The Sacramento City Council approved the staff recommendations on the Truxel Bridge project at the Tuesday, February 18 meeting. The meeting lasted over three hours, with the only agenda item being the Truxel Bridge Concept and Feasibility Study. Most speakers were against the inclusion of private motor vehicles on the bridge, and the Sacramento Active Transportation Commission (SacATC) had provided a letter asking that a transit-only bridge be considered. The design alternative adopted is 3B, shown below. This is the widest but not most expensive option.

Dan spoke on behalf of STAR to say that while we recognize the need for a flood-free bicyclist bridge over the river, and better transit service to Natomas, if that transit service is BRT rather than light rail, the bridge has a much smaller benefit to transit since BRT an use the jog to the freeway and back. We were not able to stay for the entire meeting, but the video is available.

So, with the approval of the study, what is next?

• The city is pursuing modification of the American River Parkway Plan with Sacramento County, to allow a multi-modal bridge, which is prohibited by the current plan. If the county approves, the modification would also have to be approved by the state, since the plan is a state-approved document.
• Funding will have to be sought to refine the design.
• An environmental impact report will have to be developed, certainly for state CEQA and probably for federal NEPA, particularly as this is a transit project under the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). This report must consider no-action (no bridge) and transit-only bridge options. This process does not determine what sort of bridge is built, just that all options must be considered. With the American River Parkway being a very sensitive environmental and recreation resource, analysis will have to be extensive. If the city does not include all options, it is certain to be sued by Save the American River Association, and probably others. It may be sued anyway.
• Funding will have to be sought for construction. This will be a very expensive project, probably requiring funding from a combination of local, state, and federal sources.
• If everything goes smoothly for the city, construction would probably start in 2034, with completion by 2039.

STAR asks that SacRT analyze transit service to Natomas and make a determination about whether a light rail or BRT solution will move forward. The analysis must address whether a bridge offers significant benefit is BRT is the solution, since BRT can easily jog to the freeway and back to Truxel Road with only a slight delay over the bridge.

The bridge design must not preclude either BRT or light rail, since both are possible, and BRT might someday be replaced by light rail. The design could include light rail track and facilities for overhead wire, but be used by BRT buses.

Even if light rail is eventually implemented, BRT could be used to provide high-frequency and fast service to Natomas, which is highly desired regardless of the bridge.

• Green Line to the Airport
• Truxel Bridge