West Sac Forward Transit Priority Plan

Posted At:Fri, Apr 24, 2026 4:38 PM
Sealed Bid Process:Yes (Bids Sealed / Pricing Sealed)
Private Bid:No

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The City of West Sacramento is soliciting proposals from qualified firms or individuals ("Proposer") to provide technical and planning guidance to develop a clear vision and plan for near-term (2035) and long-term (2050+) public transit implementation strategies to connect major activity centers, mobility hubs, and the active transportation network within West Sacramento. This plan, called the West Sac Forward Transit Priority Plan (Plan), requires proposers to examine the status quo, think creatively, and apply a combination of tested best practices and innovation as a positive change maker to both optimize the existing transit network and prescribe future transit strategies to serve planned growth with consideration of varying geography, user needs, and rider behavior both within the City and surrounding region.

Given West Sacramento's location, overlapping transit service providers, and the realities of limited operating and capital funding, the consultant team selected to develop the Plan will want to consider and address several key questions: What is the best division of roles among transit providers to optimize both local and regional connectivity for West Sacramento residents? How well does the current network actually serve the places people need to go, and where do service gaps and redundancies exist? What would a cleaner, more efficient, and affordable transit network look like?

West Sacramento is also physically separated from Sacramento by the river, making bridge crossings and potential future connections critical chokepoints in the regional network. How will infrastructure investments like the C Street-Railyards Bridge, Broadway Bridge, and Enterprise Crossing change that calculus? Can ridership and available funding support expanding LRT or BRT in West Sacramento? What does ridership data actually tell us about suppressed versus low demand — and which corridors, if improved, could unlock significant latent ridership and meaningful mode shift?

The objectives of this Plan include conducting a thorough evaluation of existing conditions within the City and its primary transit corridors, and analysis of transit services, ridership data, and transit demand to recommend actionable steps to increase transit travel time savings, reliability, and resiliency; grow ridership and support mode shift; improve access and mobility for equity priority communities and transit-dependent populations; reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, traffic congestion, and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT); and improve public safety — all while balancing service cost and system performance. The Plan is intended to be a living, active document that is continuously referenced, informs local Short Range Transit Plans, and is updated regularly as the transit system improves, technologies evolve, and West Sacramento and the surrounding region grows.

This Plan and its analysis, outreach and public participation process, and recommendations will provide the City of West Sacramento (City) and our transit partners Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT), Yolo Transportation District (YoloTD), and current West Sacramento On-Demand microtransit service provider, Via Transportation, Inc., (Via) with recommended strategies to enhance the preservation and performance of existing bus, paratransit, and public on-demand microtransit services in the near-term, and guide long-term implementation of transit service investments including electric regional Light Rail service and potential future Bus Rapid Transit connecting West Sacramento to surrounding cities and the greater Sacramento region, should market demand indicate their viability. More details on the City's needs for this work are provided in the Scope of Work .

This is a partially grant-funded project awarded by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) under their Sustainable Transportation Planning grant program. It is anticipated that the contract for this project will be awarded August 5, 2026. All work must be concluded by the consultant team and all final invoices must be received and approved by the City before June 30, 2028.

Each qualified Proposer is to submit a proposal in conformity with the terms of this Request for Proposal ("RFP") by the deadline below ("Proposal"). The Proposer selected by the City pursuant to the terms of this RFP and the City's contracting procedures, if any is selected, is referred to herein as "Contractor."

SYNONYMOUS TERMS

Unless the use indicates otherwise, as used throughout this bid and its attachments, the following terms are synonymous:

a. Firm, Consultant, Supplier, Vendor, Contractor, Successful Bidder, Offeror

b. Purchase Order, Contract, Agreement

c. Services, Work, Scope, and Project

d. Pricing proposal/sheet, Cost proposal/sheet, Rate table/sheet

The City of West Sacramento is located on the eastern edge of Yolo County directly adjacent to Sacramento County and the City of Sacramento but separated from both by the Sacramento River. First settled in 1844 and incorporated in 1987, West Sacramento encompasses approximately 22 square miles. The City has experienced consistent population growth since incorporation, now exceeding 55,000 residents. The City includes a mix of established neighborhoods and newer development areas, particularly in Southport and along the riverfront, reflecting ongoing suburban expansion and urban infill.

