Welcome to the Green Line to the Airport Urban Design Charrette Web page. The Sacramento Regional Transit District's (RT) Green Line to the Airport project (also referred to as the Downtown Natomas Airport light rail extension), will extend light rail 12.8 miles north from downtown Sacramento to the River District, the Natomas communities and the Sacramento International Airport.

The Green Line is a large project with many components, so it was determined that construction should be implemented in phases. The Green Line to the River District (phase 1) is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in January/February 2011. The first phase will extend light rail 1.1 miles north to Richards Boulevard and 7th Street at the Township 9 development. This phase will include two new stations:  8th & H/County Center Station and 7th & Richards/Township 9 Station.

In order to ensure public involvement in the development of the extension, RT is embarking on an urban design charrette process that will develop a common vision of how to best integrate the Green Line into the communities.


Green Line Urban Design Charrette Purpose:
To create a common vision of how to best integrate the Green Line to the Airport light rail extension project into the Natomas communities. The charrette results should provide preliminary conceptual station designs and track details.

What is a charrette?
RT will be following the National Charrette Institute’s (NCI's) format for a charrette process, which is described as “a multi-day, collaborative planning event that harnesses the talents and energies of all affected parties to create and support a feasible plan that represents transformative community change.”

How can you get involved?
The charrette will allow participants the opportunity to review plans as they are being developed, including conceptual vehicle styles, track design, station design and locations. Community members will work directly with engineers, architects and planners to develop urban designs that will integrate the Green Line into the Natomas communities, not just build another transportation project.



What has been done so far, and what is in the future?
RT has previously met with a variety of stakeholders to obtain key issues, and set the course of action for follow-up meetings including the multi-day charrette. Public engagement activities leading up to the charrette will include an open house in January, site tours, educational presentations and an art event. Natomas neighbors are encouraged to get involved.

In addition to design elements, what other benefits will the charrette have?
Results from the charrette that follow will allow RT to develop project costs and ridership projections to apply for the federal New Starts rating in the summer of 2010. Receiving a New Starts rating will help RT compete for federal funding that will fund 50 percent of the project cost. With federal New Starts approval, RT can start engineering the Green Line in the Fall/Winter of 2011.

Why move forward on the Green Line now? 

• RT has committed to providing light rail to Natomas (dedication of right of way, developer fees, planning activities)
• Green Line is the number one ranked project in the Sacramento region and is a high priority in RT’s TransitAction Plan
• North Natomas population has almost quadrupled since 2003 and needs mobility options to combat congestion
• Affordability – the longer it takes to build, the higher the cost goes up

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