Title
FY2027-28 Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Applications
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FileID
File ID: 2026-01594
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Location
Location: 16th Street (From A Street to Q Street) and J Street (From 13th Street to 19th Street), District 4; Truxel Road (From Arena Boulevard to the I-80 Overpass), District 3; and Citywide.
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Recommendation
Recommendation: Pass a Motion to forward a recommendation to City Council for approval for the City of Sacramento to apply for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Fiscal Year (FY) 2027/28 Sustainable Communities - Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program for the following projects: Top 20 Vision Zero Intersection Improvements Study and Sacramento Vision Zero Corridors Mobility & Safety Study.
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Contact
Contact: Nicole Zhi Ling Porter, Senior Planner, (916) 808-8519, nporter@cityofsacramento.org; Liza Welsh, Associate Planner, (916) 808-5347, lwelsh@cityofsacramnto.org, Department of Public Works.
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Presenter
Presenter: Nicole Zhi Ling Porter, Senior Planner, (916) 808-8519, nporter@cityofsacramento.org, Department of Public Works
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Attachments
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Vision Zero Top 20 Intersections Map
3-16th Street, J Street, and Truxel Road Area Map
4-Presentation
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Additional Description/Analysis
IssueDetail
Issue Detail: Caltrans issued a Call for Projects for the FY2027/28 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program in August 2026. Applications are due in October 2026. Individual projects have a maximum request of $700,000.
City staff reviewed the 2040 General Plan, Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, Transportation Priorities Plan priority projects, and draft Vision Zero Action Plan Update to identify and recommend competitive planning efforts that best meet the goals and purpose of City priorities and the Caltrans grant program objectives. Staff recommend submittal of the following planning efforts:
1. Top 20 Vision Zero Intersection Improvements Study
The City of Sacramento is committed to working collaboratively in a data-driven effort to create safer streets and bring the number of people killed or seriously injured in a traffic collision to zero. Through Vision Zero, Sacramento approaches transportation safety by not only pursuing large capital projects and spot improvements, but by taking a systematic and comprehensive approach to our transportation environment.
The City’s most recent 2026 Vision Zero Action Plan Update identified that 81% of crashes in the city occur within 150 feet of an intersection. For the first time, the update included an evaluation of intersections with the highest number of serious or fatal traffic-related collisions (KSIs) in addition to an updated Top 10 Corridors list.
The proposed study would evaluate the City’s Top 20 Vision Zero intersections and develop potential improvements tailored to each location. Building on recently compiled data from the 2026 Vision Zero Action Plan Update, the study would evaluate crash patterns, identify the road users most frequently involved in crashes, and develop safety improvements and countermeasures for each intersection. The project would then evaluate the feasibility of recommended improvements, identify opportunities for quick-build projects, and advance each of the 20 intersections to 30% design.
2. Sacramento Vision Zero Corridors Mobility & Safety Study
The City of Sacramento remains committed to creating a transportation system that improves safety, supports mobility, enhances sustainability, and responds to ongoing housing and economic development needs. To advance these goals, staff recommend pursuing grant funding for the Sacramento Vision Zero Corridors Mobility & Safety Study.
The 2018 Vision Zero Action Plan analyzed crash data from 2009 through 2015, and in 2020, the Vision Zero Top 5 Corridors plan was approved by City Council. The 2026 Vision Zero Action Plan Update identifies the next set of Top 10 corridors based on collision data from 2015 through 2024.16th Street, J Street, and Truxel Road are among the new corridors that emerged from this analysis. These corridors are locations where safety challenges intersect with land-use change, increasing travel demand, and opportunities to improve connections between housing and neighborhood destinations.
The Sacramento Vision Zero Corridors Mobility & Safety Study will analyze collision patterns, identify road users most frequently impacted by severe and fatal crashes, and develop context-specific mobility and safety improvements along each corridor. The study will also identify opportunities for quick-build projects and generate concepts that are suitable for advancement to design and future funding.
Both 16th Street from A Street to Q Street and J Street from 13th Street to 19th Street serve areas experiencing significant infill housing and mixed-use development. Although the Vision Zero Action Plan identifies 16th Street from A Street to Capitol Avenue as the segment with the highest number of crashes, staff recommends extending the analysis to Q Street to better connect with existing separated bikeways and support new development along the Q and R Street corridors, including the Ice Blocks. Continued residential growth in Midtown, including affordable units and the planned redevelopment of a major portion of the Blue Diamond Growers campus, strengthens the need for improved multimodal access and corridor safety planning in this part of the city.
In North Natomas, Truxel Road from Arena Boulevard to the Interstate 80 overpass serves an area experiencing renewed development momentum. The City Council has advanced a plan to create a special financing district that will support the redevelopment of the former 183-acre ARCO Arena site into Innovation Park, a mixed-use district planned to include a major medical campus, diverse housing options, retail and commercial spaces, a public school, and new parkland. Evaluating multimodal access and safety along Truxel Road will help ensure that transportation infrastructure is positioned to meet the needs of future residents, workers, and visitors.
