HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > United States > Pacific West > Sacramento Area


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #861  
Old Posted Jan 8, 2013, 5:37 AM
ltsmotorsport's Avatar
ltsmotorsport ltsmotorsport is offline
Here we stAy
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Parkway Pauper
Posts: 8,064
Official announcement earlier today.

Quote:
Transportation secretary announces $135M for light-rail extension

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood formally announced federal money on Monday for an extension of light-rail service to Cosumnes River College -- a project that local and state officials said will create new jobs and ease the commute from the south part of Sacramento to downtown for thousands of people.

LaHood said the local idea to extend light-rail to the southern part of town fits with President Barack Obama’s vision for how the government’s transportation dollars should be spent.

LaHood pledged $135 million in federal money, to match the $135 million in local funds that are already being spent.

The project will extend the system's Blue Line by four miles, linking downtown to the college, but also linking students to multiple community colleges and saving them bus trips.

At the CRC campus on Monday, some students who take classes there and at Sacramento City College said they take as many as four buses a day to get to CRC, then to the City College campus, then back to CRC before taking a final bus home.

“It takes a long time sometimes,” said Darious Broadway, who commutes with his wife, also a student.

Without the federal money, the project would have stalled, said Sacramento City Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell, who had been pushing for it for 14 years.

Local transportation funds had paid for bridges to be used by the light-rail trains and for a parking structure at CRC for riders, but that was all.

Planners were waiting for federal money before continuing.

Companies can bid on the work starting next month and the laying of track and building of stations should begin this spring, said an engineer for Regional Transit.

Officials hope to have the extension complete by 2015.

http://www.kcra.com/news/politics/Tr...h/-/index.html
Video of news report and link to extension website at original story link.
__________________
Riding out the crazy train
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #862  
Old Posted Jan 14, 2013, 5:15 PM
ltsmotorsport's Avatar
ltsmotorsport ltsmotorsport is offline
Here we stAy
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Parkway Pauper
Posts: 8,064
Here's a link to the Bee article about the expansion. Seems to be a more complete read, and the graphics were great too.

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/01/08/509...ant-keeps.html

$135 million federal grant keeps Sacramento region's rail expansion rolling


A bridge over Cosumnes River Boulevard at Bruceville Road is under construction as part of a project to extend light rail to Cosumnes River College. Area officials ambitiously envision an integrated system including light rail, streetcars and high-speed trains serving the region.


This one is particularly great.



I really like how a northern expansion of the Blue Line would run next to ARC and Auburn Blvd too. Makes the line and destinations along it much more walkable.
__________________
Riding out the crazy train
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #863  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2013, 6:11 AM
v.o.r.t.e.x's Avatar
v.o.r.t.e.x v.o.r.t.e.x is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 29
I kinda like streetcar idea, connection between midtown/medical center and arden mall will make more people use pt
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #864  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2013, 6:54 AM
ThatDarnSacramentan ThatDarnSacramentan is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,047
Why the hell is there a potential streetcar route in Rancho Cordova? Who thought of that?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #865  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2013, 5:01 PM
CAGeoNerd CAGeoNerd is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 353
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThatDarnSacramentan View Post
Why the hell is there a potential streetcar route in Rancho Cordova? Who thought of that?
I think its to alleviate traffic from all of the commuters to the business parks over there, and get people to use light rail to get there. Maybe park and ride locations at 50, and connections to light rail, will make things better over there? I don't work over there so no idea what traffic is like on surface streets, but assuming it sucks.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #866  
Old Posted Jan 16, 2013, 4:04 AM
ltsmotorsport's Avatar
ltsmotorsport ltsmotorsport is offline
Here we stAy
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Parkway Pauper
Posts: 8,064
^That's exactly it. Rancho is the second biggest job center in the region and having an easy way to get from light rail to the offices and business parks will hopefully get more people off of the overcrowded Hwy 50. I'm sure the city could then build some nice infill projects around the system when/if it's built too.

Back on light rail, I'm glad too that the DNA line is not the furthest along in the process and hopefully we'll see a new phase start soon after this extension is done. The missing bridge will hopefully come sooner than later.
__________________
Riding out the crazy train
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #867  
Old Posted Jan 16, 2013, 4:05 PM
ozone's Avatar
ozone ozone is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Sacramento California
Posts: 2,270
As non-suburbanite I don't really care that much about the light rail. It's just more of my tax money going to support/subsidize a questionable lifestyle.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #868  
Old Posted Jan 16, 2013, 8:57 PM
wburg's Avatar
wburg wburg is offline
Hindrance to Development
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 2,402
I'm a non-suburbanite and I use light rail all the time--I think I have visited Folsom more (on light rail) since the Gold Line opened than the previous decade or so before that (by car.) But I mostly use it to get around downtown, like a streetcar, for quick hops to downtown or Old Sac or East Sac. I have only used the Green Line once to get to a meeting at 300 Richards, currently it works pretty much exactly as a streetcar line, a single-car operation to move people from one neighborhood to another. Of course, there isn't much of a neighborhood at Richards yet, but there has been a whole lot of office construction, and groundbreaking for the first residential building in Township 9 happened this morning...so we'll see.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #869  
Old Posted Jan 16, 2013, 11:05 PM
ozone's Avatar
ozone ozone is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Sacramento California
Posts: 2,270
Let's get things straight, light rail is first and foremost a suburban commuter system, and no where near the equivalent of a Metro or Muni or even the old streetcar system. I live three blocks from the station and almost never use LR- unless I'm downtown on foot and really tired or it's pouring rain and can't get a cab or don't want to spend the money. I'd almost always rather walk. It's usually faster than light rail and certainly is a more pleasant experience. Oh I've been to Folsom one time on LR. It was just OK. It's like Old Sacramento, only smaller and much further out. I don't see the point.

