SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Grant will advance transportation design and planning projects to address barriers in disadvantaged areas. 

The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) has received $22.5 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund the next phase of SACOG’s award-winning Green Means Go program. The planning investment will accelerate infill development in ten areas across the region in designated Green Zones, or areas that have been identified for infill development, to reimagine neighborhoods and address transportation needs. By pairing transportation planning and housing investments together in Green Zones, it will help build more complete communities where residents can meet their daily needs more wholistically within their neighborhoods.

The planning projects span various rural and urban areas within the counties of Sacramento and Yuba, and the cities of Citrus Heights, Isleton, Marysville, Rancho Cordova, Sacramento, West Sacramento, Woodland, and Yuba City. These ten areas share similar issues, busy roadways that limit the ability of community members to safely walk, bike, or roll in their neighborhoods and connect to services and jobs without a car. These investments will help increase connectivity and reduce the reliance on driving, which helps the region meet greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Equitable community engagement is a significant emphasis of the project to ensure the involvement of communities who have been traditionally left out of planning processes. SACOG will create a Community-Based Organization (CBO) Working Group and leverage the model created by the agency’s Engage, Empower, Implement program to build capacity, trust, and partnerships with CBOs from across the region.

Another element of this grant is workforce development in which Valley Vision, a nonprofit focused on building a livable region, is leading the efforts to create a pipeline of skilled workers. This effort aligns with the region’s Prosperity Strategy and considering the long-term needs as development ramps up in Green Zones once planning has been completed, ensuring that available jobs go to our local skilled workforce.

“Our region is like many in the nation struggling with aging infrastructure that no longer serves us, and local governments who want to reinvest in areas to meet the needs of communities today and into the future,” said Michael Saragosa, SACOG board chair, and councilmember for the City of Placerville, “A huge thanks to the U.S. Department of Transportation for recognizing Green Means Go efforts and for investing in the Sacramento region.”

Planning Projects

Below is a list of projects that are subrecipients of the grant. These ten projects across the six-county region all serve a federally designated disadvantaged community.

City of Sacramento – Reconnecting Old North Sacramento (Del Paso)

Sacramento County – Sacramento County Re-Imagine North Watt Corridor

Yuba County – East Linda Gateway: Lindhurst Corridor Revitalization project

Yuba City – Central City Green Zone Revitalization Plan

City of West Sacramento – US 50 Community Connectivity Project & Sycamore Trail Project

City of Citrus Heights – City of Citrus Heights Sunrise Tomorrow Project

Rancho Cordova – Folsom Blvd: Transforming Old Lincoln Highway Plan

Marysville – Re-Envision Downtown Marysville Plan

Woodland – East Street Corridor Complete Streets

Isleton – SR 160 Bike/Pedestrian Bridge Design

About Green Means Go

Green Means Go is the Sacramento region’s commitment and solution to California’s housing, climate, equity, and transportation problems.

The program aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions within its six-county region by accelerating infill development and reducing and electrifying vehicle trips. Green Means Go is a mechanism to target investment in locally designated Green Zones - areas that cities and counties have identified for infill development that also show a reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Since launching the program in 2018, twenty-six SACOG member jurisdictions have identified and adopted Green Zones. To date, SACOG has deployed over $38 million in state funds to support Green Zone investments that explore the intersection of land use, housing, economic and workforce development, transportation investments, equity, and travel choices.