After a lengthy and detailed discussion Tuesday night, the Folsom City Council voted 4-1 to move forward with efforts to secure funding for a long-planned pedestrian and bicycle over crossing spanning Folsom Boulevard, a project city officials say could significantly improve safety and regional trail connectivity.
The council’s action authorizes staff to pursue competitive grant funding through the federal Safe Streets for All program and California’s Active Transportation Program Cycle 8, both aimed at expanding safe access for pedestrians and cyclists.
Vice Mayor Anna Rohrbough cast the lone dissenting vote.
The proposed overcrossing would create a grade-separated connection across Folsom Boulevard, linking the city’s extensive trail system with the Glenn/Robert G. Holderness Light Rail Station, Lake Natoma recreation areas and major employment centers near Iron Point Road and Blue Ravine.
City staff have identified the project as a top priority within Folsom’s Active Transportation Plan, noting it would address a major barrier between more than 50 miles of local Class I trails and the regional trail network extending toward downtown Sacramento.
“This project was identified internally as our highest priority for these two grant sources,” Capital Projects Manager Ryan Neves told the council, pointing to prior feasibility work and technical assistance efforts aimed at strengthening the city’s application after earlier funding attempts fell short.
The overcrossing concept has been under study for several years, including a city-approved feasibility study in 2022 and extensive public outreach in 2023 that narrowed multiple design options down to a preferred “North Alternative Alignment,” approved by the council in early 2024.
Despite its priority status, previous grant applications were unsuccessful, with reviewers citing the need for stronger documentation of community benefits and more detailed user data.
The current round of applications is due in late May and June, prompting the timing of Tuesday’s council action.
Tuesday’s discussion was prompted after Councilmember Sarah Aquino requested the item be pulled from the consent calendar, raising questions about committing local resources amid competing needs.
“When we do have very limited resources, especially in parks and rec and a lot of deferred maintenance needs, why would we commit some local funding for a grant to build something that we can’t afford to build on our own?” Aquino said.
Folsom City Manager Bryan Whitemyer said advancing projects through early design phases is critical to securing outside funding opportunities.
“We want to proactively design projects so that we can be ready to jump on those opportunities,” Whitemyer said. “Part of this is this has been a project that has been on the books for quite some time.”
Rohrbough voiced opposition, arguing the project does not align with what she views as the city’s most pressing need: reducing traffic congestion.
“One of the highest priorities in Folsom is solving our traffic and congestion issue,” Rohrbough said. “I see this as not a priority from the council and not a priority from our public.”
She also raised concerns about the required local match for federal funding and long-term maintenance obligations, noting those funds could be directed toward congestion-related projects.
“My priority is to reduce the traffic congestion in our city right now,” she said. “I’d rather see all of Measure A funds going toward Empire Ranch.”
City staff responded that maintenance costs for similar infrastructure have been relatively modest and that funding sources for the match would come from transportation-related funds rather than the city’s general fund.
Mayor Justin Raithel acknowledged the cost concerns but pointed to the value of leveraging outside funding.
“I am a big supporter of split grade crossings. I’m a big supporter of a walkable and bikeable community,” Raithel said. “I have a really hard time with a $20 million gross price tag. But if it’s $2 million that we pay to leverage $20 million — that’s pretty awesome.”
Councilmember Mike Kozlowski highlighted the project’s strategic location for both commuters and recreational users.
“There is a fairly tremendous population of people that live north of Blue Ravine and east of Folsom Boulevard,” Kozlowski said. “And there is a very large employment center on the opposite side of that road.”
Councilmember Barbara Leary added that increasing bicycle traffic along Folsom Boulevard underscores the need for improved safety.
“There is an increasing amount of traffic along Folsom Boulevard with people on bikes,” Leary said. “I still think it’s a worthwhile project.”
Staff also emphasized that grant programs are highly specific, requiring projects to align closely with safety and active transportation goals rather than congestion relief.
The estimated cost for environmental review and design is approximately $2.6 million, including preliminary engineering, environmental work and final design.
The federal grant would require a 20 percent local match, while the state program does not require a match but can benefit from one competitively.
Once funded, the project would move into environmental review and final design phases, positioning it to compete for future construction funding, which has previously been estimated at roughly $20 million.
City officials noted that pursuing grant funding does not obligate the city to move forward with construction, which would require a separate decision and additional funding approvals at a later date.
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