Staff recommend that the Active Transportation Commission support forwarding this proposal to the City Council. Pursuing this grant will allow the City to address safety needs on newly identified high-priority corridors while also supporting mobility, sustainability, housing growth, and economic development in both the Central City and North Natomas.
Caltrans will typically fund a maximum of one to two of the City’s applications.
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PolicyConsiderations
Policy Considerations: The planning project is consistent with specific Sacramento 2040 General Plan goals and policies of promoting mobility, safety and enhancing livability, sustainability, and economic vitality:
LUP-1.1: Compact Urban Footprint. The City shall promote a land- and resource-efficient development pattern and the placement of infrastructure to support efficient delivery of public services and conserve open space, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and improve air quality.
LUP-2.2 Interconnected City. The City should establish a network of interconnected activity centers, corridors, parks, and neighborhoods that promotes walking, bicycling, and mass transit use as viable alternatives to private vehicles.
LUP-4.2 Incentivizing Infill. The City shall consider a range of incentives to attract development to centers, corridors, and sites, including the following:
• Prioritization of capital investment strategies for infrastructure, services, and amenities to support development
M-1: An equitable, sustainable multimodal system that provides a range of viable and healthy travel choices for users of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
M-1.3 Healthy Transportation System Options. The City shall plan and make investments to foster a transportation system that improves the health of Sacramento residents through actions that make active transportation, nonmotorized modes, high-occupancy, and zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) viable, attractive alternatives to automobiles that use internal combustion engines.
M-4.1 Application of Safety. The City shall design, plan, and operate streets using complete streets principles to ensure the safety and mobility of all users.
M-4.2 Safer Driving Speeds. The City shall work to maximize the safety of the transportation network by designing streets for lower driving speeds and enforcing speed limits in an unbiased manner as well as promoting safer driving behavior.
M-4.3 Vision Zero. The City shall utilize a data driven, “vision zero” approach to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2027, while increasing safety, health, and equitable mobility for all.
M-4.4 Collaborative Safety Solutions. The City shall collaborate with educational institutions, senior living facilities, community organizations, and other interested parties when developing and implementing programs and improvements that increase safety and encourage the use of active transportation and transit modes.
E-2.1 Investments for Inclusive, Equitable Growth. The City should make intentional investments to increase and diversify economic growth in an inclusive and equitable manner that focuses on neighborhoods and their unique needs.
Additionally, this is in accordance with the following Council approved plans:
Vision Zero Action Plan: The proposed improvement and safety studies support the City’s Vision Zero goals to utilize a data driven, “vision zero” approach to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safety, health, and equitable mobility for all. The grant applications specifically focus on the Top 20 intersections and three of the top 10 corridors in the City’s updated Vision Zero High Injury Network.
Streets for People: Sacramento Active Transportation Plan: The City’s plan to improve walking and biking facilities also includes several recommended improvements that fall within the proposed project areas, including:
• Separated Bikeway on 16th Street from Broadway to N Street
• Separated Bikeway on Truxel Road from the Garden Highway (plus connections to potential future Truxel Bridge) to San Juan Road
Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP): This plan will support the City’s mode shift goals in the CAAP to achieve 6% active transportation mode share by 2030 and 12% by 2045, as well as support public transit improvements to achieve 11% public transit mode share by 2030 and maintain through 2045.
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EconomicImpacts
Economic Impacts: None.
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EnvironmentalConsiderations
Environmental Considerations: The pursuit of grant funds is not subject to the provisions of the CEQA. Under Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Applying for funding is an administrative action which will have no effect on the environment and is therefore not subject to CEQA review. Appropriate CEQA review for individual projects will take place as part of project development.
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Sustainability
Sustainability: This grant applications support the City’s mode shift goals in the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan to achieve 6% active transportation mode share by 2030 and 12% by 2045, as well as support public transit improvements to achieve 11% public transit mode share by 2030 and maintain through 2045.
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Commission/Committee Action
Commission/Committee Action: None.
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RationaleforRecommendation
Rationale for Recommendation: With limited available sources of local funding to meet the City’s goals to advance transportation safety and mobility options, grant funding is essential to deliver projects. Staff determined the recommended competitive planning efforts listed in this item best meet the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant program objectives and City priorities. Caltrans requires that City Council authorize the projects submitted and that the City Manager or a designee sign the applications.
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FinancialConsiderations
Financial Considerations: Competitive federal and state grants are the primary sources of funding for transportation and sustainability projects in the City. The Caltrans Sustainability Grant program requires a minimum of 11.47% match. If awarded, local match funds would be provided through ongoing transportation programs.
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LocalBusinessEnterprise
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
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