Last edited by ozone; Jan 16, 2013 at 11:08 PM. Reason: correct spelling errors
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #870  
Old Posted Jan 17, 2013, 1:30 AM
wburg's Avatar
wburg wburg is offline
Hindrance to Development
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 2,402
I just grab it when it's handy, which usually ends up being several times a week, and generally within the central city. I take buses too, maybe a couple times a month. I often have to jaunt about to a few different events on the same day, and driving and parking are a lot more heartburn than a few minutes sitting on the train. It's also handy for getting to and from Amtrak, as long as the train isn't too late in the evening.

There are plenty of criticisms of our transit system--it doesn't run late enough, often enough, or to enough places for my tastes--but it's useful enough for me to use a lot. Light rail is intended as a regional suburban commuter system, basically like the electric interurban routes it replaced, but it can be used like a streetcar within the central city and adjacent neighborhoods. If we get a streetcar system in addition to light rail, no doubt I'll use that too.

Heck, if Rancho Cordova gets a streetcar line I might go check that out too. But I wouldn't expect it anytime soon.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #871  
Old Posted Jan 17, 2013, 5:50 PM
ozone's Avatar
ozone ozone is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Sacramento California
Posts: 2,270
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley examined the top reasons people stop using public transit. Riders care most about getting picked up from their stop in 10 minutes or less. They're not so interested in whether their rides are crowded or whether they can find a seat. And if you have to wait in the open, exposed to the hot sun or cold rain even 10 minutes can seem too long. For a dedicated train enthusiast like yourself or people who have little options, a wait of longer than 10 minutes is probably more tolerable than it is for the majority of people. Most of the time I could be half way to my destination by the time the train comes. It is a different story for someone coming from Rancho. And most of where I want to go the light rail doesn't. Looking at the old streetcar maps it's pretty clear it was urban-oriented and the current light-rail is suburban-oriented. No way getting around that. Suburbia is predicated upon the automobile. Light-rail doesn't change anything. It only helps to relieve freeway congestion for suburban commuters and give them an option to driving to work. The suburban family is still dependent on the car. The other thing it does is provide poor people from the suburban ghettos an alternative to the bus, for easier access to the Central City. These people don't have a lot of money to spend so their contribution to our very localized economy is pretty limited. Overall I see light-rail is an economic and social net loss. What do you think would happen if it were shut-down tomorrow?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #872  
Old Posted Jan 17, 2013, 6:23 PM
202_Cyclist's Avatar
202_Cyclist 202_Cyclist is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,913
ozone:
Quote:
Overall I see light-rail is an economic and social net loss. What do you think would happen if it were shut-down tomorrow?
1) You would have to add a lot more parking. If this light rail system mostly serves commuter function, you would have to add a lot more parking downtown, either with surface parking lots or structured parking that costs between $30,000 - $50,000 per space. Either way, this would make downtown Sacramento a lot less dense, less walkable, and fewer properties from which to collect property taxes.
2) Congestion on I-80 and Hwy 50 would increase. You may be correct that light rail only captures a small percent of the overall daily trips but many of these are probably peak period commuting trips. When highways are congested, each additional vehicle you add to the road creates a greatly disproportionate amount of additional congestion.
3) Air quality would be adversely affected. The Central Valley already has some of the nation's most polluted air and adding thousands of more vehicles to the roads every single day, especially if they are idling in traffic, would worsen air quality.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #873  
Old Posted Jan 17, 2013, 9:01 PM
wburg's Avatar
wburg wburg is offline
Hindrance to Development
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 2,402
I read that article today too--several of RT's weak points are low frequency and synchronizing transfers between modes. According to the article those who check transit status online are less likely to ride transit for some reason, but personally I find I ride the bus more since RT instituted RT Tracker, which lets you see exactly where the buses are (using a browser) or gives you instant feedback on how many minutes away the next bus is (on your phone.) Studies like that give transit agencies justification to pursue new solutions by identifying problems--they aren't a justification for ending public transit.