Despite this growth, West Sacramento’s transit system faces structural challenges that limit its effectiveness and competitiveness. Current service is characterized by relatively low frequency, limited coverage in emerging growth areas, and travel times that are often not competitive with private vehicles. Ridership recovery has lagged peer agencies, and operational constraints—including congestion, freight activity, and funding limitations—continue to affect service reliability and service attractiveness.

At the same time, the City continues to experience population and employment growth in areas that present strong opportunities for transit-oriented development, particularly in Southport and along the eastern riverfront. Planned and emerging development in these areas is not currently well served by fixed-route transit due to historically low-density development patterns and limited transit demand. Major investments, including the planned Downtown Riverfront Streetcar light rail extension, reinforce the need for a coordinated transit priority strategy that aligns future service improvements with land use change and regional connectivity.

The West Sac Forward Transit Priority Plan is intended to identify and prioritize strategies to improve transit speed, reliability, and connectivity across the City. This includes evaluating corridor-level transit priority treatments, improving integration with regional transit services, and aligning transit investments with land use, equity, and climate goals to create a more efficient and sustainable multimodal transportation system.

Regional Transit Context

West Sacramento’s transit system operates within a highly interdependent regional travel market, with significant commuting flows across the Sacramento River into the City of Sacramento and surrounding employment centers. Key destinations include Downtown Sacramento, the Richards Boulevard employment corridor, and other major activity centers throughout the region.

A primary regional multimodal hub is Sacramento Valley Station, which provides connections to intercity rail (Amtrak), regional and local bus services, and light rail operated by Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT). Yolobus services operated by Yolo County Transportation District (YoloTD) provide direct connections between West Sacramento and Sacramento, though transfers between systems can be constrained by differences in service frequency, stop locations, and fare integration. West Sacramento also maintains strong regional ties to other Yolo County communities, including the City of Davis—home to the University of California, Davis—and the City of Woodland, the county seat and administrative center for Yolo County.

As West Sacramento continues to grow, improving the speed, reliability, and integration of transit connections across both the Sacramento River and Yolo County will be essential. Planned investments such as the Downtown Riverfront Streetcar light rail extension are expected to strengthen regional connectivity; however ridership and market feasibility of this service has never been tested beyond the initial Phase I connecting Sacramento Valley Station to Sutter Health Park. It will be essential that future phases of this project be evaluated for ridership potential and feasibility, and additional improvements to bus services, transit priority infrastructure, and multimodal access are also critically evaluated with an eye toward achieving a fully integrated and competitive transit network.

Existing Transit Performance and Data Context

Transit service in West Sacramento is currently characterized by moderate coverage but limited frequency and variable reliability. Fixed-route services operated by Yolo County Transportation District provide access along major corridors; however, many routes operate at 30–60 minute headways or longer, limiting their usefulness for time-sensitive travel.

Ridership recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic remains below peer agency levels, at approximately 41 percent of pre-pandemic ridership. Recent planning efforts have identified lower-performing routes and recommended service restructuring to improve frequency and focus resources on higher-demand corridors.

Transit travel times in many corridors are not competitive with private automobile travel, particularly during off-peak periods when wait times contribute significantly to total trip duration. On-time performance is affected by congestion, signal delay, and freight-related disruptions. Microtransit services provide flexible coverage in lower-density areas but at a higher per-trip operating cost than fixed-route service.

The City has developed a robust transportation data foundation to support planning efforts, including roadway segment traffic counts, intersection turning movement counts, and speed surveys collected between 2022 and 2026. In addition, the City maintains a calibrated travel demand model based on the SACOG SACSIM23 regional model, refined to reflect updated roadway networks, traffic analysis zones, land use projections, and planned transit service changes identified in the YoloTD Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP). The model also incorporates representation of West Sacramento’s on-demand microtransit service.

