COMMUNITY WIDE ENGAGEMENT

The existing I Street Bridge is over 100 years old with very narrow lanes that are unable to accommodate buses and bicycles and pedestrians safely and is outdated connect the city of Sacramento and West Sacramento across the Sacramento River. The bridge is an important link between the Cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento.

The I Street Bridge Replacement project will include construction of a new bridge upstream of the existing I Street Bridge. The key goals and objectives of the outreach effort were to implement a community engagement program to inform and involve the community throughout the design process. The challenge was to create an exceptional outreach process to get qualitative community input on something as subjective as the aesthetic design of a new bridge.

AIM coordinated and facilitated eight presentations to local community-based organizations, property-based income districts (PBIDs), and active transportation groups. AIM also planned and facilitated three community open house workshops for the community to learn more about the project and lead open house attendees on a walking tour along the Sacramento River to view the existing I Street Bridge, the proposed crossing location, connections to nearby streets and trails. Most importantly, AIM’s outreach process provided opportunities for the bridge designer to have a constructive dialogue with the community about the trade-offs and cost constraints of each design option. This dialogue between the designer and the community ultimately led to a new bridge that fits within the community context and its values.