U.S. Rep. Josh Harder joined city and regional officials Thursday to break ground on the East Channel Street Streetscape and Connectivity Project, a multimillion-dollar initiative aimed at improving safety and accessibility in downtown Stockton.
The project, located near the Robert J. Cabral Station, will reconstruct a segment of East Channel Street with widened sidewalks, bulb-outs, new lighting, bike lanes, curbs, and pavement upgrades, according to city documents. City officials say the work will address longstanding infrastructure deficiencies and improve connections between Stockton’s transportation hub and surrounding neighborhoods.
“All of us have driven or walked these streets and felt like afterwards we’d need to call an ambulance or a chiropractor,” said Harder (D-Tracy). “This is about more than asphalt and concrete, it’s about repairing the very soul of a city and a community that has often felt ignored and neglected.”
The infrastructure project is expected to move forward with construction that includes ADA-compliant ramps, irrigation sleeves, amended soils for tree wells, and traffic control plans to maintain pedestrian and driveway access throughout each phase.
Mayor Christina Fugazi, who also serves on the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, said the project has been in planning for several years and reflects broader city efforts to modernize infrastructure.
“Stockton is going to be a safe, clean, and healthy city and we’re doing it block by block,” Fugazi said. “This is literally the passage from rail to the water, and it needs to be inviting.”
According to city and regional officials, this project is the result of collaboration among multiple entities, including the City of Stockton, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, Visionary Home Builders, and other public and nonprofit partners. Funding sources include local, regional, and state contributions, including allocations from the Affordable Sustainable Communities (ASEC) program.
Visionary Home Builders chief executive officer Carol Ornelas emphasized the importance of pairing infrastructure upgrades with affordable housing and public transit investments.
“When we invest in safer sidewalks, lighting, bike lanes and walkable corridors, we are saying to our residents: you matter,” Ornelas said. “Your daily walk to the train station, your ability to push a stroller safely across the street, your child’s independence in walking to school. Those things matter.”
San Joaquin County Supervisor Mario Gardea said the work reflects positive changes in areas of the city that have long lacked investment.
“I grew up on the east side of Stockton,” Gardea said. “Channel Street has always been a challenging street. To see the transformation of what’s going to be here is phenomenal.”
State Sen. Jerry McNerney, who previously served in Congress, called the effort a model of intergovernmental collaboration.
“This doesn’t come together on its own,” McNerney said. “It takes partnerships at every level — local, state, federal — and the result is a cleaner environment, better transportation, and a stronger economy.”
Lisa Craig Hensley, chair of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission and a Lodi councilmember, said the project aligns with the commission’s long-term strategy to improve transit access and first- and last-mile connectivity.
“We are about connecting our communities and focusing on building that people-centered transportation network,” Hensley said.
City officials anticipate awarding the construction contract in November, with a notice to proceed likely issued in March 2025. According to project documents, contractors will be responsible for geotechnical and materials testing, compaction, and ADA compliance. The city will provide a pre-construction migratory bird survey and archaeological resources if required.
Project phasing may be adjusted pending city approval, but pedestrian and driveway access must be maintained at all times.
“This project is an example of the type of street-by-street development we need to see across San Joaquin County,” Harder said.