Major corridors, including Jefferson Boulevard, Harbor Boulevard, and Lake Washington Boulevard, experience significant peak-period congestion, which directly impacts transit reliability and travel times. These conditions highlight the need for targeted transit priority investments such as signal priority, queue jumps, dedicated lanes, and express service strategies to improve competitiveness with driving.

Right-of-Way and Street Constraints

The feasibility of transit priority improvements in West Sacramento varies by corridor and is influenced by roadway geometry, adjacent land uses, and competing demands for curb space. Major arterials such as Jefferson Boulevard, Harbor Boulevard, Sacramento Avenue, Industrial Boulevard, Lake Washington Boulevard, and West Capitol Avenue generally include multiple travel lanes but also present constraints such as narrow segments, on-street parking, closely spaced intersections, and high turning volumes.

Additional constraints exist at bridge crossings, railroad crossings, and intersections with state highways, where physical and operational limitations reduce flexibility for dedicated transit infrastructure. Corridors interfacing with State Route 84, Interstate 80 and U.S. 50/Interstate 80 Business require coordination with the California Department of Transportation.

A detailed understanding of corridor conditions—including lane configuration, signal spacing, freight activity, curbside management, and pedestrian infrastructure—will be essential to identifying feasible and effective transit priority treatments such as dedicated lanes, queue jumps, transit signal priority, and stop consolidation.

Governance and Institutional Framework

Public transit in Yolo County has evolved through a combination of county-led service delivery, intergovernmental cooperation, and overlapping statutory authorities that continue to shape service provision today.

Prior to 1989, public transportation services within Yolo County were administered directly by Yolo County. These services were operated through county-managed programs designed to meet both general public and specialized mobility needs, and were funded through enterprise mechanisms typical of local transit operations at the time. While service levels and branding evolved over the years, transit remained institutionally embedded within County administration.

A significant structural transition occurred on August 1, 1989, when Yolo County and the cities of Davis, West Sacramento, Winters, and Woodland entered into a Joint Powers Agreement pursuant to Section 6500 of the California Government Code. This agreement established the Yolo County Transit Authority as a separate legal entity responsible for transit service planning, funding, and operations. The creation of this Joint Powers Agency (JPA) marked the formal separation of transit services from direct County control and provided a governance structure representing both the County and its constituent cities.

In 1998, the California Legislature enacted Assembly Bill 2420, which reconstituted the JPA as the Yolo County Transportation District (YoloTD). This legislation expanded the agency’s role beyond transit operations, designating it as both the consolidated transportation services agency and the congestion management agency for Yolo County. Under YoloTD, transit services have been operated under the Yolobus brand, providing fixed-route, intercity, and commuter connections throughout the county and to neighboring regions.

Parallel to these developments, the Sacramento Regional Transit District—established in the early 1970s under state law—has played an important, though distinct, role in regional mobility. SacRT’s primary service area has historically been Sacramento County; however, its geographic and operational reach has long extended across the Sacramento River into Yolo County, including the City of West Sacramento. The legal framework governing SacRT’s authority was further clarified and expanded with the enactment of Assembly Bill 709 in 2018. Among other provisions, AB 709 explicitly authorizes public agencies to contract with SacRT for the provision of transit facilities and services. This statutory authority enables jurisdictions within Yolo County—including West Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, and unincorporated areas—to independently enter into service agreements with SacRT without requiring approval from another transit operator. In this sense, SacRT’s service boundary and authority can extend into Yolo County through contractual arrangements, reinforcing a model of overlapping but complementary transit jurisdictions.

