City College station (Sacramento)

City College station is an at-grade light rail station on the Blue Line of the SacRT light rail system operated by the Sacramento Regional Transit District. The station is located in an exclusive right of way alongside the Union Pacific Railroad's Sacramento Subdivision and a small rail yard, on the campus of Sacramento City College, after which the station is named, in the city of Sacramento, California.

City College
City College station platforms, September 2007
General information
Location	24th Street Sacramento, California United States
Coordinates	38°32′30.69″N 121°29′7.22″W
Owned by	Sacramento Regional Transit District
Line(s)	UP Sacramento Subdivision Blue Line Southwest Extension
Platforms	1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Sacramento Regional Transit: 11, SmaRT Ride Franklin−South Sacramento[1]
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Accessible	Yes
History
Opened	September 26, 2003 (2003-09-26)[2]
Services
Preceding station Sacramento Regional Transit District Following station 4th Avenue/Wayne Hultgren toward Watt/I-80 Blue Line Fruitridge toward Cosumnes River College
Future services Preceding station Altamont Corridor Express Following station Midtown Sacramento toward Natomas/​Sacramento Airport San Jose – Natomas Elk Grove toward San Jose Valley Rail Elk Grove toward Ceres Preceding station Amtrak Following station Midtown Sacramento toward Natomas/​Sacramento Airport San Joaquins Elk Grove toward Bakersfield
Location

The station is located northeast of Charles C. Hughes Stadium on campus. In addition to serving the college this station also serves William Land Park and Curtis Park. The 60-foot-wide (18 m) station provides bus service, drop-off areas, and walkways to the stadium, campus, and parking lots.^[3]

The land east of the station has been the site of transit-oriented development community named Crocker Village. The remediated brownfield land was formerly part of a larger Union Pacific rail yard. Early construction includes a bridge over the light rail platform and the remaining rail yard, along with a 91-unit senior housing development called Curtis Park Court.^[4][5]

Altamont Corridor Express and San Joaquins services are planned to stop at the station when those lines are extended to Sacramento.^[6] A new platform will be constructed along the main line to facilitate the commuter rail and inter-city trains.^[7][8] By 2023, the expected start of the new service was 2029.^[9]

Platforms and tracks

Like nearly all stations built as part of the Blue Line Southwest Extension, City College station has a rather unique layout with an island platform serving northbound trains and a side platform boarding area for southbound trains, integrated into a plaza that leads into the Sacramento City College station. The southbound tracks are embedded in the pavement, allowing passengers to cross to the northbound platform from any point in the plaza. The layout is both efficient and a cost-effective way of providing a pedestrian-train interface.^[3]

References

1. "SacRT System Map" (PDF) (Map). Sacramento Regional Transit District. August 29, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
2. Bizjak, Tony (September 27, 2003). "New vista for light rail – 1st new line in 16 years opens to fanfare". The Sacramento Bee. p. A1. Retrieved July 17, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
3. "Sacramento Light Rail: South Line Opens on Time, on Budget". Light Rail Now!. September 2003. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
4. "Revitalized Community". California State Treasurer. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
5. "Curtis Park Court". Newport Partners. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
6. "San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority Draft 2019 Business Plan Update" (PDF). San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
7. van der Meer, Ben (November 3, 2022). "Passenger rail service through Midtown, Natomas and more slated for 2024 start with stations planned". Sacramento Business Journal. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
8. "Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project – Draft Environmental Impact Report" (PDF). Altamont Corridor Express. AECOM. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 30, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
9. Holland, John (March 13, 2023). "ACE rail expansion runs late, just as Modesto readies its historic downtown depot". Modesto Bee. Retrieved March 13, 2023.