Rep. Matsui Praises RT Green Line Groundbreaking

Light Rail Extension Will Expand Sacramento’s Core

October 12, 2009 -- SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (D-Sacramento) joined local community leaders for the groundbreaking ceremony of Regional Transit’s Green Line. The event marked the start of construction on RT’s light rail extension to Richards Boulevard, part of the Downtown-Natomas-Airport (DNA) master plan to connect Sacramento’s downtown core to Natomas, and eventually Sacramento International Airport. Representative Matsui’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:

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“Today’s groundbreaking has been in the making for many years. It has been almost 20 years since RT first explored extending light rail to the airport and here we are finally ready to lay the first rail. I would like to congratulate the current RT Board for thinking aggressively and creatively to make this section of the Green Line a reality. Had it not been for their leadership and effort, this first section of the Green Line may have never been built.

“Most thriving metropolitan regions have a strong connection between public transit and their airports. With today’s groundbreaking we are one step closer to making that a reality for us in Sacramento. Being able to travel seamlessly from Folsom, Rancho Cordova or South Sacramento to downtown is now a reality for thousands of Sacramentans, we have to further extend that ability to the airport.

“This project is a great first step towards developing a complete transportation plan between Sacramento’s core and the airport. It also is a great step forward to building a thriving transit oriented developments along Richards Boulevard, here at Township 9 and at the Railyards. These new neighborhoods are starting to take shape and when completed they will offer Sacramentans a real opportunity to live and work downtown.

“With immense state budget cuts that have forced RT to reduce services it is often difficult to find a bright spot in the world of public transit - but this project is one. As it advances I look forward to continuing to champion it at the federal level and remind my colleagues of Sacramento’s commitment to smart growth. I cannot wait to be back here in a year - standing in this same spot - to see this segment’s completion. Thank you again to RT and our city leaders who have made this transit vision a reality.”

Source: Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui