SACRAMENTO RIVER PARKWAY PROJECT

Welcome to the Sacramento River Parkway Project webpage. This page is to provide current information about the Sacramento River Parkway Project progress and the historical work to date.  

The Sacramento River Parkway Project is a multi-phase project to complete a levee top trail through the Pocket neighborhood. The trail will run along the top of the levee of the Sacramento River, between Garcia Bend Park and Zacharias Park. The project is being designed so that it may be constructed in two phases, depending on funding availability. The first phase of the project is from Garcia Bend Park to Arabella Way, and second phase is from Arabella Way to Zacharias Park. 

The project will include: 

• Construction of a paved levee top trail between Garcia Bend Park and Arabella Way.
  
  
• ADA-compliant access ramps at several locations along the trail.
  
  
• Improved connections between the Pocket Canal Parkway and the Sacramento River Parkway Project.
  
  
• The development and implementation of the Sacramento River Parkway Project neighborhood safety plan.

As part of the project development, 

Updates

The consultant contract was approved at Council in January 2022, and we are in the early phases of the preliminary design and environmental clearance.

SACRAMENTO RIVER PARKWAY PROJECT HISTORY

The vision for a riverfront trail has been in plans for nearly 50 years. The Sacramento River Parkway was first envisioned in the 1975 Sacramento River Parkway Master Plan, and was subsequently added to the 1979 Pocket Area Community Plans.  The Parkway plan was revisited with the 1997 Sacramento River Parkway Plan Update. In the 1997 update, a preferred trail alternative was identified, locating the trail on top of the Sacramento River Levee.

In 2012, the City created an implementation plan to further the Sacramento River Parkway project.

In 2015, the Public Works Department began initial work toward an early phase of the Sacramento River Parkway Project, focusing on the limits between Garcia Bend Park and the Pocket Canal. In 2017, the City Council appropriated additional funds for the next segment of the project, analyzing the trail up to Arabella Way. 

When the City first initiated the project, it was anticipated to be constructed in small segments using local funds. In 2020, the decision was made to apply for federal funds, which would provide more funding so that the trail could be designed and constructed in larger segments, which would reduce construction impacts to the neighborhoods and allow the full trail to be completed sooner. The City of Sacramento applied for federal funding from the regional allocation programmed by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) in 2021. SACOG provided funding to first complete the preliminary engineering and environmental clearance, and then to prepare the final design. 

The project will require acquisition of right of way from private property owners at some locations along the project limits. The right of way work will begin after the completion of environmental clearance. SACOG has provided funding for right of way work for the first phase, between Garcia Bend Park and Arabella Way. Additional federal funding will be pursued for right of way for the second phase (between Arabella Way and Zacharias Park) and for construction of both phases.

2022 PLANNING & DESIGN 

In early 2022, the City Council authorized an agreement with Wood Rodgers, Inc. to first perform preliminary engineering, design, and environmental clearance; and then to develop subsequent plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) and right of way (ROW) for both phases. 

Work started immediately, with the development of a project schedule and work plan that includes surveying, preliminary engineering, design, and geotechnical studies, and assembling the necessary studies to create comprehensive environmental reports consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). 

SACRAMENTO RIVER PARKWAY PLANNING AND DESIGN TIMELINE

The following is an overview of the broad categories of work that the project team will perform during the Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Clearance phase of the project. 

Survey

Survey work began in April 2022. This includes project site visits, walking the levee at locations to take measurements, and use of drone technology to establish the topography of the site without impacting private property or the ongoing levee construction project. Additional field topographic survey will occur at a later stage of design, after the completion of the levee improvements. Additional tasks being performed includes review of title reports and right-of-way exhibits to understand property ownership along the project alignment. 

Design

The Sacramento River Parkway Project will provide the community access to the new trail by creating new ADA-compliant ramps at several locations. The project team will evaluate many potential access points and take many factors into consideration, including connections to other trails and bike routes, impacts to trees or right-of-way, and potential impacts to parking. Community outreach will be included in the selection of access points to the Sacramento River Parkway. 

The project will also include the development of a safety plan. 

Outreach

The Sacramento River Parkway Project will engage and perform outreach with the community to inform residents about the project, discuss and receive feedback on the project design, and answer questions. The outreach will specifically seek feedback on the potential access ramp locations and design, as well as on the development of the safety plan. 

Preliminary Engineering

Preliminary engineering services will include: 

• Conceptual layout of the proposed alignment 

• Identification of potential environmental constraints 

• Development of landscaping concepts at access points 

• Providing ADA compliance at ramps 

• Review of existing and proposed right of way 

The engineering work will also include coordination with utility partners and other public agencies, geotechnical studies, permit coordination, and the preparation of cost estimates for construction. 

Environment

The Sacramento River Parkway Project is required to obtain environmental clearance through both the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and, because the project was awarded federal funding, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As part of the environmental clearance process, the City will study the project’s potential environmental impacts through the completion of various technical studies, and will document the findings in an environmental document. 

Following the completion of the preliminary engineering and environmental clearance, the project team will begin the final design phase, which will prepare Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) for construction. 

Questions or comments? 

916-808-1705