Countdown to official opening - October 4, 2016
Planning Efforts are Under Way to Make the downtown experience a good one
It’s hard to believe the opening of Golden 1 Center is less than two months away! The City has been working with its partners to ensure the downtown experience is convenient, pleasant and fun. Event attendees from across the region will be traveling to the Central City to experience concerts, basketball games, and other events. Here is what event attendees can expect:
Safety is a Priority
Security for guests at the Golden 1 Center is a top priority for the Police Department, the City of Sacramento, and Golden 1 Center operators. The groups have been working diligently over the last two years to develop plans that will ensure the Golden 1 Center and the surrounding development is a safe, family-friendly destination that everyone in the region will enjoy.
The Arena is a Multi-Modal Destination
The arena will host about 200 events a year, including more than 42 Kings Games. The City, Kings, Downtown Sacramento Partnership, and Regional Transit are committed to making event experience convenient, pleasant and fun. Downtown’s robust traffic grid handles more than 119,000 workers every day and there are plenty of access points to enter and exit the downtown core.
For those using alternative modes of transportation, the City is planning specific zones to best accommodate parking for taxis, buses, limos, bikes, and ride share at Golden 1 Center. We are meeting with various companies and stakeholders to establish safe pick-up/drop-off protocols.
Consider Taking Public Transit
Regional Transit is adding service and security to ensure a safe, reliable, and enjoyable transit experience to and from the Golden 1 Center. With the ZipPass app, attendees can purchase RT tickets with their smartphones. No waiting in line or exact change needed.
RT is implementing system-wide station improvements that will begin in the downtown core. The improvements will help ensure that light rail stations can accommodate the increased use and that passengers enjoy their experience. The 7th & Capitol Station will be the flagship station for arena light rail service, where RT envisions thousands of people will board and align before and after Sacramento Kings games, marquee concerts, and other events.
SacPark — Find Your Spot!
Parking in downtown is plentiful, but downtown visitors are encouraged to plan ahead! There are 15,500 parking spaces within four blocks of Golden 1 Center which includes private and public parking garages, surface lots, and on-street spaces. A typical sold-out Kings game uses only about 7,000 parking spaces.
SacPark —the new brand of the City’s parking division — is making it easier for you to find your spot. A smartphone app will be available soon to purchase parking in advance, get directions to spaces, and receive real time traffic information. Not only will the new SacPark technology point you to available parking in the near future through the use of an App, but it will also help you avoid a citation. Soon, all short-term meters in downtown will provide patrons who occasionally need extra parking time the option to stay parked beyond the posted limit.
Bright Lights of Sacramento
Attendees can expect a well-lit path to Golden 1 Center. The City is installing highly visible wayfinding signs, streetlights and other distinctive lighting along key corridors around the arena and in the plaza.
For more updates on Golden 1 Center and the planning efforts, please see the presentation at the May 24 City Council meeting. Stay updated by visiting the City’s arena page, and the Golden 1 Center website.