Today, transit service in Yolo County reflects this layered institutional structure. The Yolo County Transportation District remains the primary provider of countywide bus service through Yolobus, while Sacramento Regional Transit District continues to operate under its statutory authority and through agreements with local jurisdictions. Contemporary initiatives—such as the proposed Downtown Riverfront Streetcar light rail extension project—illustrate ongoing collaboration between agencies and highlight the increasingly regional nature of transit planning and investment in the Sacramento metropolitan area.

At the regional level, Sacramento Area Council of Governments is responsible for regional transportation planning, travel demand modeling, and allocation of key funding sources. Coordination with California Department of Transportation is required for improvements affecting state highways and certain regional facilities.

Effective implementation of transit priority strategies will require clear interagency coordination, defined roles and responsibilities, and alignment on funding, design approvals, and operational control.

Yolobus Transit and Paratransit Services

YoloTD operates fixed-route Yolobus service and ADA paratransit (Yolobus Special) in West Sacramento, including intercity Routes 42A/B and local Routes 37, 40, 41, and 240. These routes serve major corridors as well as residential and collector streets.

YoloTD also operates the BeeLine microtransit service in Yolo County, which is distinct from the City of West Sacramento’s on-demand microtransit program.

Ridership recovery has lagged peer transit systems, with current ridership approximately 41 percent of pre-pandemic levels. In response, YoloTD’s 2024–2031 Short Range Transit Plan proposes service restructuring focused on increasing frequency, improving reliability, and reducing low-productivity coverage routes.

Key recommendations include increasing service frequency to 30-minute headways on core routes (including Routes 42A/B), eliminating underperforming Routes 40, 41, and 240, and introducing a new north–south Route 38 providing a one-seat ride between Southport, West Capitol Avenue, and major retail and education destinations.

During peak travel periods, Route 37 would serve Downtown Sacramento and the new state office buildings on Richards Boulevard. During off-peak hours, the route would serve the West Capitol Avenue and Merkley Avenue transit center, connecting with Route 42A/B for access to Downtown Sacramento, and continue to 5th Street to provide transfers to the proposed Route 38.

YoloTD contracts with Transdev Services Incorporated (Transdev) for operations and maintenance of Yolobus, Yolobus Special, and YoloTD's BeeLine microtransit service. The existing contract with Transdev took effect on August 1, 2018 with a base term of seven (7) years ending July 31, 2025. An extension option was exercised for one year to July 31, 2026.

Results from the recently issued Transportation Services Request for Proposals (RFP) to operate and maintain YoloTD's public transportation system indicate that Transdev is anticipated to be replaced by MV Transportation as the new transit service provider.

Microtransit and Funding Context

The City of West Sacramento is widely recognized as an early national leader in deploying app-based, on-demand microtransit as a core public transportation service, and represents the first full-scale implementation of this model in the United States.

By the mid-2010s, West Sacramento faced a structural challenge common to many mid-sized, low-density cities: traditional fixed-route transit was not effectively serving local travel needs. Community feedback in 2017 highlighted key issues, including long travel times, limited route coverage, and affordability barriers associated with taxis and private ride-hailing services.

In response, the City began exploring flexible, technology-enabled alternatives that could provide more direct, demand-responsive service, and in November 2017, the City announced its selection of Via Transportation, Inc., doing business as Nomad Transit, LLC., to implement a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership for on-demand transit. The program was initially conceived as a one-year pilot that officially launched on May 14, 2018, marking the first citywide deployment of public app-based microtransit in the country.

Key features at launch included:

• Citywide service coverage within West Sacramento
• Flat, affordable fares comparable to bus service rates
• App-based ride requests with optional phone booking
• Shared rides using dynamically routed vehicles using Via's algorithm

This model was designed to function as part of the public transit system—not merely as a private mobility service—effectively complementing fixed-route bus service provided by Yolo County Transportation District, and provided coverage as a first/last mile solution to lower-density and underserved neighborhoods. The service, branded “West Sacramento On-Demand" and informally referred to as "Via" by residents - quickly demonstrated strong ridership and operational viability. Within its first years, it was providing thousands of rides per month, reaching approximately 10,000 monthly trips by 2022 and improving mobility for key populations, including seniors, people with disabilities, and residents without access to private vehicles. The program also gained statewide recognition, including a Helen Putnam Award for Excellence (2019) for innovation in public works and transportation.

