Getting around Sacramento... it's all part of the Masterplan

In Sacramento, gas prices of $4/gallon have led to a 43% increase in light rail use over the last year with record levels of traffic this summer. With this in mind, Steer Davies Gleave will be inputting into a new 30-year Transit Masterplan for the city.

Sacramento’s previous Transit Masterplan was published in 1993 by local transport operator Regional Transit. Needing a radical rethink of the city’s long-term transit needs, they brought us on board to help develop a new strategy for the long-term development of public transportation in and around the city.

The Sacramento region has developed as a low-density urban area with a population of around 1.2 million. Shopping malls, single-family homes and households with two or three cars have defined the form of the region, meaning that it is very dependent on private cars.

Concerned about climate change, air quality and a forecast of population increase, local governments drew up a long-term Land Use Blueprint in 2004 that applied smart growth principles intended to shape a more sustainable urban structure.

A key component for the success of the Blueprint is a Transit-Oriented Development program that will provide a wider choice of transport and reduce reliance on the car. Hence the new Masterplan will focus on theneed to link future transit investment with higher density and mixed-use development.

Regional Transit already operates a successful light rail network which opened in 1987. It has since expanded and now consists of a two-line 59.5 km network with 47 stations providing good links between the central area and southern, eastern and northeastern suburbs.

As fuel prices have climbed, Sacramento’s light rail lines have witnessed significant passenger growth. In April 2008, ridership showed an increase of 43% compared to 2007, and this was followed by a 22% increase in May. Records continue to be broken. In May this year Regional Transit experienced its highest ever total monthly ridership with over 3.2 million passengers.

The challenge

Looking back to when light rail service began in 1987 reveals the extent of the challenge set in the Masterplan. Then it was a world without the laptop, the internet and the widespread use of mobile phones. These and other new technologies have changed lifestyles radically.

Such changes have caused the geography of the region to alter. While the downtown area remains a focus for government-related jobs, new employment has dispersed to Rancho Cordova, Folsom, Elk Grove and elsewhere. This has created a serious challenge for Regional Transit: how to provide a viable transit offer across a low-density multi-centre region?

A commitment to higher density development from local jurisdictions and developers is likely to be a prerequisite for Regional Transit to promote the case for major capital investment in the transport network. Development of the Masterplan has also drawn from a ‘Put the Passenger First’ approach. This simplifies the complex interactions across the region’s transport network and addresses the key needs of a typical or occasional user.

Drawing on Steer Davis Gleave’s transport planning experience in the UK, the approach being developed focuses on stronger integration. The final output will highlight the need to link transit investment proposals with complementary land uses by means of Transit- Oriented Development measures and transport demand management. Alan Jones, Project Director said, “the Masterplan will set out the way forward for the next 30 years and redefine transit’s role in Sacramento’s future.”

More ambitious plans

Current proposals for streetcars, similar to Portland and Seattle, are being reviewed with more ambitious plans for networks that extend beyond typical US projects where they are seen as downtown ‘pedestrian accelerators’. European-style trams are being considered across a wider network with more road space allocated to give public transport priority.

This bolder approach will add capacity and increase reliability on important routes that will serve the downtown Railyards development, the CSUS university campus, the Arden Fair shopping mall and the Cal- Expo site. Tram routes are also being considered for Rancho Cordova, where commercial developments are driving a new focus for employment with over 100,000 jobs.

These proposals are just some of the measures that are being developed and tested through an extensive outreach program, including an SDG-designed project website (www.sacrt.com).

Results so far show over 80% support for major investment in public transport. Further outreach this autumn will launch a ‘willingness-to-pay’ game to test whether the public appetite for change extends to support for local funding to allow delivery of the Masterplan. The fuel price surge and credit crunch have brought into sharp focus the need for a different approach in Sacramento. Regional Transit’s core aim is to shift attitudes from a transit lifeline service to a lifestyle choice.

The original article, ‘Master Plan will shape the future network’ appeared in the September 2008 issue of the Metro report.