality transit service to the Natomas area and advancing the Truxel Bridge Project.
SACOG Regional Project Prioritization
Staff submitted several projects to this program last cycle including the I Street Bridge Replacement Project, Sacramento Valley Station Improvements, Stockton Multimodal BRT Corridor Project, and the Truxel Bridge Project. Staff is requesting authorization to resubmit these projects for this current cycle of the program as well as applying for a new project, Envision Broadway. Project descriptions for these projects are below.
Construction Projects
I Street Bridge Replacement
The City of Sacramento, in cooperation with the City of West Sacramento and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), proposes to construct a new bridge to replace the vehicle crossing that is currently accommodated by the existing I Street combination rail and auto bridge.
Once the new bridge is built, this project will remove a series of functionally obsolete or structurally deficient bridges (i.e., approach structures) that connect to the upper deck of I Street. The new bridge will also reduce future traffic congestion, improve operations and safety, serve multiple modes of transportation, and comply with current state and local design standards. The project will extend from Railyards Boulevard in Sacramento to C Street in West Sacramento. The project will include vehicle lanes, buffered bike lanes, and wide sidewalks. The project will transform the Sacramento Riverfront
File ID: 2025-01740 10/21/2025
while connecting to significant regional infill redevelopment areas. The project will be an instant regional landmark.
This project applied for the Bridge Investment Program (BIP) for $80 million and in September of 2024 received a highly recommended
ranking by the Federal Highway Administration. The program identifies that it will fund at least one project per State, and the Golden Gate Bridge has already received funding through the program, so it is unlikely that California will receive two awards before all other states have had the opportunity to apply. If awarded, funding would be used to complement Caltrans and state construction funding and reduce the amount that will need to financed.
Envision Broadway
The Envision Broadway in Oak Park project is intended to transform a critical section of the Broadway corridor into a complete street. This project covers Broadway from State Route 99 to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard; it will continue the Broadway Complete Street Project in the Central City (completed construction) and the Phase 3 project east of 24th Street scheduled for construction in 2026. Envision Broadway in Oak Park will create a cohesive multi-modal community street. Traffic lanes will be reduced from 5 lanes to 3 to accommodate new bicycling facilities and improved crossings for walking; the project will enhance the transportation choices for residents and visitors to patronize the businesses and move around in their community. The City Council approved the Plan in March 2020. Subsequently, the City applied for and received federal grant funding for preliminary engineering through the regional portion of the State’s Active Transportation Program. The project is on the Vision Zero High Injury Network and the project is a high priority in the Transportation Priorities Plan. Funding is needed for construction.
Project Development Projects
Sacramento Valley Station
Sacramento Valley Station (SVS) hosts one of the most highly used passenger rail lines on the West Coast, is among the busiest Amtrak stations in the nation, and continues to grow and expand as a Northern California hub in the State Rail Plan, with planned expansion of services to Northern California, the San Joaquin Valley, and the Bay Area. The two following projects at the city-owned SVS will form a new regional epicenter for inter-city buses will also expand the opportunity to grow local transit use with hundreds of thousands of bus and train trips arriving or departing the station in a dense urban transit-oriented district.
Regional Bus Mobility Hub (RBMH)
The RBMH is a 3-level structure with the upper-level prioritizing regional commuter buses with 18 bus bays; the mid-level provides access for shuttles and vans along with 116 parking spaces for EV charging; the bottom at the elevation of the existing passenger tunnel will provide public restrooms and over 2,500 sf for micro-mobility vehicles. The RBMH will be accessible from three entrances: the existing south ramps (with forthcoming realignment of the
File ID: 2025-01740 10/21/2025
light rail station near the top of the ramp); a new entrance connecting directly to the Central Shops District of the Railyards (construction beginning Fall 2025); and an entrance directly connecting a new east-west bike trail on the north edge of the RBMH linking West Sacramento through F Street to the Alkali Flat neighborhood and points east.