Since its inception, the City has funded the program using Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds, specifically Local Transportation Funds (LTF). TDA, administered by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), provides two primary funding sources for public transportation: LTF and State Transit Assistance (STA) funds. Sacramento Area Council of Governments, as the designated Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA), administers and allocates TDA funds within its region (e.g., distributing Local Transportation Fund and State Transit Assistance funds to cities, counties, and transit operators). These funds support public transportation development and operations and are allocated based on population, taxable sales, and transit performance.

At the program’s launch, the City utilized prior-year LTF reserves dating back to Fiscal Year 2016–17. In advance of the June 2024 three-year contract award, staff presented updates and workshops to the City Council highlighting an anticipated funding shortfall and the need for additional long-term revenue sources. Historically, annual LTF revenues remaining after required allocations to SACOG and YoloTD have not been sufficient to cover the full cost of microtransit service.

The current three-year contract with Nomad Transit LLC totals $10,046,947 and assumes approximately 57,200 annual vehicle service hours. The City Council approved the use of local funds to support operations through FY 2025–26; however, staff have identified a funding gap of approximately $850,000 in FY 2026–27 and an ongoing need of approximately $2.4 million annually thereafter. The Via contract includes a 3% annual increase in consideration of CPI inflation.

Staff have recommended evaluating fare and service adjustments to better manage demand and increase cost recovery; however, the City Council has not yet approved these changes and has requested that staff return with additional analysis.

Downtown Riverfront Streetcar Light Rail Extension

SacRT officially began light rail service on March 12, 1987 from Sacramento Valley Station downtown to Butterfield light rail station on Folsom Boulevard in Sacramento County. This launch made Sacramento the first city in California since the 1960s to open a modern light rail system. SacRT and cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento are collaborating to extend regional rail transit to serve historic Old Sacramento and extend over the Sacramento River into Yolo County for the first time in over 85 years when the Sacramento Northern Railway ended its electric interurban passenger rail service in 1941 that crossed Tower Bridge over a center track to serve what is now West Sacramento.

The project will extend SacRT's current regional light rail system using the same Siemens light rail vehicles currently operating throughout SacRT's service area. The new line (referred to locally as the "Streetcar" project) will establish a new connection between the Sacramento Valley Station regional transit hub and Amtrak rail line with Sutter Health Park (AAA & Major League) baseball stadium in West Sacramento, with planned stations on Cabaldon Parkway in West Sacramento, Old Sacramento on Capitol Mall, and on N Street in Sacramento. The service would connect with and use existing light rail tracks on Seventh and Eighth Streets sharing the line with SacRT's Gold Line, Blue Line, and Green Line. Double tracks are planned to be installed on N Street allowing two light rail vehicles to serve the new line providing 15-minute peak and 30-minute off-peak/weekend headways.

Capital cost of the service is currently estimated at $164.3 million and is currently fully funded through a combination of State and Federal grants, regional project development funds, and local funds. The latest public comment period on environmental aspects of the project closed on Feb. 15, and SacRT is making minor adjustments to reflect community feedback. Construction of the first phase is expected to begin in mid-2027 and be completed in 2030.

Planning for a second phase is planned as part of the US 50-Jefferson Boulevard Community Connectivity Project that is funded through SACOG's "Green Means Go" program which has received funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's "Reconnecting Communities" grant program. This project is conceptually exploring another extension west and south from Sutter Health Park to Soule and 15 ^th Streets.

