The most important part of the plan, which certainly needs more balance towards vehicles, is that providing for better transport throughout the region by the overwhelming majority of residential and business transit which occurs on roads and freeways in cars and trucks.
What is still lacking is a dedicated bike trail embracing the region, connecting the American River Parkway trail to a county-wide system of bicycle transport which would serve transit and recreational needs.
There should be no paradigm shift away from cars (which would be a huge backward step) but one more deeply embracing cars and bicycles, as well as trains, buses, and walking, all vital forms of movement around the region befitting the livable community we envision.
Region transit plan is blasted
Environmentalists contend it's overly focused on vehicles.
By Tony Bizjak - tbizjak@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PST Friday, December 28, 2007
The Sacramento region's cities and counties are poised this spring to ratify what proponents say is a groundbreaking new $42 billion transportation spending plan with more money than ever for transit, pedestrians and bicyclists.
Environmentalists, however, complain the plan doesn't go far enough.
"We are asking for nothing short of a true paradigm shift" away from cars, officials with the Environmental Council of Sacramento wrote in an analysis last week.
The list of projects to be funded over the next 25 years is called the Metropolitan Transportation Plan and is published by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, the region's transportation planning agency.
It is made up of local governments in Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, Yolo, Yuba and Sutter counties.
SACOG officials counter that they have gone as far as they felt they could to create a spending plan that encourages more transit use but doesn't leave car drivers stuck in traffic jams.
