NEWS

ALERT ON BROADWAY BRIDGE PROJECT

FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (FEIR)

CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL JUNE 14, 2022

The Land Park Community Association (LPCA) and the Upper Land Park Neighbors Assn (ULPN) are requesting the City of Sacramento to add language that protects City of Sacramento streets from increased traffic impacts and ensure traffic safety. We support the bridge and the Neighborhood-Friendly Bridge definitions adopted in 2011 by the City of Sacramento to ensure the benefits of the project were equally shared by the  communities of both Cities. To that end, we offer following concerns and solutions for your adoption in response to the FEIR findings. and for a better project through an adopted City resolution.

Under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the City of Sacramento is a “responsible agency that is required to consider the EIR prepared by the City of West Sacramento and reach its own conclusions on whether and how to approve the project involved.”  (emphasis added) (West Sacramento Council Staff Report, Item #8, page 5.)  Instead, our City leaders are approving the Bridge EIR and Project Design with no public discussion at its June 14 Council hearing by placing the item on the consent calendar. Even though ULPN and LPCA are requesting traffic improvements to the Final Environmental Impact Report or resolution for Broadway and Land Park streets.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP – TAKE ACTION

 EMAIL COUNCIL MEMBERS KATIE VALENZUELA AND RICK JENNINGS AND COUNCIL CLERK TO REQUEST:

kvalenzuela@cityofsacramento.org

mpariset@cityofsacramento

rjennings@cityofsaacramento.org

drogers@cityofsacramento.org

council clerk:  https://meetings.cityofsacramento.org

  • Move to Bridge item from the June 14, 2022 Consent Calendar of Council Meeting (Item #8. Approval of the Environmental Impact Review and Preliminary Design of the Broadway Bridge Project.)
  • Reschedule the item for approval until time that Staff can present an overview of the responses to Sacramento citizen’s concerns, take questions from Council members and hear the final concerns voiced in Public Comments.
  • Add language to the Bridge Project’s Final EIR to ensure neighborhood friendly bridge objectives, protect city streets and provide public safety.
  1. Add signage at 3rd and 5th Streets directing traffic downtown and to X Street. This supports the Neighborhood-Friendly Bridge objective to protect residential streets and supports the stated EIR project objective of having traffic go downtown.  (EIR Project Objective, EIR page 1-9).
  2. Direct Broadway Complete Streets Project to include signage to direct Broadway traffic at 6th and 8th Streets to X Street.
  3. Obligate the City to perform a Traffic Analysis and Safety Evaluation after three years of bridge operation to determine actual impacts and mitigation as needed.
  4. Develop a new Transportation Standard of Significance that meets the traffic performance needs of the neighborhoods adjacent to the Central City (The Greater Land Park Community Plan neighborhoods). The existing Central City LOS F (Level-of-service for intersections) for Broadway and the associated gridlock should never be adopted as a Standard without a corresponding Comprehensive Safety and Mobility Plan that includes multi-model alternatives supported by reliable Public Transportation. ( reference 15 October 2019 Conditional Support for the Broadway complete Streets, LPCA).
  5. To prevent additional contributions to gridlock, direct the Sacramento Planning & Development Staff to forego further local density increases in the 2040 General Plan Update, maintaining the intensity of development, as allowed in the current 2035 General Plan,  throughout the Tower District ( Broadway and W/X from 9th-19th Streets).

 

 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON PROBLEMS WITH BRIDGE PROJECT EIR

 Link to staff report 5PM City Council (granicus.com)  Item # 8

The above link tells you how to 1) submit written comments; 2) listen or watch council meeting; and 3) Joint the Council meeting via zoom to testify.

 BRIDGE PROJECT PROCESS – Insufficient for a multi-decade transportation project

  • Not ONE noticed public presentation on the Environmental Impacts was made to the City of Sacramento nor did it allow its citizens public input to Council, Planning Commission, nor responsible Staff.
  • Given COVID, elections, and redistricting Sacramento Council representatives neither informed nor solicited response from constituents through either survey or Town Hall meetings in Sacramento.
  • Effected Sacramento neighborhood EIR challenges were either dismissed or discounted by West Sacramento’s response, with Council EIR approval by consent and without discussion.
  • Not a single mitigation action was proposed for Sacramento traffic impacts. The Project improves traffic in West Sacramento and contributes to future gridlock  on the Broadway Corridor, the access ramps for Hwy 50, and commute to the City Center from South Land Park, Hollywood Park, Land Park, Upper land Park and Curtis Park neighborhoods.

BRIDGE PROJECT IMPACT ANALYSIS – Insufficient data input and unanswered questions

  • FEIR response states that mobility breakout of uses, i.e. vehicles, public transit, bicycles, walking was based on “causal information” collected at 2015 workshop, but not the basis for the assessment of impacts described in the EIR/EA which remained undisclosed. (FEIR, Response to Comment O-3-07, page 4-98 and 4-99).
  • FEIR states traffic analysis indicates “travelers from West Sacramento going east would quickly disperse to Sacramento roadways depending on the destination of the traveler. Traffic modeling results indicated traffic would mostly disperse using front St., 3rd and 5th street.” (emphasis added) (FEIR, page 4-11, last paragraph). FEIR states that they do not have detailed data to determine users’ destinations.
  • EIR states that “most traffic will go downtown” based upon “trip patterns between geographic areas based on anticipated land uses in the future.” (FEIR, Response to Comment O-4-5, page 4-107. ) Yet, the break outs for destination traffic for each geographic area, (i.e. downtown vs. Aggie Square)  were not presented. The entire UC Med Center was acknowledged as being outside the scope of their analysis.
  • EIR states “2040 General Plan is not relevant for use in the impact analysis for the proposed project.” (FEIR, Response to Comment O-3-3, page 4-97.)  Note: The 2035 GP (2015) characterizes the Broadway Tower District from 9th– 19th as low heigth/mid-density while the 2019 Central City Specific Plan (adopted) and the 2040 General Plan characterize the district as high density / mixed-use of six stories. Density increase have a direct relation to traffic safety risk increases.
  • Previous EIRs for the Broadway Complete Streets and the West Broadway Specific Plans included 8,000-11,000 daily trips from the West Sacramento Bridge resulting in cumulative project impacts of LOS-F (gridlock) throughout the corridor.LOS-F has been predicted in those traffic studies as far south as Riverside & Vallejo, at Land Park Dr.& Broadway, and on all Hwy 50 on/off ramp intersections on W/X Streets. To this the WSB Bridge FEIR adds LOS-F to  3rd & 5th streets at Broadway.

The west portion of Broadway has had three projects approved which create serious traffic impacts: 1) Broadway Complete Streets Project which reduces auto lanes to one in each direction; 2) West Broadway Specific Plan added higher density; and 3) W, Sacramento-Broadway Bridge which removes 45,000 cars a day from Highway 50. When taken in aggregate, the cumulative negative impacts on the Broadway Corridor and its commute connectors are well documented in the three separate FEIRs – resulting in a major challenge to maintaining the Community’s vision for Land Park and Upper Land Park.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Kirk Vyverberg, LPCA Land Use Chair, 916.212.7693

Luree Stetson, ULPN Assn Land Use Chair, 916.761.7964

 

To review the Land Use page go to: https://landpark.wpengine.com/committees/committees/land-use-committee/

To review the City page for the Broadway Bridge Project go to: https://www.cityofsacramento.org/Public-Works/Engineering-Services/Projects/Current-Projects/Broadway-Bridge-Project