Sacramento Regional Transit must uphold commitment to build Dos Rios light rail station | Opinion
The Sacramento Regional Transit board has an opportunity on Jan. 8 to reverse the serious misstep it took in November when it backed out of its commitment to build the Dos Rios light rail station near Mirasol Village north of Downtown Sacramento. We urge SacRT to make good on its promise to Mirasol Village and do right by Sacramento’s affordable housing, equity, climate, land use, transit and fiscal goals.
Mirasol Village is a mixed income rental community, with affordable and market rate homes that are part of a comprehensive redevelopment of a public housing neighborhood. A critical feature of the redevelopment is connecting the residents and neighborhood to transit, services and the broader community.
The Dos Rios Station would allow residents of Mirasol Village to access the existing light rail system to Downtown and North Sacramento for work, school, medical appointments and shopping without incurring the additional expenses of owning and driving a car. As envisioned, the station could include green space, bike parking, a shade structure and other amenities lacking in the area. It would provide an economic boost to the River District and its burgeoning population of working-class residents.
Opinion
At the same time, the station would support ridership growth for the SacRT system and further the region’s greenhouse gas reduction goals. In short, the station would address multiple challenges in our city: improving quality of life for underserved neighborhoods, connecting isolated residents to services, improving air quality and furthering climate action goals.
Unfortunately, SacRT stepped away from the project in November, citing a significant budget deficit for the project due to delays and rising construction costs because of the pandemic. This decision not only flew in the face of the city and region’s housing, transportation and climate goals, it put millions of dollars of grant funding at risk.
Sacramento has not competed well for state and federal housing and transportation grants that are increasingly tied to projects combining smart land use, active transportation, transit and affordable housing. It was no small feat when SacRT, the Sacramento Housing Redevelopment Agency and the City of Sacramento assembled over $40 million in grant funds to develop Mirasol Village, including over $20 million dedicated to building the station. By deciding not to build the station, SacRT has now placed that $20 million in jeopardy.
But Sacramento area leaders, including State Sen. Angelique Ashby, have stepped up to support efforts to obtain additional state and federal funding. On Dec. 11, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments allocated funds that will bridge approximately half the funding gap. SacRT might also make up some of the deficit by implementing cost efficiencies. With this new information, Sacramento City Council Member Rick Jennings has asked SacRT to reconsider its decision.
The transformation of Mirasol Village into a healthy, equitable and affordable community will be back in SacRT’s hands on Jan. 8. We urge the SacRT Board to do the right thing and move forward with the Dos Rios Station.
Cathy Creswell is the board president of the Sacramento Housing Alliance. Steve Cohn is the chair of Sacramento Advocates for Rail and Transit.
