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Infrastructure

Elk Grove seeks public feedback on Blue Line extension.

Vitaliy Moskalenko

Vitaliy Moskalenko

— 3 min read
Elk Grove seeks public feedback on Blue Line extension.
Cover design featuring a Sacramento Regional Transit Blue Line train at station. Image courtesy of SacRT.

Elk Grove is weighing how to move people more efficiently as the city grows south.

The question is whether to extend light rail from Cosumnes River College further down Bruceville Road and Big Horn Boulevard or to build a bus rapid transit system that could cover the same corridor with just as much frequency at a lower cost.

The study area runs from the Blue Line’s current terminus at Cosumnes River College to the area around Kammerer Road and Highway 99, covering nearly seven miles of streets that already carry thousands of commuters each day.

One scenario would bring the train 3.6 miles farther, adding three new stations and stopping at District56, where a rapid bus would continue the trip south.

Map 1 – Proposed Elk Grove Blue Line light rail extension to District56 with a rapid bus connection south to Kammerer Road. Image courtesy of SacRT/Elk Grove

Another option stretches the rail line a full 6.4 miles, creating seven new stations that would extend service all the way to Kammerer Road.

Map 2 – Proposed Elk Grove Blue Line light rail extension continuing 6.4 miles to Kammerer Road with seven new stations. Image courtesy of SacRT/Elk Grove.

A third alternative drops the rail entirely in favor of 7.4 miles of bus rapid transit, with buses running in dedicated or center lanes along Bruceville and Big Horn before turning near Sky River Casino.

Map 3 – Proposed 7.4-mile Elk Grove bus rapid transit alignment with twelve new stations running from Cosumnes River College to Sky River Casino. Image courtesy of SacRT/Elk Grove.

The last choice is a hybrid: light rail running the same 6.4-mile distance to Kammerer but sharing mixed-traffic lanes for a stretch along Big Horn Boulevard before shifting back to its own alignment.

Map 4 – Alternative Blue Line extension to Kammerer Road with a segment operating in mixed traffic along Big Horn Boulevard. Image courtesy of SacRT/Elk Grove.

Each alignment ties directly into Elk Grove’s existing and future neighborhoods. The rail extensions would hug the west side of Bruceville south of the college, shift to the center of the street, and then follow Big Horn down past Laguna and Whitelock before reaching new growth areas near Bilby and Kammerer.

The bus rapid transit line would take a similar path, with twelve stations positioned across the corridor, including stops near major intersections like Red Elk Drive and Lotz Parkway.

City officials say this project is about more than moving people. They point to broader goals of cutting congestion and emissions, improving access for seniors and people with disabilities, and encouraging development around future stations. After more than two decades of study, and with Elk Grove’s population still climbing, the state-funded feasibility work is pushing toward a final recommendation in 2026.

The city is asking residents to weigh in. The second round of public engagement is underway, focusing on design alternatives, station vision plans, and a cost-benefit comparison of traffic and ridership impacts. An online survey is open at bit.ly/ElkGrove-BRT-LRT-plan

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