The City of Sacramento has set in motion a significant planning initiative with a price tag of $1.2 million to revamp the movement and accessibility in the Old North Sacramento region, an area long impeded by a trifecta of transportation barriers. Sacramento City Express reports the Reconnecting Old North Sacramento project will scrutinize the existing network to pinpoint effective strategies to smooth out the snarls caused by Highway 160, the Capital City Freeway, and Union Pacific Railroad tracks which presently carve out a wedge between this neighborhood and the neighboring districts.
Approved by the City Council just days ago, the initiative focuses on addressing the impact of infrastructure barriers, such as Highway 160, which has historically separated Old North Sacramento from downtown and essential services. While the project does not propose dismantling Highway 160, it aims to develop a community-centered plan to improve vehicular and pedestrian pathways and enhance safety. “While this effort does not necessarily propose to reconstruct Highway 160, it recognizes the highway, along with other infrastructure, as a longstanding barrier that has cut Old North Sacramento off from downtown, the American River Parkway, and vital services,” said Jennifer Donlon Wyant, Mobility and Sustainability Division Manager, to Sacramento City Express.
Transportation infrastructure installed in the 1950s has had lasting impacts on the area, contributing to economic decline and reduced walkability along Del Paso Boulevard. Today, the area includes eight census tracts, seven of which report high rates of poverty, pollution, and poor health outcomes…