WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Cutting the bright red ribbon for the North Riverwalk Trail Extension has been nearly two decades in the making.

After beginning construction in October 2022, officials met on April 30 to walk the new trail, which extends a quarter mile north from under the I Street Bridge at 2nd Street to the Broderick Boat Ramp, with a mid-block crossing on 3rd Street between D Street and E Street. 

The Sacramento River view offers downtown views for pedestrians who walk, rollerblade or even ride city scooters along the route. What was once a gravel pathway through trees and brush is now a paved Class I bike trail measuring 12 feet wide with one-foot shoulders, according to West Sacramento public information officer Paul Hosley.

The project is part of the bigger picture of opportunities for the Washington District Development, a 194-acre area by the Tower Bridge Gateway on the south, the Sacramento River on the east, A Street on the north, and portions of 6th Street and 8th Street on the west.

According to the city website, the West Sacramento City Council adopted the Washington Realized document in 2015, “a strategy intended to shift development patterns towards compact, transit-served and mixed-use development.”

According to the project description, the three main focuses for the northern waterfront section include paved path connections that enhance security between D Street and the Broderick Boat ramp, enhancing and reinforcing the public nature of circulation connections to the waterfront, and supporting and encouraging private development that activates the Riverwalk upon completion of the new C Street Bridge Improvements. 

By 2022, city officials developed a “vision for transforming the underutilized riverfront includes recreational access to the river and enhanced pedestrian, bicycle and transit mobility.”

That vision came at the cost of nearly 2.2 million, which the city reports came from outside agencies, including $714,000 from Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) funds administered by Housing and Urban Development and $1.3 million in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Grant (CMAQ) administered by Caltrans.

The project also includes two streetscape Improvements: new sidewalks, landscaping and American with Disabilities Act ramps on the West side of 3rd Street between C and D Street and on the south side of C Street between 3rd and 4th streets.  

“Up to 22 new trail light fixtures have been installed to enhance the safety and visibility of trail users,” Hosley said.

Now that it is complete, Councilmember Norma Alcala said the North Riverwalk Trail Extension Project significantly enhances the community’s recreational and pedestrian infrastructure, connecting key areas along the riverfront. 

“This project gives residents and visitors a chance to enjoy outdoor activities, such as walking, running and biking, while serving as a gathering place for families to enjoy nature along our beautiful riverfront,” Alcala said.