As the recent editorial in the Sacramento Bee noted, creating recreational access to the rivers in Sacramento is a great enhancement of our quality of life.
While recreational access work along the Sacramento is moving forward, that along the American has remained sluggish, partially due to the deep funding restrictions faced by Sacramento County, the management entity of the American River Parkway.
Our strategy for providing supplemental funding to the Parkway—creating a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) of adjacent governments and the JPA creating a nonprofit organization for management and fundraising—promises a more robust avenue for the type of Parkway enhancements sorely needed.
An excerpt.
“As Sacramento starts another week of temperatures in the high 90's, here's a special treat for those who want to spend some time along the city's Sacramento River.
“The riverfront has a new section of promenade with some great features for walkers, bicyclists and those who like to lounge as they view the river.
“The official opening of the first phase of the Riverfront Promenade extension – from O Street to R Street – was June 2, but people are only slowly discovering it.
“Walk or bike south from Tower Bridge in Old Sacramento and you'll find a 20-foot-wide pedestrian and bike path, new overlook of the 700-foot-wide river, benches, a set of three concrete lounge chairs that are amazingly comfortable and an R Street pocket park that includes a "cloud vessel shade structure with fog mister."
“The shade structure looks less like a cloud than the internal skeleton of an old wooden ship, a fish or a dirigible, but art is in the eye of the beholder. The artist, Ned Kahn, is known for incorporating natural processes (fog, water, currents, tornados, etc.) into his work. It's a nice addition, and on a 100-degree day that spray of water is more than welcome. Kids, certainly, and kids at heart will find ways to stand under it and enjoy a soaking.
“The California State Railroad Museum's excursion train runs alongside the promenade – a treat to watch, especially when the old steam engines are running.”
