The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) is where local government leaders in the Sacramento region come together to advance the goals of economic prosperity, connected communities, and vibrant places. SACOG works with its 28 member cities and counties to solve challenges that are too big for any one jurisdiction to solve on its own. A staff of 60 is guided by a board of elected officials from each city and county. SACOG plays a central role in transportation infrastructure planning and funding assistance for cities, counties, transit operators, and other entities responsible for providing for the travel needs of the region's residents.  For more information, please visit our website: https://www.sacog.org.

In 2022, SACOG’s Board of Directors adopted a comprehensive regional trails plan, which lays the groundwork for a 1,000 mile-long regional trail network that links the Sierra Nevada, Sacramento, and the Delta region. A priority for the SACOG region, the trails network focused on equitably creating regional trail connectivity and increasing access to the destinations that support the vitality and livability of the region. The majority of the identified connections (over 250 miles of existing trails and more than 800 miles of planned trails) were selected from local plans for their potential to make connections across boundaries in the region. Over 300 miles of trail study corridors— connections identified for further study in future planning documents, planned connections with known implementation challenges, and high-concept connections— were also identified for their potential to connect via trails or trail-like facilities across the region, including 50 miles of on-road separated bikeways. Concurrent with the approval of the trail network, the board approved a prioritization framework to focus regional coordination efforts. The framework was designed to elevate trail connections that demonstrate regional potential through different combinations of performance outcomes.

SACOG has identified that a key next step in advancing the network is to develop a clear strategy to guide implementation of the prioritized network, building on the work completed in the adopted trails plan. To understand the best path to implement the plan’s vision, SACOG is requesting proposals from interested consultants to provide assistance in developing a clear implementation strategy. The effort will be developed in collaboration with SACOG and key partners, and will outline a strategy to accelerate the development, funding and construction of the trail network.

Interested consultants should be able to demonstrate experience with similar work, including:

• a strong understanding of the complexities associated with implementation across multiple regulatory agencies, land owners, and jurisdictional boundaries;

• creative funding strategy, including federal grants and local revenue mechanisms; and

• design and implementation of governance structure strategy.