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Corridor to Connect the Dots: Connector Would Link Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, El Dorado Hills.

Posted on: Thursday, 16 February 2006, 09:00 CST

By Lakiesha McGhee, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

Feb. 16--Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova and El Dorado Hills might have another thing in common besides recent monumental moves in government and substantial growth. Officials also plan to link the three communities with a new transportation corridor that would stretch at least 30 miles and provide another avenue for vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians and public transit. The project is a ways off. Construction isn't expected to begin for another three to four years. The impact of such a road has potential to be felt deeply by those communities, as well as the entire Sacramento region, which increasingly suffers from sometimes-maddening traffic congestion. "Two words ... regional connectivity," said Diane Nguyen, transportation program manager for the city of Elk Grove, when asked about the significance for Elk Grove. "That is the whole concept for Elk Grove participation. "The connector is a regional corridor to get movement between the communities. It's going to be a critical piece (for transportation)." The Elk Grove-Rancho Cordova-El Dorado Connector would loop around the southeast fringe of the core metropolitan area, linking Interstate 5 to Highway 99 on the southern flank of Elk Grove. It would then pass through Rancho Cordova along Grant Line Road - or Bradshaw Road or Sunrise Boulevard - and connect to Highway 50 near Folsom and into El Dorado County. The idea is to alleviate congestion on highways and roads while connecting residential areas and job centers, according to the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, a regional transportation planning agency proposing the project. The connector is identified in SACOG's Metropolitan Transportation Plan 2025, a 23-year plan for transportation improvements in the six-county region. It is considered one of the agency's more extensive projects. The SACOG board of directors in May approved a conceptual plan for the connector, including four alternative routes. The board then directed its staff members to work with other agencies to define how to implement it. In November, SACOG started a six-month work program to further define the purpose and need for the connector, along with costs and a funding strategy, said Ken Hough, SACOG director of community planning and operations. "Once the work program is complete, the environmental review process will begin," Hough said, noting the environmental study could take at least three years. A timeline for the project has not been established. The proposed connector began as a vision to bring relief to traffic-choked highways and two-lane roads burdened by the sprawl of suburban communities. Elk Grove, a new city of about 130,000 people, was recognized in 2004 as the state's fastest-growing city when its population increased 27 percent. That growth has translated into a heavy investment in roads and infrastructure. Nguyen said it's important that local planning capitalize on the connector. "We want to participate in that connectivity, that seamlessness, that smart planning as a corridor takes shape," she said. Unincorporated El Dorado Hills' population has tripled since 1990 to about 30,000 residents, with more growth predicted, according to previous news reports. Rancho Cordova - the newest city in Sacramento County with about 54,000 people - straddles Highway 50 and is looking to keep growing south of that route. Sacramento County Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan said transportation is crucial to her district's residents: people in Folsom, Citrus Heights, Antelope, Fair Oaks, Gold River and Orangevale. It was a topic often raised by residents during MacGlashan's 2005 election campaign. "Certainly, it has been a big issue in Folsom, with the closure of Folsom Dam Road and the need for a new bridge," MacGlashan said. "Congestion on Sunrise Boulevard, Greenback Lane, Hazel Avenue and Highway 50, among other transportation corridors, creates delays and frustration for drivers. On a positive note, light rail to Folsom has provided some relief and an alternative to driving for some commuters." Fair Oaks resident Ralph Carhart, a retired landscape architect for the state Department of Transportation who helped design the light-rail system in the 1980s, said he can't imagine not building the connector. "To not do it would create gridlock," Carhart said after a transportation meeting hosted by MacGlashan recently. "The real battle concerning the proposed connector would be between those who promote the public transportation system instead of more vehicles on the road." Light rail alone cannot meet transportation needs as people commute between home and work in Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova and Folsom, experts say. A connector allowing for multiple modes of transportation is touted as a way to provide relief on Highway 50 and other major routes such as Grant Line Road, which was never designed to be a major arterial, MacGlashan said. The proposed connector would include paths for bicycling, walking and buses, according to the concept plan. The plan also involves using $15 million for seed money for a larger program to preserve open space and wildlife habitat along the connector corridor. Economic pressure to develop areas considered to have significant wildlife habitat, agricultural, scenic or recreational importance is key in establishing new preservation measures, according to the concept plan. Land designated in the plan as "open-space priorities" includes the Cosumnes River 100-year floodplain, riparian and creek areas, vernal pools, oak woodlands, farmland and grazing areas. The Rancho Cordova City Council does not support alternative routes for the corridor that would run through busy Sunrise Boulevard or Bradshaw Road. City Councilwoman Linda Budge said the favored route is along Grant Line Road, which is mostly undeveloped - for now. Rancho Cordova has approved hundreds of homes near Grant Line and Douglas roads, she said. Another alternative for the proposed connector includes a bypass or tunnel on Grant Line Road in Sheldon, just outside Elk Grove. A bypass or tunnel would address concerns about the impacts of widening the roadway in that community, according to the concept plan. MORE INFORMATION To learn more about the Elk Grove-Rancho Cordova-El Dorado Connector, visit the Sacramento Area Council of Governments Web site at www.sacog.org/connector/

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

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Source: The Sacramento Bee

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