RT says Tower Bridge streetcar is closer than ever — but skepticism remains
After years of delays, failed proposals and rising costs, Sacramento Regional Transit said it expects construction to begin next year on a streetcar line connecting Sacramento and West Sacramento. Residents at the last of three public forums Wednesday questioned whether the agency’s funding and cost estimates would hold up.
The project, which was first developed in 2014, would connect the two cities on opposite sides of the Sacramento River via light rail tracks on the Tower Bridge.
A similar rail connection once existed, but the tracks were removed in the 1960s.
West Sacramento has included a light rail extension in its strategic plan since 2003, Supervising Transportation Planner Jason McCoy said Wednesday.
RT took over the project in late 2022 after a series of roadblocks, including rising costs, funding concerns and disagreements among transit board members. The initial plan called for a roughly 4-mile streetcar line, but construction bids far exceeded the $200 million budget. A pared-down plan was eventually struck down by RT’s board in a split 5-5 vote.
The new proposal includes 1.8 miles of track where four Siemens S700 streetcars — single-cab versions of the low-floor vehicles used on the Gold Line — would operate along portions of Seventh, Eighth, H and N streets in downtown Sacramento and Old Sacramento. Three new stations, including one near the Athletics’ temporary home at Sutter Health Park, would be constructed, and six existing stations would be modernized, according to RT’s presentation.
McCoy noted West Sacramento’s bid for a Major League Baseball team and said improved transit could support that effort. He said he believes the streetcar project could help make the bid more competitive, though he added he was not familiar with the details of the process.
The new line would provide direct connections to major destinations, including Golden 1 Center, the Crocker Art Museum, the Railyards development and the State Capitol. It would also connect with existing light rail service, Amtrak and RT regional bus routes.
The project would also transform the Tower Bridge from four lanes to two with a rail line in the center and 6-foot bike lanes on either side.
Funding in place, bids still ahead
While the streetcar project has been years in the making, RT officials said they are optimistic after securing $164.3 million in funding.
“In most construction projects, funding is usually your biggest hurdle,” RT spokesperson Jessica Gonzalez said. “This is the closest we have ever been.”
Of that funding, $92.3 million comes from federal sources, $33 million from local sources and $39 million from the state, Gonzalez said. To use the federal funding, construction must begin by summer 2027.
“At this time, we’re not looking at it as a challenge,” Gonzalez said, referring to the timeline. “It’s just moving us forward.”
RT expects to seek construction bids before the end of the year. That process, which includes updated cost projections, will help determine whether the funding secured will be enough to complete the project — an issue raised repeatedly during Wednesday’s workshop at the West Sacramento Community Center.
“This is one of those situations where we have checked, we have double-checked... so we feel confident in the numbers,” McCoy said, referring to both RT and federal oversight project manager evaluations. “But it’s always going to be a waiting game to see what happens when the bids come in.”
McCoy referred to the bid process for I Street bridge replacement, where contractors submitted bids that were at least $136 million more than West Sacramento expected. The original estimate was $260 million.
The Wednesday workshop was the third and final public forum RT hosted to discuss the streetcar project and gather community feedback. The first two were held at the agency’s auditorium on Q Street, with the second also offered virtually. RT also had a public comment period open early this year that ended in February.
Residents question costs, ridership
Fair Oaks resident and Sacramento property owner Mike McWhirter raised concerns about costs, citing an Orange County streetcar project that cost more than $150 million per mile and exceeded its budget by nearly $400 million, according to the news outlet Voice of OC.
“It’s evident from all other civil projects as of recently that cost overruns are commonplace, and their estimates are very old,” McWhirter said, adding that he believes the rail line is an outdated project concept. “The question is: Where will they get the additional money if they face significant cost overload?”
West Sacramento has agreed to cover any cost overruns, McCoy said.
West Sacramento resident Katrina Sutton, who said she has experience with transit projects, said she is “generally supportive” of the proposal but has questions about how it will be completed and remains skeptical about projected ridership.
“(I’m) cautiously optimistic,” Sutton said, “but I wouldn’t be shocked if it gets stalled for another 20 years.”
RT also addressed previous outreach events comments, including the elimination of parking spots and loading zones, and described some drafted solutions.
Service could begin as early as the end of 2029, officials said.
