CA: Is this Rancho Cordova light rail station pitched 40 years ago back on track?

Light rail passengers who have wanted another Rancho Cordova stop may finally get their wish — even if it has been more than 40 years in the making.

Sacramento Regional Transit has secured the funding to build a new station between the Gold Line’s La Riviera Butterfield and Rancho Cordova Mather stops, slicing in half the 2.5-mile distance between them.

The Horn Road station, at the intersection of Folsom Boulevard, was first proposed 45 years ago. Linda Budge, who has served on Rancho Cordova’s city council since 2003 and has lived in the city for more than 40 years, said the inclusion of the line is finally filling in a travel gap that “should not have existed in the first place.”

“Rancho Cordova has waited so long for this station,” Budge said. “We’ve actually had trouble even keeping a bus stop to serve the library, and I know that because the library is so important. People are really looking forward to the station being being open.”

Construction is scheduled to begin in September 2028, with a proposed opening in April 2031. The Horn Road Light Rail station will be near the Rancho Cordova library, homes and several employment offices, according to Sacramento Regional Transit’s presentation to Rancho Cordova. The only public transportation this neighborhood receives is one bus with a 30-minute frequency, the transit agency’s report reads.

“There are 65,000 people who come to work here every day, and they don’t all live in Rancho Cordova,” Budge said. “...The light rail actually helps get all these people who come from other places into Rancho Cordova so they can get to their jobs.”

The project has currently secured $9 million in construction funding, said Jessica Gonzalez, a spokesperson for Sacramento Regional Transit. Budge added that the city and Sacramento Regional Transit are working together to fill a budget shortfall, which is around $6 million to $10 million, according a report presented to the city.

Construction of the Horn Road line will accommodate the rise of Rancho Cordova’s population and workforce, Budge said. Between 2024 and 2025, Rancho Cordova saw a 3.2% increase, with its community growing from 82,837 to 85,451 residents, according to the California Department of Finance. In May, Mayor Siri Pulipati attributed this growth to the city’s surging housing market.

“We’re growing with purpose, and we’re focused on maintaining the welcoming, connected, and vibrant community our residents deserve,” Pulipati said in a news release.

Currently, Sacramento Regional Transit has designed two options for a station.

The city of Rancho Cordova is choosing between the two and was presented with both during a council meeting on Sept. 15. One is a basic design with minimal structures and “no architectural elements,” according to Sacramento Regional Transit. The other alternative, costing $4 million more, includes “xeriscape native plants” and “monument sign and local artwork.”

During the meeting, when presented with the design options, most of the council deferred a design that provided shade. They have yet to choose one.

Councilmember Garrett Gatewood argued that to consider an option without shade is “completely unreasonable” because of Sacramento’s heat. Concerned about cost, Gatewood requested a workshop about the station’s design.

“We want, and we like it to look nice,” Gatewood said. “We don’t have to have a Porsche, but we don’t want a barn.”

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