Sacramento Intermodal Transportation Facility

Benefits & Components

The Sacramento Intermodal Transportation Facility Project will serve a wide range of passenger transportation modes, including: commuters and long-distance travelers. As well as frieght rail and Sacramentans. Its phases are:

Phase 1: Track relocation – Moving the railroad tracks about 500 feet north

Benefits

• Enhances operations, capacity and reliability of passenger and freight rail service
• Improves air quality and safety by reducing passenger-rail conflicts
• Allows for connection of streets and links to surrounding communities
• Allows for development of the Intermodal Transportation Facility
• Facilitates Railyards redevelopment

Major Components

• Installing new freight tracks, passenger tracks and double-sided passenger platforms
• Constructing a new passenger platform tunnel under the relocated tracks
• Constructing a pedestrian walkway from the passenger platform tunnel to the depot building on the south side of the rail corridor
• Constructing a connection from the passenger platform tunnel to the north side of the rail corridor 
• Constructing a pedestrian/bicycle tunnel west of the platforms that connect the areas north and south of the rail corridor

Phase 2: Historic train depot/Sacramento Valley Station Improvements – Upgrading the existing station (see figure)

Benefits

• Improves connections among rail, light rail and buses
• Creates an active, user-friendly area linking the depot and rail corridor
• Upgrades site and facility amenities and parking

Major Components

• Relocating the light rail station to the east edge of the site
• Relocating the Regional Transit and Amtrak bus berths adjacent to the light rail station
• Enhancing street furniture, weather coverings, landscaping, lighting and the Depot tunnel
• Improving parking, particularly in newly-opened up areas for interim and permanent use
• Providing transit-only lanes on the north side of the site and related circulation improvements
• Rehabilitating portions of the depot, particularly the electrical system

Phase 3: Intermodal Transportation Facility Improvements – Transforming the station into a multimodal regional transportation hub

Benefits

• Enables state-of-the-art operations for multiple modes at a unified site
• Improves mobility, transferring and connections for passengers
• Offers new transit services and expansion for all operations
• Creates a destination facility serving cultural, civic, retail, business and other events
• Enhances a historic landmark by continuing its role in transportation and in the community
• Becomes a catalyst for the redeveloping downtown Railyards
• Relieves traffic congestion on the region’s freeways and City streets

Major Components

In conjunction with the environmental study, two different design scenarios are under consideration for the regional transportation center as well as a “no build” alternative. Illustrated in Figure x and Figure y, the options are:

“Don’t Move the Depot” – The historic depot stays at its current site and is integrated with new facilities extending to the north towards the rail platforms, and

“Move the Depot” – The historic depot is relocated approximately 300 feet to the north closer to the rail platforms and is integrated with new terminal facilities

Common Features of Options

• Develops, modernizes and expands terminal facilities to meet the projected needs of transportation services for bus bays, baggage operations, passenger areas and other spaces
• Continues use of the Depot as a transportation facility and enhances it as a civic venue
• Incorporates “green” design and meets sustainability objectives

Unique Features of “Don’t Move the Depot” Option

• Extension of a multi-level concourse north of the existing Depot with ground level bus operations and upper level passenger services and retail areas, open and enclosed areas, overlooks and features extending through levels
• Bridge overcrossing from the concourse level across the rail corridor directly to the passenger platforms and to the Railyards’ Market Plaza
• Skywalk connections from the concourse to proposed commercial development to the east and west and to a new parking structure to the west

Unique Features of “Move the Depot” Option

• Relocation of the existing depot building by moving it north onto a new foundation – More information on the building move will be provided in the Intermodal Technical Report #13, Intermodal Alternatives Study
• Development of new terminal space in a complementary building across a public plaza from the relocated depot
• Opportunities for new development and public open space at the former depot site