The project will connect Capitol Corridor riders to Sacramento’s future Railyards Plaza
On April 21, 2020, the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) learned that a project to connect the Sacramento Valley Station to the future Railyards Plaza on the station’s north side was awarded $3.4 million in funding as part of the California State Transportation Agency’s (CalSTA) Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP).
Submitted collaboratively by the CCJPA, the City of Sacramento, Sacramento Regional Transit, and Downtown Railyards Venture, LLC, the project will open up the north entrance into the Sacramento Valley Station with a tunnel portal providing train passengers with direct and easy access to the Railyard’s planned housing, business, and retail units.
“The Sacramento Station is a vital hub for Capitol Corridor passengers already, but this project creates even more robust possibilities for encouraging rail travel and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Rebecca Saltzman, CCJPA Board Chair. “When this project is complete, our passengers will be able to step off the train and walk or bike within minutes to a new and vibrant area of the Capital city.”
“I’m proud of the analysis work that SACOG did to support this grant application and its regional partners,” said Lucas Frerichs, a CCJPA board member who also serves as the board chair of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG). “Linking the key transit hub of Sacramento Valley Station to the gateway of one of the largest infill projects in the country is a high-impact, catalytic project that will provide real regional benefits in economic development, transit access, and air quality.”
The grant includes funding for key service integration efforts related to improving light rail and regional bus service to the station, including an I-5 Northbound Ramp Reconfiguration Study, a Bus Layover Facility Study, and a Downtown Sacramento Service Integration Study.
Through this year’s TIRCP, CalSTA awarded 17 state grants totaling $500 million to support California’s public transportation system and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change. The grants are funded with proceeds from the State’s Cap-and-Trade auctions.
See the following from CalSTA for more information about this year’s TIRCP awards:
– Official press release
– Compete list of recipients and brief project descriptions
About the Capitol Corridor®
The Capitol Corridor is an intercity rail service connecting the most economically vibrant urban centers in Northern California – from Sacramento to Silicon Valley, and including San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. With a Café Car and free wifi on board, Capitol Corridor trains provide a convenient, reliable, and comfortable alternative to the congested I-80, I-680, and I-880 freeways for over 1.5 million work and leisure travelers every year.
Contacts:
Karen Bakar (510) 874-7494, [email protected]
Priscilla Kalugdan (510) 464-6992, [email protected]