For previous posts on the proposed Truxel Bridge, see category Truxel Bridge.

The 2025-01-16 agenda for SacATC (City of Sacramento Active Transportation Commission) includes item 5: Alternative Recommendation: Truxel Bridge Concept and Feasibility Study. The staff report, American River Crossing Alternatives Study Summary Report, American River Crossing Alternatives Study Technical Report, presentation boards from workshops, and the SacATC letter to council are available as separate documents since the agenda item document is huge.

You may comment on this agenda item in person, which is always most valuable, or by submitting an eComment ahead of time (the earlier the better, so that commission members will see it before the meeting). Though the meeting may be viewed online during the meeting, comments are not longer taken online.

Consistent with STAR’s previous concerns and positions on the Truxel Bridge, the only recommendation in the staff report that is acceptable is “3) reject the Truxel Bridge Concept and Feasibility Study and instead recommend that the City Council direct staff to evaluate and study a Truxel Bridge alternative without personal motor vehicles”. Though city staff would like approval of one of the four alternative alignments, none of these are acceptable because the all include capacity for private motor vehicles. Not only would this violate the original concept adopted in the American River Parkway Plan and SacRT’s preliminary project for a river crossing of light rail, they would greatly increase the cost of the bridge and the footprint of the bridge in the sensitive American River Parkway.

The well-written SacATC letter to council provides a great summary of why a bridge with private motor vehicles is the wrong solution, both for the need to cross the river, and for all the other city goals for climate, transit mode share, active transportation mode share, protection of the parkway, and livability.

Neither STAR nor any of the organizations and individuals commenting on this project doubt that a bridge over the river is necessary. The existing walking and bicycling routes are either flooded during many winters or are very long. A bridge is needed, but a private motor vehicle bridge is not.

The original proposal for a Truxel Bridge by SacRT, and accepted in the American River Parkway Plan is shown below. Though in general STAR believes that single track segments present pinch points that slow overall service, this should be the starting point for new discussions of a bridge.

In addition, alternative 8, which is a crossing of the river on alignment with the existing Hwy 160 bridge, should be brought back into consideration. Though it is less direct than the other routes, and would be more expensive, it should not have been summarily eliminated from the original city study.

• SacATC
• Truxel Bridge