City of Sacramento shows major progress on climate action, staff reports
Sacramento, CA (May 3, 2023) - The City of Sacramento has taken significant steps to address climate change through investments in transit, housing policies that encourage infill, and new requirements for environmentally sustainable buildings, staff outlined in a presentation to the City Council on Tuesday.
Rendering of planned design for Sacramento Valley Station
While acknowledging that much work remains to be done, Climate Action Lead Jennifer Venema shared efforts that have made the City of Sacramento a leader in the region when it comes to addressing climate change on the local level.
“Sacramento has been a leader among local jurisdictions. Our housing policies alone, for example, are creating thousands of new units in walkable neighborhoods close to transit. I am very proud of the work done by our climate action team," said Mayor Darrell Steinberg.
Transit: City staff led the way in securing $68 million for regional rail, bus, and transportation improvements for the Sacramento Valley Station in the last year. Expanding the Sacramento Valley Station into an intermodal hub is a critical piece of the Sacramento region’s goal of reaching carbon zero by 2045.
Electrification: Powering HVAC systems, water heaters and appliances with electricity rather than gas cuts greenhouse gas emissions and reduces the release of toxic gases in homes. Sacramento is one of the first 100 cities in the nation to require that 100 percent of new buildings be electrified by the end of this decade. Since Jan. 1, Venema said, the City of Sacramento has issued 40 permits for new buildings that will be powered entirely by electricity.
Active transportation: Three different projects totaling $43 million that will make it easier to bike, walk and scoot in Sacramento are currently under development: the Del Rio Trail, the Downtown Mobility Update, and the Complete Streets Broadway project. In 2016, there were no protected bike lanes in the city. We now have more than 2.3 miles of protected bikeways in the Central City, approximately 1 mile of protected bikeway on Franklin Boulevard from Mack Road south into Elk Grove, 4 miles of buffered bike lanes on Mack Road, Elvas Avenue, 24th Street near Curtis Park and other streets, and a new shared-use path along the American River at Sutter’s Landing Regional Park.
The report also noted that the full 2040 General Plan is out for public review through August. You can learn more about the General Plan here.
Watch the full climate update here:
