Sacramento City Council Meeting: Vision Zero Update, Proclamations, and Public Comment on March 17, 2026
Sacramento City Council Meeting – March 17, 2026
The Sacramento City Council convened on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (regular session called to order at 6:36 p.m.) at City Hall. The meeting featured special presentations for Nowruz (Persian New Year) and Ramadan, a discussion on the Vision Zero Action Plan High Injury Network (HIN) development, the withdrawal of two agenda items, and public comment on teacher strikes in the Twin Rivers and Natomas school districts.
Special Presentations
- Nowruz (Persian New Year) – Presented by Mayor Kevin McCarty. The proclamation honored the Persian New Year celebration, which coincides with the vernal equinox and is observed by over 300 million people worldwide, including many in the Sacramento region. Speakers included Artavan Zahadani, who expressed gratitude for the city’s inclusivity.
- Recognizing the Holy Month of Ramadan – Presented by Councilmember Roger Dickinson, Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra, and Councilmember Mai Vang. The proclamation recognized Ramadan as a sacred month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and generosity. Speakers from CARE/SVCC and Salam Center highlighted the Muslim community’s contributions and the upcoming Eid al-Fitr celebration at Cal Expo. They noted that over 100,000 Muslims live in the Sacramento region and dozens of mosques serve as community hubs.
Public Hearings
- Item 1 – Ordinance Listing 2240 Northgate Boulevard (Orbit Station) as a Landmark – Withdrawn and to be re-noticed. Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes noted ongoing conversations with property owners.
- Item 3 – Memorandum of Understanding with Sacramento Zoological Society – Withdrawn; to be heard later in April. The Mayor noted the zoo’s 100th anniversary and commitment to community engagement.
Discussion Items
- Vision Zero Action Plan Update – High Injury Network (HIN) Development – Presented by Jennifer Donlon Wyant, Mobility and Sustainability Division Manager. Key data: over 22,000 injury crashes and 1,600 severe injury or fatal crashes in the past 10 years. 15% of killed or severely injured (KSI) involve bicyclists, 31% involve pedestrians. 48% of crashes occur in disadvantaged communities, which comprise only 31% of the street network. The current high injury network (HIN) is based solely on crash data; state law now allows inclusion of additional factors: vulnerable road users (people walking, bicycling, youth, older adults), sensitive areas near schools, and disadvantaged communities. Community engagement (nearly 1,000 survey responses, 10+ workshops) strongly supported including all factors. Staff recommended council direction to incorporate these criteria. Councilmembers unanimously supported the recommendation, with additional suggestions: Mayor Pro Tem Guerra asked to consider “near hit” data, road condition, and connectivity of bike routes; Councilmember Dickinson urged coordination with school districts and revisiting crosswalk policies; Councilmember Maple emphasized prioritizing vulnerable users and acknowledged the emotional weight of traffic fatalities; Councilmember Jennings highlighted enforcement and speed camera technology; Councilmember Vang noted that all major roads in her district (West El Camino, Truxel, San Juan, Northgate) are on the HIN. Mayor McCarty noted a $5 billion backlog in planned transportation improvements and the need for dedicated funding sources. Police Chief discussed ongoing enforcement efforts and the new SB 720 red light camera program (civil penalty, managed by Public Works), while AB 645 speed camera pilot does not yet include Sacramento.
Public Comments – Matters Not on the Agenda
Six speakers addressed the council, primarily regarding the ongoing teacher strikes in the Twin Rivers and Natomas Unified School Districts (day 9 of strike). Speakers included:
- Santiago Vivas Rodriguez (parent): Called on council to pressure school districts to negotiate in good faith, citing broken systems and impact on students.
- Raquel Guiera (teacher, 26 years): Described 100 unfilled positions, reliance on substitutes, and urged council to help facilitate bargaining.
- Mary Carmen Vivas Aguilera (teacher, District 2 resident): Requested council to publicly call for good-faith negotiations and ask the Sacramento County Office of Education to review safety during the strike.
- Pablo Gutierrez (substitute teacher): Stated that while not represented by the union, he joined the picket line and urged council to use its influence.
- Other speakers: Caesar Nelson thanked past council for water issue resolution; Mike Snell presented a workforce model; all speakers emphasized the broader community impact of the strikes.
Key Outcomes
- Vision Zero: Council provided direction to staff to develop the High Injury Network incorporating all factors allowed by state law (vulnerable road users, sensitive areas, disadvantaged communities). Staff will return with a draft plan for adoption by the end of 2026.
- Item 1 (Orbit Station landmark): Withdrawn; to be re-noticed after further stakeholder conversations.
- Item 3 (Zoo MOU): Withdrawn; to be rescheduled for April after community engagement.
- Public Comments: No direct action was taken on the teacher strike issue, but speakers’ concerns were entered into the record.
- Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:14 p.m. in memory of Howard Lawrence, a longtime labor advocate and community organizer.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Councilmember Kaplan. Should be here momentarily. Councilmember Dickinson. Vice Mayor Talamantes should be here momentarily. Councilmember Pleckybom. Councilmember Maple. Mayor for Temkara. Here. Councilmember Jennings. Councilmember Fang. You have a quorum. Thank you. Well, Mr. Dickinson, we were going to have the little ladies' girl scouts from Robla do the pledge, but they're gone. So since you represent Robla along with someone, the council member Kaplan. Um lead us in the pledge and the land acknowledgement. Please please rise if you are able for the land acknowledgement and the uh and the pledge. Uh this is uh a pledge, uh excuse me, an acknowledgement of uh our Sacramento Indigenous people and tribal lands to the original people of this land, the Nissanan people, the Southern Maidu, the Valley and Plains Meywoke, the Patton uh Winton uh peoples and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous peoples, history, contributions, and lives. Thank you, and please join me in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the high of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, another guy, indivisible with liberty and justice for the clerk. So, Mayor, you have two special presentations, and the first one is presented by you. It's now riz, which is the Persian New Year. Okay, close. That's what I was expecting you to present. Yeah, we all learned something here tonight. So this, of course, is springtime and uh celebrating everything new. We have a couple of these uh tonight. Um so this is a traditional Persian New Year celebration. Uh been going on for over 3,000 years, much longer than the city of Sacramento has been around here, of course. Uh coincides with Vernal Equinox, symbolizing renewal, rebirth, compassion, and hope for the year ahead. Um this falls on the solar um the vernal equinox, and again, 300 million people worldwide celebrate Neruz, including many here in the Sacramento area, primarily uh Persian, Afghan, Kurdish, Central Asian, and a few other cultural backgrounds. We have a rich history of uh Persian uh descent individuals in our community, and we have two outstanding uh people in the Sacramento region here to celebrate Nerus with us today. So we'd like to bring up first Artavan Zahadani thank you, Mayor and Council. Uh Artie Zahadani is my my shorter name, but I appreciate the acknowledgement. I've uh I have a pretty interesting story. I immigrated here from Iran uh when I was about seven years old and have been a member of the community, have been try to be an active leader in the community. You've meant the world to me. You've been welcoming, you've welcomed our community through every celebration, and today just marks another significant date for us. I think the mayor, when you were in the legislature, you'd have special events on this day, the beginning of the new year, which means a lot to us. You mentioned a lot of the important uh history of our community, but for many of us, this recognition is deeply meaningful. It's our tradition, our history, our identities, and seeing that you see this as a value, and for us to be a member of your community means quite a bit. Uh Sacramento continues to set an example of what inclusivity means. You're a leader in the region, and I hope other communities will follow you and set the standard. So thank you again for everything you've done, and thank you for letting us participate. Thank you. Appreciate that.
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