'We are stronger together': SACOG approves millions for the Yuba-Sutter region

May 18—The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) approved Thursday millions in funding that will directly benefit the Yuba-Sutter region — both its people and its roads.

During a SACOG Board of Directors meeting Thursday morning in Sacramento, a majority of the money coming to the area was greenlit after the board approved the 2022-2023 Regional Funding Round that included several funding awards for various projects throughout the four-county region that SACOG represents.

"SACOG's Regional Funding Round is an important source of transportation investment in the region," a staff report said. "Over the last 15 years, competitive funding rounds have occurred every two or three years. Projects are selected to receive funding for road, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian projects primarily within the four-county region (Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba counties)."

SACOG said funds that are used in this funding round are "primarily derived from state and federal transportation revenue sources." In total, more than $131.7 million was approved as a budget for the 2022-2023 Regional Funding Round — much of which will go to the cities in Yuba and Sutter counties as well as the counties themselves.

"It's a great day for the Yuba-Sutter region with over $24 million of grant funds to be put to good use to enhance our communities, improve transportation and positively affect economic development," Marysville Community and Economic Development Director and Sutter County Supervisor Dan Flores said. "This SACOG award demonstrates how strong collaboration between the Yuba-Sutter jurisdictions and our partners like Blue Zones really does pay off. SACOG staff shared with us that our area really has a great story to tell and that is the main reason we were considered for the grants. We are stronger together."

Flores said that historically, the Yuba-Sutter region has received less funding than some of the other surrounding and more urban jurisdictions.

"This time was different and SACOG recognized our region for that difference," Flores said.

Included in the funding is money that will help improve the safety of E. 22nd Street in Marysville. Officials said the improvements identified for this area of the city will allow children to travel more safely to and from school.

"I am excited that we get to bring protected bike lanes for the school kids to get to school," Marysville Public Works Director Vincenzo Corazza said.

A special guest of the city of Marysville at the SACOG meeting, Eric Paredes from the Blue Zone Project, said, "we are excited to be a key partner with the city of Marysville to bring in grant dollars to the region to support a healthy lifestyle and natural movement."

The following are projects included in the SACOG 2022-2023 Regional Funding Round for the Yuba-Sutter region:

Marysville — Historic Downtown Marysville Safety and Walkability Enhancements ($250,000): This project would construct safety and walkability enhancements such as street lighting and pedestrian enhancements along Historic Downtown Marysville's D Street Corridor. Pedestrian safety features include brighter lighting, raised crosswalks, improved shade landscaping and other pedestrian amenities. — E. 22nd St Multi-Modal Maintenance & Modernization Safety Improvements Project ($3,500,000): In Marysville, on E. 22nd Street, from SR-20/Levee Road to Ramirez St: Roadway reconstruction, construct protected bike lanes, improve transit stops, close sidewalk gaps, add ADA ramps and implement traffic calming. SACOG said this project "demonstrated a strong roadway maintenance need" and "responds effectively to community input, adapting what had been a straightforward re-paving project into a more holistic project that addresses many local needs."

Yuba City — Gateway Signs Improvement Project ($100,000): This project would provide a framework for restoring gateway signs welcoming visitors to the city. The project would plan, design, purchase and install the signs off Highway 20 and Highway 99 entering the city. — Garden Highway Improvement Project ($4,332,000): In Yuba City, on Garden Highway, from Lincoln Road to Bogue Road: Roadway rehabilitation and reclamation; safety improvements — updating signage, ADA-compliant curb ramp installation; intersection modernization improvements — upgrading signal controllers/detectors and installing/updating loop detectors; bicycle/pedestrian improvements — adding buffer bicycle lanes to delineate from vehicle lanes, painting transition areas. SACOG said the project "applies multiple relevant treatments for a holistic corridor improvement to goods movement and safety and security" and "responds effectively to the surrounding context and land uses while addressing a roadway maintenance need."

Live Oak — General Plan Elements Update ($100,000): This project would update the Community Character, Conservation and Open Space, Economic Development and the Parks and Recreation elements of the city's General Plan. This project would create consistency with the recent development and potential changes in the city, including changes to state law. — Pennington Road Complete Streets Rehabilitation ($350,000): Pennington Road from Connecticut Avenue to Broadway. Rehabilitate roadway and restripe bicycle lanes. SACOG said the project "demonstrated a strong roadway maintenance need" and "serves as a goods movement route supporting the agricultural economy."

Wheatland — Zoning Code Update ($100,000): This project would prepare a comprehensive update to the city's Zoning Code. The current code was last updated in 1991, and this update would make it consistent with the General Plan as it is being updated.

Yuba County — Fleming Way Safe Routes to Schools ($300,000): This project would complete the design for the Safe Routes to School project in Olivehurst. This would include engineering and design for 5,300 linear feet of sidewalks, new crosswalks, new crosswalks, striping, ADA compliant ramps, class III bike routes, curbs, gutters, and signage. This would result in safer accessways to an elementary school and intermediate school. — Loma Rica Road & South Beale Road — State of Good Repair ($4,678,650): In unincorporated Yuba County, on Loma Rica Road from SR20 to Fruitland Road and on South Beale Road from SR65 to the Beale AFB Gate, perform pavement repairs, overlay, and striping of the existing roadways. SACOG said the project demonstrated a "strong roadway maintenance need for a main connection to an otherwise isolated community" and that the "project connects to climate resiliency work, as the corridor recently served as a wildfire evacuation route and the proposed improvements would remedy roadway damages from truck traffic traveling to and from the base camp." — Linda Avenue & Dunning Avenue — Safe Routes to School / ATP ($893,000): In unincorporated Yuba County, on Linda Avenue from Hammonton-Smartsville Road to North Beale Road, and on Dunning Avenue from Hammonton-Smartsville Road to Linda Avenue. Design pedestrian and bicycle improvements to provide safe, multi-modal access for students, including sidewalks along all roadways, crosswalks, Class II bike lanes on Linda Avenue and Class III bike routes on Dunning Avenue. SACOG said the project "would increase multimodal connections in the community, especially for students traveling to and from Linda Elementary" and "would add needed improvements that would serve a disinvested community."

Sutter County — Maintenance Paving Project ($4,349,000): The project consists of a pavement overlay and new thermoplastic striping on eight roadway segments totaling 17 miles of roadway in Sutter County. SACOG said the project "connects to climate resiliency work by supporting safer evacuation routes in the event of flooding" and "serves as an important connection between rural areas and the economic centers of Sutter County." — Recreational Trails Feasibility Study ($100,000): This project would develop a feasibility study for recreational trails along the Gilsizer and Live Oak Canal drainage districts. The two drainage districts connect the developed portions of Yuba City to the rural portions of Sutter County.

Yuba-Sutter Transit Authority — NextGen Transit Facility Environmental & Engineering ($3,500,000): Complete environmental documents and engineering work for the NextGen Transit Facility to be located on a 19.7 acre parcel at 6035 Avondale Ave. in Linda. SACOG said the project "demonstrated a strong need to modernize the facility due to infrastructure constraints that will hinder the transit authority's efforts to transition to zero-emissions buses."

In addition to the 2022-2023 Regional Funding Round, Yuba County also received $1,247,967 as part of a fiscal year 2022-2023 Local Transportation Funds claim.