All light rail and commuter rail systems are intended to serve the suburbs. That's what BART and Caltrain do in the Bay Area, that's what the rapid expansions of light rail in Los Angeles do. If you want to advocate for a central-city streetcar, that's great, I'm all for it and will back you 100%. But blaming Light Rail for not being a streetcar is counterproductive and silly.

202cyclist has pointed out several ways that Light Rail's presence makes a huge difference already--many of its 50,000 daily riders are commuters who would otherwise have to drive to work, necessitating thousands more parking spaces, more highway lanes, wider and busier streets with less room for sidewalks, trees and other walkability enhancements, and of course a continued strike against residential population density in the urban core. That doesn't just apply to state employees but to the private sector, from the business world to service employees--why should a service worker at a downtown Subway who lives in Rancho Cordova have to buy a car and rent a parking space for a minimum-wage service job? I agree that it might make more sense if that service worker could afford a comfortable apartment downtown and walk to work, but our Mayor seems convinced that the main problem with downtown is that there aren't enough places to park.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #874  
Old Posted Jan 17, 2013, 9:36 PM
ozone's Avatar
ozone ozone is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Sacramento California
Posts: 2,270
And I'm not blaming light-rail for not being a streetcar. Merely pointing out the false equivalent. Yeah I would love to support an urban streetcar system. Where is it? Nowhere. Why? Because all rail funding is going towards suburban light-rail system- for the benefit of the suburban residents. That's not being silly. That's reality.

San LRT you'd have to add a lot more parking. Yeah and the city could actually end up making more money. And it's simply not true that more downtown parking garages would make downtown Sacramento a lot less dense and less walkable. How do you figure? There are tons of empty spaces in downtown now- with our glorious LRT.

Increased congestion on I-80 and Hwy 50. So what? That's the price you pay for your suburban lifestyle. Why should I be forced to subsided it? Air quality would be adversely affected? Maybe so. But we really don't know by how much. Eventually, the hassle of traffic would force people to rethink their choices. Light-rail is just another of suburbia's enablers.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #875  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2013, 2:08 AM
Korey Korey is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 183
I want to see light rail brought to the airport (and an extension of the Blue line north and south) first before talking about streetcars.

And even then I would rather see a streetcar going down Stockton (and maybe back up 65th?) before one in Rancho Cordova.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #876  
Old Posted Jan 23, 2013, 2:36 AM
wburg's Avatar
wburg wburg is offline
Hindrance to Development
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 2,402
Often, transit plans depend on who the willing partners are. The city of Ranch Cordova is interested in a streetcar to help make their "downtown" more amenable to urban development. West Sacramento has taken the lead on streetcar from their city hall across the river to Sacramento because they too want to promote more urban growth, and understand that a linkage to downtown Sacramento (facilitating commuters and shoppers in both directions) is the best way to do that. Meanwhile, while the extension to Cosumnes is funded, Elk Grove doesn't seem that interested in light rail (and started their own transit service to cut loose from RT) and Roseville is utterly uninterested in transit--they don't want to spend the money and don't seem at all interested in promoting non-suburban growth. So the planned lines reflect the priorities of the transit-friendly communities in the region.

Stockton Boulevard would be well-suited to a streetcar (it had one until 1946) but it woildn't be much use unless it went all the way downtown. Building a downtown streetcar forms the core of a system that can be expanded in any direction and is better-suited to intra-city travel, while light rail is better suited for the middle-distance commuter (plus it costs three times as much per mile as a streetcar.)
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #877  
Old Posted Jan 25, 2013, 5:10 PM
ozone's Avatar
ozone ozone is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Sacramento California
Posts: 2,270
Quote:
Originally Posted by Korey View Post
I want to see light rail brought to the airport (and an extension of the Blue line north and south) first before talking about streetcars.

And even then I would rather see a streetcar going down Stockton (and maybe back up 65th?) before one in Rancho Cordova.
I would assume you live in the suburbs.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #878  
Old Posted Jan 26, 2013, 3:31 AM
ltsmotorsport's Avatar
ltsmotorsport ltsmotorsport is offline
Here we stAy
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Parkway Pauper
Posts: 8,064
According to RT's adopted transit strategy, the DNA line is the top priority. Downtown streetcars are next, followed by the NE Blue Line extension to Citrus Heights.
__________________
Riding out the crazy train
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #879  
Old Posted Jan 26, 2013, 6:52 PM
joeg1985 joeg1985 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Chicago
Posts: 324
Having grown up in Elk Grove I think this new extension is wonderful. It will allow for the light rail to be extended all the way into Elk Grove and then possibly the city of Elk Grove building a street car network that extends to the light rail. I dream of the day that Elk Grove Blvd. is a walkable low rise oasis in the greater Sacramento area. The future is all about urbanizing the suburbs. Making the suburbs more walkable and more sustainable. This would go along way towards making that happen.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #880  
Old Posted Jan 26, 2013, 7:01 PM
ozone's Avatar
ozone ozone is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Sacramento California
Posts: 2,270
What a dream.
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > United States > Pacific West > Sacramento Area
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 5:53 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.