Franklin Boulevard Construction Project Raises Parking Concerns in South Sacramento

Businesses worry reduced parking will hurt sales as the city aims to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 11:39pm

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A high-contrast silkscreen print in neon colors depicting a repeating grid of stylized bicycle and car icons, conceptually representing the competing priorities of pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicle infrastructure in the Franklin Boulevard construction project.Vibrant pop art imagery captures the visual tension between transportation modes and business needs along the Franklin Boulevard construction corridor.Today in Sacramento

A long-planned construction project on Franklin Boulevard in south Sacramento aims to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists through upgrades like wider sidewalks, new lighting, medians, and bike lanes. However, some local business owners are concerned that the reduction in parking spaces will negatively impact their sales.

Why it matters

The Franklin Boulevard area is known for its vibrant Hispanic community and diverse businesses. The construction project is part of the city's efforts to make the corridor more pedestrian and bike-friendly, but business owners worry the changes could hurt their bottom line if customers can't easily access their shops.

The details

The Franklin Boulevard Complete Street Project has been in the planning stages for nearly seven years and has been under construction for about a year. The project stretches from 12th Avenue to Fruitridge Road and includes upgrades like wider sidewalks, new lighting, medians, and bike lanes. While some cyclists like Steve Donelson see the medians as a good safety measure, business owners like Fernando Virrueta of Disco Azteca and Anam Shafique of World Class Textiles say the emphasis on bike infrastructure over parking has already led to a drop in customers and sales. They argue Franklin Boulevard is more car-centric than pedestrian or bike-friendly.

  • Construction on the Franklin Boulevard project started about a year ago.
  • The project is expected to be completed later this year.

The players

Steve Donelson

A cyclist who says the medians are a good idea to keep people mindful of bikers, but some sections have become dangerous where cars have to cross paths with bikes.

Fernando Virrueta

The owner of Disco Azteca, a business in the Franklin Boulevard area, who was surprised by the emphasis on bike lanes over parking for customers.

Anam Shafique

An employee at World Class Textiles, a family business on Franklin Boulevard, who says reduced parking has led to a drop in customers and sales.

City of Sacramento

The city leading the Franklin Boulevard Complete Street Project, which aims to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, but has acknowledged the temporary impacts on businesses and promised to continue working with the community.

Franklin Boulevard District Association

The organization that led the planning and implementation of the Franklin Boulevard construction project, but did not respond to requests for comment regarding business concerns.

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What they’re saying

“It was a good idea from the start, but like I said, there's a few sections where it gets kind of dangerous, where the cars have to cross paths with the bikers, and a lot of times, I actually almost have been hit three times since the project started.”

— Steve Donelson, Cyclist

“I was very surprised they did so much for bikers, which is something that we don't normally, we don't have customers shopping on a bicycle or a lot of walkers, mainly it's drivers, so I'm surprised they put so much effort into the bike lane... they should have done it for parking instead of bikers.”

— Fernando Virrueta, Owner, Disco Azteca

“A lot of the customers are fighting for the parking. They ask us, 'where can we park?' and it's not looking too good, especially on the weekends when it's like busy hours, rush hours.”

— Anam Shafique, Employee, World Class Textiles

“It makes it look pretty, but at the end of the day, it's affecting a lot of businesses and you know, put your money towards what it needs to be put towards – better things.”

— Anam Shafique, Employee, World Class Textiles

“Definitely gives it a more up-to-date look, a nicer place, maybe more people are not so scared to come around.”

— Fernando Virrueta, Owner, Disco Azteca

What’s next

The city has acknowledged the concerns from businesses and promised to continue working with the community as construction on the Franklin Boulevard project progresses. The project is expected to be completed later this year.

The takeaway

The Franklin Boulevard construction project highlights the tension between improving infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists versus maintaining adequate parking for businesses that rely on car-based customers. While the city aims to make the corridor safer and more accessible, some local businesses worry the changes could negatively impact their bottom line in the short term.