The concept for a citywide light rail transit service mode was originally conceived in the Yolo County Southport Area Plan (1982) and was later included in the Southport Framework Plan initiated June 1991, adopted May 1995, and amended August 1998. The Southport Framework Plan envisioned extending SacRT light rail transit along the former Yolo Shortline Railway (purchased by the City in 2005), connecting downtown Sacramento with West Sacramento. Three stations were proposed in that plan: one at Gateway Drive (identified as Devon Avenue in the plan), one at Lake Washington Blvd. (identified as Sutterville Road in the plan), and one at Linden Road. Two light rail stations are also specifically referenced near the northern Marina Village (Locks Drive) with the Jefferson Boulevard bridge identified as the planned light rail entry point into Southport. The framework plan also identified a Park-and-Ride lot planned near Jefferson Boulevard and Linden Avenue in the Northeast Village, sized for 1,000 parking spaces, with an interim 50-space facility until light rail is constructed. The Southport Framework Plan and other planning documents can be downloaded from the City of West Sacramento's website. The City has made extending light rail into West Sacramento a Strategic Plan priority annually since 2003.

Commuter Patterns and Major Corridors

The 2019 Mobility Action Plan (MAP) indicates that the vast majority of West Sacramento residents commute outside the city, primarily to Sacramento, and rely heavily on single-occupancy vehicles. Only about 6% of residents both live and work within West Sacramento. The modal split suggests that while transit ridership is currently modest, targeted interventions along high-demand east-west and north-south corridors could capture commuter flows, especially if service is frequent, reliable, and competitive with driving times. This underscores the importance of express bus services, potential light rail extensions, and improved microtransit connections to employment centers and along major east-west and north-south corridors, including:

• Primary East-West Street Corridors
  • Enterprise Boulevard-West Capitol Avenue-Cabaldon Parkway-Tower Bridge (5.2 Miles) – Corridor connects the Port industrial zone, Civic Center (Library, College, Senior Center, City Hall) and the City’s AAA and major league baseball stadium, Sutter Health Park (home of the A’s and Sacramento River Cats) into Downtown Sacramento
  • Reed Avenue-Sacramento Avenue-C Street (3.8 Miles) – Corridor connects light industrial and office uses just west of Interstate 80 east to major retail shopping centers, SB 535 Disadvantaged Neighborhoods of Bryte and Broderick, to the Washington District Neighborhood, across the Sacramento River by way of the future C Street/Railyards Bridge planned to initiate construction in 2026/2027, and into the City of Sacramento’s Railyards District
  • Lake Washington-Industrial Boulevard (4.45 Miles) – Corridor connects light industrial east to the Port of West Sacramento, Business Park and Office, and major retail shopping centers and schools
• Primary North-South Street Corridors
  • Jefferson Boulevard-Kegle Dr. (7.6 Miles) – Corridor connects State Route 84 and suburban Southport neighborhoods north to SB 535 Disadvantaged Neighborhoods of Bryte and Broderick to Carrie Street. This is the primary and most congested transportation corridor in West Sacramento intersecting with 5 other corridors along residential, schools (including the only High School in West Sacramento), recreation and retail centers, light industrial and offices
  • Harbor Boulevard Corridor (2.5 Miles) connecting the Port of West Sacramento with Sacramento Avenue at SB 535 Disadvantaged Bryte neighborhood
  • Village Parkway-South River Road-5 ^th Street (7.6 Miles) – Corridor connects rural and suburban Southport with US 50-Business 80 State Highway System, transit-priority Bridge and Washington Districts (and planned Downtown Riverfront Light Rail Extension) to SB 535 Disadvantaged Broderick neighborhood
  • Southport Parkway Corridor (4.3 Miles) – a primarily suburban corridor with access to light industrial and commercial retail centers

Transit service in West Sacramento is affected by a range of factors that influence travel time and reliability. Congestion along major corridors, particularly the Jefferson corridor during peak periods, delay Yolobus and microtransit operations. Signalized intersections, closely spaced stops, and turning conflicts further contribute to variability in travel times. Improving transit speed and reliability will be a central focus of this plan and may include strategies such as transit signal priority, dedicated or shared transit lanes, queue jumps, stop optimization, and service pattern adjustments. Enhancing travel time competitiveness will be key to attracting new riders and improving overall system performance.

