Sacramento, CA (Oct. 4. 2023) – The City of Sacramento marked Clean Air Day by celebrating the completion of a new network of protected bike lanes that make it safer and easier to get to central Sacramento without a car.

The new lanes will also connect to the planned Midtown Train Station, a planned stop on the northward extension of Amtrak’s rail service between the Bay Area and San Joaquin Valley.

City officials were joined at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday by partners from the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) and the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA), marking the successful buildout of the parking-protected bikeway network, a pivotal component of the Central City Mobility Project.

The event, held at the Midtown Bark Park, celebrated the parking protected bikeway network as part of the Central City Mobility Project, and highlighted how the bikeways will create connectivity for the new Midtown Train Station currently in final design preparation.

This event underscored the nexus between active transportation, rail transportation, and affordable housing. Through its work on the Midtown Train Station, the SJRRC successfully partnered with the City of Sacramento and provided $3 million in grant funding to support the bikeway extensions along 19th and 21st. In addition, SJRRC partnered with EAH Housing to help secure grant funding for the On Broadway 140-unit affordable housing project, which will connect the active transportation network and station site to these new affordable units and the Broadway corridor.

*Map of the Central City Mobility Project*

The celebration featured remarks from local elected officials and project stakeholders, including Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, Supervisor Pat Hume (Chair of SJJPA), and City of Ripon Vice Mayor Leo Zuber (Chair of SJRRC).

“We’re here to celebrate the great things that happen when bikability, walkability, and transit come together,” said Megan Johnson, Senior Engineer, City of Sacramento. “This implementation of the Central City Specific Plan identifies different streets for different types of bike facilities so that any interested person – a confident cyclist, or a concerned rider, or a parent riding with children – can all find bike facilities that get you to where you want to go on the grid.”

Mayor Steinberg highlighted the importance of approaching transportation solutions from a regional perspective. He stated: “Our air quality doesn’t go from good to bad or bad to good when you cross one city or county border, neither does congestion, neither does the climate imperative.”

The Midtown bikeway network makes it easier and safer to pursue active transportation options in the city, thereby supporting sustainability and helping meet environmental, congestion, and climate change goals. There is no new parking associated with the Midtown Station plan – instead the SJRRC/SJJPA (in coordination with the City, SACOG and State) focused on providing the $3 million grant to enhance bike connectivity along 19th and 21st streets, and also secured another $3 million to enhance pedestrian connectivity in the station area, safety improvements and beautification of the station area. The Midtown Station is being envisioned as a station where most passengers will walk, bike, or take transit (Sac RT bus or light rail) to access the station.

*New parking protected bikeway in midtown Sacramento.*

“One of the fundamental things we need to do as a community to have residents and visitors make the choice of taking active or public transportation is having comfortable and safe infrastructure for them to use,” said Jameson Parker with the Midtown Association. “These protected bicycle lanes are exactly the type of improvements needed to begin to shift that behavior. Expanding our public transportation system and enhancing the number of streets that truly support active transit is not only a success for Sacramento’s air quality, it is also a critical opportunity to improve the economic viability of our community. Expanding the San Joaquins and ACE train services also opens our region to those who might be limited by personal transportation restrictions or those who might simply want to visit without the need for a car.”

The Midtown Train Station, sited for 19th and Q street, is a crucial component of the Valley Rail Project. Valley Rail is a joint program that includes improvements and expansions for both ACE Rail and Amtrak San Joaquins. The program will bring new stations and greater frequency of service to better connect passengers between the Central Valley, Sacramento, and the Bay Area. Service will be running by the end of 2026 to the new Midtown train station, as well as to new stations in Natomas and Elk Grove.

“We are proud that we were able to partner with Sacramento to provide funding and help build out the bikeway project a little quicker and larger than would have been possible,” said Leo Zuber, Chair of SJRRC and Vice Mayor of the City of Ripon. “This partnership demonstrates success in regional coordination and leveraging grant opportunities to bring meaningful and multi-modal transportation solutions.”