SACOG in the 2013 funding round allocated $9M to the Riverfront Reconnection project in the City of Sacramento. This phase extends 2nd Street from Old Sacramento to Capitol Mall, providing an easier access to Old Sacramento, and also adds sidewalks to O Street and improves sidewalks and bike lanes on Capitol Mall between 3rd Street and the Tower Bridge. The overall purpose is to create or restore connections between downtown Sacramento and Old Sacramento which were severed by Interstate 5.

Phase 2, which was not funded in this round, would create an extension of 2nd Street to a revised Front Street south of Capitol Mall. Future phases, not yet clearly defined, would add a bridge over Interstate 5 in alignment with N Street, connecting to this southerly extension of 2nd Street/Front Street. The entire project was estimated to cost about $38M. The original project parameters included a decking over of Interstate 5 between O Street and Capitol Mall, but this was rejected for cost reasons – $250M or so. However, I think that this alternative should be kept on the table, and I’ll post about it in the future as part of my larger analysis of reconnecting the grid. I mentioned decking in my earlier post and the freeways, and briefly in freeway teardown.

The diagram below shows the eventual improvements for the entire project, but Phase I includes only some elements:

• new connection into Old Sac (2nd Street extension, at right)
• bike/ped improvements (to O Street Bridge, at left)
• bike/ped improvements (to Capitol Mall and bridge, part of the “new at-grade intersection and bike/ped improvements”, at center right)

The “new bridge” for N Street and the “reconnection of Front Street” are not included in this phase.

See the City of Sacramento information page for the I-5 Riverfront Reconnection.

from the SACOG Final 2013-2014 Flexible Federal Programming Round project list, which allocated $9M to Riverfront Reconnection Project Phase 1:

City of Sacramento

46. Riverfront Reconnection Project – Phase 1

The project would build a new ramp to Old Sacramento at Capitol Mall and Second St., build a new traffic signal on Capitol Mall at Second St., build a sidewalk on O St. Bridge, and build new sidewalks and bicycle lanes on Capitol Mall. The purpose of the project is to improve travel along Capitol Mall, provide better access to Riverfront businesses, and provide multi-use connectivity for existing and future development.

Staff recommends partially funding this project for improvements along Capitol Mall and Second St.

Total Cost = $10,600,000
Request = $9,400,000
Recommended = $9,080,000

Snapshot of Application Review Comments and Analysis

• This project would provide substantial improvements to accommodate the anticipated growth in non-motorized travel in this area and provide continuity from 3rd Street into the City of West Sacramento.
• The proposed 2nd Street Bridge from Capitol Mall to Historic Old Sacramento would create a new intersection on Capitol Mall that would improve access to Old Sacramento and become a gateway.
• Removal of the N St. to Capitol Mall connection would open adjacent land to planned mixed-use infill development near I-5.
• The project improvements would complement future investments in the area, including the Entertainment Sports Complex and the Downtown Streetcar project.
• The City has invested considerable resources in this project to complete project development work and prepare it for construction.