West Sacramento’s land use patterns and planning policies play a significant role in shaping transit demand and viability. The City’s General Plan and specific plans for areas such as the Bridge District, Washington District, and Southport guide growth toward a mix of residential, commercial, and employment uses, including higher-density development in key locations. Infill development and redevelopment along the riverfront and within established neighborhoods are expected to increase population and employment density in areas that are well-suited to transit investment. However, some emerging growth areas are not currently served by frequent transit, creating a need to align future service planning with anticipated land use changes.

Ensuring that transit investments support and reinforce land use objectives—including compact development, mixed-use centers, and reduced reliance on single-occupancy vehicles—will be essential to achieving long-term mobility and sustainability goals.

Freight and Goods Movement

Freight activity, including truck traffic and at-grade rail crossings, introduce additional sources of delay, particularly along corridors serving the Port of West Sacramento and industrial areas, such as the at-grade rail crossing across Jefferson at Stone Boulevard. These disruptions can reduce schedule adherence and make transit less competitive compared to driving. The city’s freight rail corridors also intersect with planned light rail alignments and may be leveraged as future linear transportation assets, either as potential corridors for rail-based transit through lease agreements or as planning constraints where asset use or acquisitions may not be feasible.

There are currently two (Union Pacific and Sierra Northern) freight rail corridors traversing West Sacramento. Union Pacific’s roots go back to the Pacific Railroad Acts of 1862, which authorized building a transcontinental railroad linking the Midwest with California; this ultimately connected through Sacramento as a major rail junction. UP later expanded by acquiring key regional railroads including Western Pacific and Southern Pacific, consolidating most major lines through the Sacramento area by the 1980s–1990s. In West Sacramento, UP’s Northern California freight network is connected to transcontinental routes serving the Central Valley, ports, and intermodal terminals across the western U.S. The West Sacramento vicinity interfaces with the Port of West Sacramento, where rail lines serve bulk and heavy agricultural/industrial cargo for export/import movements.

The Sierra Northern Railway was formed in 2003 through merger of Sierra Railroad and Yolo Shortline Railroad operations where it took over former Sacramento Northern Railroad and related rights‑of‑way around West Sacramento and Woodland. Much of its local trackage stems from the early Sacramento Northern interurban and freight rail systems, which historically stretched from Oakland to Chico and included a branch from West Sacramento to Woodland built in 1911. Historically, the Woodland branch and related lines handled both passenger and freight traffic; passenger ceased by the 1940s but freight continued robustly into the 1960s under Sacramento Northern before its absorption into larger systems. As local industries have shifted or closed, parts of the old line were abandoned (e.g., West Sacramento–Clarksburg segment) later purchased by West Sacramento, and more recently in 2020, freight service on the Woodland Branch effectively ended because the portion of track that crossed the Sacramento Weir area in West Sacramento was removed as part of widening and flood‑protection work on the Sacramento Weir project. Even before the severance, freight volume on the Woodland Branch had already declined sharply compared with its historic use, and with minimal commercial rail customers remaining, there was no economic case for maintaining the freight rail connection over the weir.

Community Engagement and User Priorities

The City of West Sacramento is a general law city, operating under the council/manager form of government. The City Council consists of five members, with the Mayor elected at large and four City councilmembers elected by district. The City Council conducts an annual Strategic Planning Workshop to review progress and establish the direction for the coming year. Implementation of the proposed Plan will be authorized and guided by the City Council in partnership with transit partners SacRT, YoloTD, and Via.

The West Sac Forward Transit Priority Plan will include a comprehensive and targeted outreach and engagement plan to inform, engage, and seek input from residents in SB 535 designated disadvantaged and underserved communities and demographic groups historically barred from participation in local government (persons of color, LGBTQ+ persons, people with disabilities, young people, and non-English speaking), as well as non-drivers. Transit planners will need to engage multiple stakeholders with expertise and unique points of view on active transportation, including senior groups, schools, parent-teacher organizations, and bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups.

