On the first day of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office order, some downtown businesses reported heavier foot traffic than usual, while others said it was roughly on par with typical weekdays. State workers, meanwhile, said in interviews that they battled traffic and congested parking garages during their commutes to Sacramento’s downtown.
Wednesday marked the official beginning of the four-day-a-week return-to-office order, a turning point in the yearslong battle over California’s in-person work requirements. Still, the order took effect midweek, leading into a holiday weekend. It will likely take weeks or months to fully assess the order’s effects for commute traffic and Sacramento’s central business district, where foot traffic has remained depressed compared to 2019 and vacancy rates are high for office real estate.
On Wednesday, local businesses and downtown workers offered some early indications…