Westside Access (Northbound Ramp Relocation/3rd Street Extension) The Westside Access project provides bi-directional access between Interstate 5 and the RBMH for regional commuter buses. The project is possible with the removal of existing infrastructure to be eliminated after completion of the new bridge. Without the project, buses exiting the freeway onto J Street would require a 12-block route to enter the RBMH from F Street in crowded traffic. With the project, buses exiting the freeway at J Street would have a short two-block route to the RBMH. Additionally, I Street between 3rd and 5th Street will be narrowed to three travel lanes, improving pedestrian access and safety, along with the addition of a Class IV (separated) bikeway along the north edge of I Street and wrapping north on 3rd Street into the core of the SVS facility. This project has an approved Project Study Report- Project Development Support (PSR-PDS) to proceed to the Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED) phase.
Stockton Boulevard Safety and Transit Enhancement Project In collaboration with Sacramento County and SacRT, the City seeks to apply for the next phase of funding to enhance transit, improve safety, and provide for active transportation mobility improvements on Stockton Boulevard. Within the City’s jurisdiction improvements would be on Stockton Blvd from Alhambra to 47th Avenue and other corridors. Sacramento County’s improvements would be from 47th Avenue to Florin Rd. Stockton Blvd improvements are identified as high priority in the City’s Transportation Priorities Plan. The project kicked off in 2025 and will be developing locally preferred alternatives in 2026 and completing environmental clearances in 2028.
Funds are needed for final design, pre-construction activities, operations, and construction.
Truxel Bridge
The Truxel Bridge Project is a multi-modal bridge that will cross the Lower American River between Truxel Road and Sequoia Pacific Boulevard. The bridge will connect North and South Natomas to the Central City, spanning over 2,300 feet and be designed to accommodate bikeways, wide sidewalks, lanes for vehicles, and public transit including bus rapid transit or light rail. Funding is needed for preliminary engineering.
..End
RESOLUTION NO.
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
Date
Submittal of Applications for Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant and Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) Regional Project Prioritization Program
BACKGROUND
A. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has issued a call for projects for the FY2026/27 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program.
Applications are due on November 21, 2025. Individual projects have a maximum request of $700,000.
B. The Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant program’s objectives are:
a. Encourage local and regional multimodal transportation and land use planning that advances sustainability;
b. Contribute to the State’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction targets and other State goals;
c. Address the needs of under-resourced communities through robust public engagement; and
d. Assist in achieving the Caltrans Mission and Grant Program Objectives.
C. SACOG released the Regional Project Prioritization Program, a program to help regional capital projects better compete for state and federal funding programs.
D. The 2040 General Plan includes policies that call for increase in walking, bicycling and transit use; and that the City should collaborate with Sacramento Regional Transit District to implement high-frequency transit service, expand service, and increase transit ridership.
E. The Climate Action and Adaptation Plan called for increasing transit mode share to 11% by 2030.
F. Staff reviewed the guidelines for these programs, reviewed the Transportation Priorities Plan; considered necessary steps to achieve the transportation mode shift to more sustainable modes such as walking, bicycling, and transit; and to achieve the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Goals. Based on this analysis, the recommended projects would be most competitive for these programs.
BASED ON THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE BACKGROUND, THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Transit Needs in Sacramento to meet Climate, Equity and Mobility Goals is approved for submission to the Caltrans FY2026/27 Sustainable Transportation Planning Program within the Sustainable Communities Grant up to $700,000 each.
Section 2. The Greenline Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility Study is approved to partner with Sacramento Regional Transit to submit to the Caltrans FY2026/27 Strategic Partnership – Transit Program.
Section 3. The I Street Bridge Replacement Project is approved for submission to the SACOG Regional Project Prioritization Program.
Section 4. Envision Broadway is approved for submission to the SACOG Regional Project Prioritization Program.
Section 5. Sacramento Valley Station is approved for submission to the SACOG Regional Project Prioritization Program.
Section 6. Stockton Boulevard STEP (Safety and Transit Enhancement Project) Project is approved for submission to the SACOG Regional Project Prioritization Program.
Section 7. Truxel Bridge is approved for submission to the SACOG Regional Project Prioritization Program.
Section 8. The City Manager or designee is authorized to submit any related documents necessary to support the grant application.
Section 9. The City Manager or designee is authorized execute the grant agreements, amendments, and any related grant documents upon award.