News summary May 19

• Event to kick off work on Rancho Cordova-area roads (SacBee 2013-05-19)
• Future for undeveloped property downtown (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-17); What a new arena means for downtown restaurants (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-17); More on ripple effect on downtown property with arena in works (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-17); What a downtown arena means for at least one business (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-17); Next step in Kings deal: Securing land for arena (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-17)
• City considers dumping economic analysis for big-box stores (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-17)
• Pedestrian safety advocates to address city council regarding need for traffic light at 58th & Fruitridge (Sacramento Press 2013-05-17)
• America’s Most Bikeable Neighborhoods (The Atlantic Cities 2013-05-17); seven of the top twenty five – wow!
• McKinley Village: Sacramento Old City Association forum on McKinley Village (Sacramento Press 2013-05-16); RCI: McKinley Village will complement surrounding neighborhoods (Sacramento Press 2013-05-16); Angelides relaunches development for former Centrage site (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-17)
• Woman pleads no contest in DUI death of 6-year-old boy (SacBee 2013-05-15)
• Massive housing project in early planning for southeastern Sacramento County (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-13)
• Siemens gets first advanced electric locomotives for Amtrak rolling (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-13); good news, in some ways, but too bad they are going to the Northeast Corridor when we need them here in California
• Woodland teen sent to hospital after being knocked out by auto (SacBee 2013-05-13)

News summary May 12

• Danger: Our streets weren’t built for pedestrians (SacBee 2013-05-12)
• Danger: How many must die at risky intersection? (SacBee 2013-05-12)
• McKinley area may get new homes (SacBee 2013-05-12)
• I hate Sacramento (Sacramento Press 2013-05-10)
• Feds pour money into I Street bridge project (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-10)
• 58th & Fruitridge, the neglect in South Sacramento (Sacramento Press 2013-05-10)
• R Street project part of downtown trend (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-10)
• Woman convicted in 2008 El Dorado Hills DUI crash back in jail (SacBee 2013-05-09)
• Bicycles and Brew: Pedal to your next Beer (Sacramento Press 2013-05-09)
• Pedestrian struck on Arden Way, witnesses sought (SacBee 2013-05-08)
• Sacramento to start talking post-arena Natomas (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-07)
• Final leg of Auburn-Folsom Road expansion could get moving soon (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-07)
• Downtown arena will spur retail, housing development (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-05-06)
• Midtown neighborhood reacts to McKinley Village project (Sacramento Press 2013-05-06)
• Citrus Heights envisions 26-mile multi-use bike trail (SacBee 2013-05-06)

biking to the midtown farmers market

The Sacramento midtown farmers market at J and 20th has been going for two Saturdays now. The market is somewhat different from the main Sacramento Farmers Market I usually attend because it has more prepared food, though it still has a good complement of fresh and dried food. The market is only 8 blocks from my house, though the main one under the freeway on Sundays at 8th and W is only 16 blocks, Chavez Plaza on Wednesdays is 11 blocks, Fremont Park on Tuesdays is 1 block, Capitol Park and Capitol Mall on Thursdays are 3 blocks and 12 blocks respectively. Clearly I’m blessed to be in the middle of so many farmers markets. This density of urban amenities is why I love living in midtown. I’ve heard great things about the Saturday Oak Park farmers market, and will visit as soon as I can.

bike valet at Midtown Farmers Market

The more unique character of the Midtown Farmers Market Sacramento, however, is that it encourages shopping by bike. Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA) is providing bike valet service for the market, and a lot of people are coming by bike. There have never been less than two cargo bikes, and sometimes many more, and the large bike valet corral has at times filled up with bikes. Impressive!

News summary May 5

• Petrovich to break ground on long-planned Curtis Park Village (SacBee 2013-05-05)
• Pedal power (Sacramento News & Review 2013-05-02); Ride your bike with SN&R for May is Bike Month (Sacramento News & Review 2013-05-02)
• Back-seat Driver: May is a big month for Sacramento bicyclists (SacBee 2013-05-02)
• McKinley infill housing project revived, tweaked (Sacramento Business Press 2013-05-01)
• Oak Park bicyclist ends up on street after words with motorist (SacBee 2013-04-30)
• Interchange work marks drive to development (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-04-30)
• Examining American River crossing options in Natomas (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-04-29)
• Sacramento plans solar-powered ‘smart’ parking meters (SacBee 2013-04-29)

bike share for Sacramento

Washington DC’s Capital BikeShare

Another major happening this last week in Sacramento was the announcement of progress in bringing bike sharing to Sacramento.

Chris Morfas presented to the SACOG Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee on progress in bike share. Fehr & Peers is writing a business plan for the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. The business plan will include solutions for serving low income people and those without access to credit cards or smartphones (most systems depend on one or both of these to operate).

Participants in the annual Cap-to-Cap trip to Washington DC, hosted by Sacramento Metro Chamber, experienced the new and highly successful bike share program there.

The bike share business plan should be completed by mid-summer, and the partners will then seek capital funding from SACOG and possibly private investors. The Sacramento system might be integrated with the bay area systems now being designed, with the Amtrak Capitol Corridor being a logical connection between the two.

See the Bike Share Bulletin_April_2013.

News summary April 28

• Editorial: Effort to muzzle SACOG could hurt entire region (SacBee 2013-04-27)
• State air board affirms cap-and-trade investment plan (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-04-26)
• South Natomas to discuss American River bridge (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-04-26)
• Back-seat Driver: Sacramento freeway zooms up most-congested list (SacBee 2013-04-26)
• Sacramento to reconsider limits on big-box stores (SacBee 2013-04-26)
• Davis Bicycles!: Causeway commute has several interesting features (The Davis Enterprise 2013-04-25)
• Report: Sacramento region needs smart growth to reduce ozone (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-04-24); American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2013 ranks Sacramento 6th worst in ozone, with an F for ozone and an F for 24-hour particle pollution
• Roseville’s progress on reshaping downtown with town square (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-04-24)
• Central Valley fares poorly in new California pollution index (SacBee 2013-04-24); available here
• Forum to discuss Elk Grove’s push to grow (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-04-23)
• Sacramento considers changing big-box store ordinance (Sacramento Business Journal 2013-04-22)
• The Hub of West Village (Sacramento Press 2013-04-22)
• Push to open doors: An opinion on transit (Sacramento Press 2013-04-22)
• California bills would add restrictions on teen drivers (SacBee 2013-04-23)
• Washington Elementary kids paint murals to help say goodbye (SacBee 2013-04-22)

Legislation

• AB-1371: Vehicles: bicycles: passing distance (Bradford): three foot passing bill; amended and passed Assembly  Transportation 04/23/13, referred to Assembly Appropriations
• AB-206: Vehicles: length limitations: buses: bicycle transportation devices (Dickinson): for SacRT; amended and passed Assembly 04/15/13, referred to Senate
• AB-840: Vehicles: driver’s licenses: application requirements (Ammiano): amended and passed Assembly Transportation 04/15/13, referred to Assembly Appropriations

Scott Road Bike and Walk May 5

On Sunday, May 5, Sacramento County and the City of Folsom are closing a section of Scott and White Rock roads in the southeast part of Sacramento, in celebration of May Is Bike Month. The location is accessible from the Iron Point light rail station. See the 2013+Scott+Road+Event+Flyer for details.