Assemblyman Patterson secures funds to connect Rocklin pathways

The city of Rocklin is one step closer to connecting miles of outdoor recreation pathways as Assemblyman Joe Patterson recently secured funding for a bridge. Patterson presented a $500,000 check to the Rocklin City Council at its Aug. 8 meeting to build a connector bridge between the Sunset Whitney Recreation Area and Johnson-Springview Park. "This means that kids in the area can walk through the trails and get to the (Springview Middle School)," Patterson said at the meeting. "It will also be a great opportunity for regional cross country meets, as it opens up a lot of acreage." Before presenting council with the check, council members took a moment to thank Patterson and remind him of his work when he was on the Rocklin City Council. "We prepared you well here," Councilman Bill Halldin said. "I appreciate you leaning into this idea, and I really appreciate you made the extra effort to make this happen." Even though Sunset Whitney Recreation Area and Johnson-Springview Park are adjacent to one another, they are separated by Antelope Creek. Plans for a bridge would connect the two recreation areas, extending pedestrian paths in part of the most populated area of the city. "It's an honor to do this for the city, but it will be great for the entire region," Patterson said. The money Patterson secured for Rocklin comes from AB 102 – Budget Act of 2023. This is the second of two requests he was able to honor. He also secured $500,000 for Koinonia Family Services Youth Behavior Health of Loomis. "Although Assemblyman Patterson has concerns with the state budget and state budget approval process, he takes serious the responsibility to fight for our community at the state level – and that includes fighting for state dollars to come back to our communities to meet our needs," said Tiffany Saathoff, Patterson's chief of staff. It is unclear if the $500,000 sum will cover the entire bridge connector project. Calls to the city were unanswered before press deadline.