General Public Community Engagement

Purpose: Ensure the project addresses critical needs of residents and partner organizations.

• City Residents and Workers
• Transit-Choice and Transit-Dependent Riders (youth, seniors, persons with disabilities, income-restricted), Transit Advocacy Groups, and Active Transportation users
• Community Based Organizations/Non-Profits/Advocacy Groups
• Land Developers, Property Owners
• West Sacramento Chamber of Commerce / Local Business Owners
• Sacramento Valley Small Business Development Center
• Road Users

External Partner Stakeholders

Purpose: Identify alignment of the project with local/regional/state goals and objectives, known best practices, and significant upcoming projects. Identify opportunities for further collaboration on project implementation.

• California Department of Transportation District 3
• Sacramento Area Council of Governments
• Yolo County Transportation District
• Sacramento Regional Transportation District
• Via Transportation
• Washington Unified School District / Charter Schools

Cross Department Coordination

Purpose: Identify how other departments would be able to support the implementation of the project, and ensure the project is scoped in a way that will advance the vitality and success of West Sacramento across public services.

• Capital Projects Department
• Community Development Department
• Public Works Department
• Finance Department
• Economic Development & Housing Department
• Information Technology
• City Manager’s Office
• City Legal Counsel

Input gathered through ongoing community engagement for the West Sac Forward Transit Priority Plan will be essential in identifying priority corridors, refining transit improvement strategies, and ensuring that proposed investments reflect user needs and support long-term ridership growth.

Recent City of West Sacramento surveys related to the West Sacramento On-Demand microtransit service, along with Yolo County Transportation District (YoloTD) surveys of fixed-route transit riders, indicate that local users consistently prioritize affordability, frequency, reliability, and regional connectivity in transit service.

Common rider priorities include frequent and reliable service (particularly 30-minute headways or better), direct one-seat rides to key destinations, safe and accessible walking and biking connections to transit stops, affordable fares with willingness to pay more for improved service quality, and stronger connections to regional employment centers in Sacramento and throughout Yolo County.

Common rider concerns include long wait times, inconsistent on-time performance, limited geographic coverage in certain neighborhoods, travel times that are not competitive with private vehicles, and confusion or lack of integration between transit services and fare systems.

A recent YoloTD community survey further highlights that many riders access transit by walking, particularly in more walkable areas such as Downtown Sacramento and West Sacramento Civic Center, Bridge District, and Washington District. However, in neighborhoods with lower walkability, riders face challenges related to sidewalk gaps, lighting deficiencies, and unsafe or inconvenient street crossings. These conditions underscore the importance of integrating pedestrian safety, bicycle access, and first/last-mile connectivity into transit planning and corridor design.

Climate and State Policy Context

Transit planning in West Sacramento is shaped by broader state and regional policy goals related to climate change, air quality, and equity. California has established ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including efforts to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and shift travel toward more sustainable modes such as public transit, walking, and bicycling.

At the regional level, Sacramento Area Council of Governments is responsible for developing and implementing a Sustainable Communities Strategy (Blueprint) under Senate Bill 375 (SB 375), which integrates land use and transportation planning to achieve emissions reduction targets.

Transit priority improvements that increase ridership, reduce travel times, and improve system efficiency can contribute to these goals while also supporting eligibility for competitive funding programs. Incorporating climate and equity considerations into transit planning will be critical to aligning local investments with local, regional, and State priorities.

West Sacramento’s land use framework supports continued infill and redevelopment in key districts, including the Civic Center, Grand Gateway, Bridge District, Washington District, and areas of Southport. These areas are expected to support increased residential and employment density over time, strengthening the potential for transit investment.

The city includes SB 535-designated disadvantaged communities, including Bryte and Broderick, where transit dependency is higher and access to reliable transportation is critical. Transit improvements in these areas support both equity objectives and potential ridership growth.