The city of West Sacramento celebrated a major step in its mission to become a leader in bike and pedestrian accessibility with the opening of a cycling and pedestrian bridge over Highway 50 in May.
The new Sycamore Trail overpass in West Sacramento provides an alternative way to cross the highway, and is the newest part of a multiphase project connecting the city. The bridge can be recognized by the large white signage on it that reads “City of West Sacramento.”
“It's really to connect the entire city, north-south. If you look at a map of West Sacramento, the city is bisected by east-west rail lines, freight rail lines, the freeway, obviously, and the Deep Water Shipping Channel,” said West Sacramento Deputy City Manager Doug Drozd. “And so, that has created a lack of connectivity, especially as it relates to people being able to bike or walk throughout the city.”
He says the crossing is part of the second phase of the five-phase plan connecting the north of the city to the south via the Sycamore Trail.
The city celebrated the opening of the new bridge in May with a performance by the River City High School’s marching band.
“We just thought it was a great opportunity to celebrate. And who doesn’t love a marching band, right?,” Drozd said. “They’re fantastic and it provides a fun atmosphere.”
Tina Barnette is a resident of West Sacramento who lives near the Sycamore Trail overpass and uses the bridge for walking in the area.
“I'm a walker. I love exercise. So, it's very convenient for me to get in some good exercise, to see the view of the freeway. It's good. And I see a lot of people coming to get their views and their exercise,” Barnette said. “It's very good bicycle riding and different things like that. It's very very comfortable, very easy access.”
Jai Chahal is the city of West Sacramento’s Interim Director of Capital Projects. He says the city is actively working to improve bike routes with new trails and bike lanes on roads with cars.
“These communities were separated. There was no way for them to be connected. So this overpass offers one to connect our community that was segregated by the freeway,” Chahal said.
He says construction of the next phase of the project, extending the trail southward, is set to start next year.
“Throughout the city we've been providing dedicated bike lanes and active ways for motorists and bicyclists to co-mingle,” said Chahal. “However, the safest route is always creating something like what we did here with Sycamore overpass, a dedicated route for pedestrians to travel on and bicyclists to travel on.”
A map showing multiple phases of the Sycamore Trail development.Courtesy of City of West Sacramento
The Sycamore Trail overpass took years to complete, with the design process starting in 2018 and construction ending in May of this year, according to Sycamore Trail Project Manager Ryan Teves.
Teves says this phase of the project cost the city of West Sacramento about $17 million, with more than half of the funding coming from grants.
“This project was part of the city's bike-pedestrian trails master plan since 2013. And so there's been a lot of interest in constructing a bridge,” Teves said.
He says other projects in the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Master Plan include the Clarksburg Branch Line Trail, the Barge Canal Trail, the Southport Setback Levee Trail.
The city also plans for better connectivity with the federally funded Vision Zero Action Plan, which Drozd says is a comprehensive safety plan for all modes of travel.
“The city council's vision is having one of the premier bike-pedestrian friendly cities not only in the region but in the state. And this project is emblematic of that,” Drozd said. “We're moving ahead one step further to getting us to our ultimate goals around bike and pedestrian safety.”
Correction: A previous version of the story attributed the final quote in this story to Ryan Teves. It was said by Doug Drozd.
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today
