City constructs innovative streetscape
News Release: First 'green' street now open
The City of Sacramento Department of Transportation has finished the City’s pilot “green street” on Dixieanne Avenue, between Erickson Street and the Swanston Light Rail Station. The project was sponsored by District 2 Councilmember Sandy Sheedy and the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency.
Councilmember Sheedy brought the idea to her district after seeing green streets in the older neighborhoods of Portland. Sheedy planted one of the last trees during a celebration on
September 15, 2009.
Before condition at Selma  |
|
After condition at Selma  |
Before condition at Clay  |
|
After condition at Clay  |
Dixieanne Avenue is the gateway to the neighborhood and light rail station with both residential and light manufacturing businesses, but was not pedestrian friendly. |
|
The pilot project means sidewalks for residents in areas that have never had sidewalks, new sidewalks in others and a planter strip featuring several varieties of trees, shrubs and grasses planted over a new storm drainage system. The project will bring sidewalks, landscaping and infrastructure improvements to an area that currently lacks the facilities needed to encourage walking and transit oriented development. |
|
Decorative elements designed by a local craftsman dot the planter strips – another amenity for the Dixieanne neighborhood. |
|
|
|
|
The project includes several detention basins to capture
stormwater run off & self-irrigate the plants and trees. |
Environmental benefits
In addition to the greenery, the storm drainage system beneath the planter strip is a sustainable feature, because the collected storm water run-off eliminates the need for irrigation. In addition, the storm water will also be treated as it percolates through the soil, rather than flowing straight into the neighborhood’s drainage ditches. This feature will improve water quality, which is another project benefit.
Project cost
The overall project cost for design, environmental clearance and construction is about $2 million.
Project design plans
The final design plans (PDF) are available for viewing, in response to several requests from other government agencies interested in Sacramento’s pilot green street project.
Contact
Questions about the project? Contact Nader Kamal, project manager at nkamal@cityofsacramento.org or 808-7035.
|
