For Sacramento City Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes, transportation is about more than getting from one place to another. It is about connecting people to opportunity and making the investments today that will shape how our region grows tomorrow.

Talamantes serves on the Sacramento Transportation Authority Board because she believes Sacramento County needs to be more ambitious about its transportation future.

“We need to think about what our transportation system looks like five, 10, and 30 years from now,” Talamantes says. “We need to invest in the infrastructure that creates robust transportation options so people are not completely dependent on a car to get where they need to go.”

That vision includes reliable public transit, light rail, safe bike connections, walkable communities, well-maintained roads, and infrastructure that connects communities throughout Sacramento County.

Talamantes also believes residents should have a clear understanding of how their transportation dollars are being invested.

“One of the reasons I wanted to serve on the STA Board is because I believe we need to do a better job of telling the story of Measure A,” she says. “Taxpayers deserve to see how their investment is improving their communities.”

Measure A provides an important source of funding for transportation projects throughout Sacramento County. Talamantes believes residents should be able to see where those investments are being made and how they are improving daily life.

“When someone drives on a newly improved road, uses a safer bike connection, takes public transportation, or benefits from a transportation project in their neighborhood, they should know that Measure A helped make that investment possible.”

For Talamantes, that connection between taxpayer dollars and tangible improvements is essential to building public trust.

First elected to the Sacramento City Council in 2022, Talamantes was reelected in June 2026 to a second four-year term representing District 3. Before joining the City Council, she served on the Sacramento County Board of Education and as Chief of Staff to then-Sacramento Vice Mayor Angelique Ashby. She earned her degree from UC Davis in Community and Regional Development.

Her approach to public service is grounded in listening to the community. Through her monthly “Cafecito con Karina” meetings, Talamantes hears directly from residents about issues affecting their neighborhoods, including transportation.

“Our region is made up of communities with very different needs,” she says. “Some areas are newer, while older communities are facing aging roads and infrastructure that require significant investment. We have to understand those differences when we make regional transportation decisions.”

Talamantes believes the STA Board has an important role in bringing communities and transportation partners together to address those needs, from major regional projects to the neighborhood improvements residents experience every day.

“We need to invest in the infrastructure that will allow Sacramento to grow,” Talamantes says. “If we want to attract new businesses, create economic opportunity, and build strong communities, transportation infrastructure has to be part of that conversation.”

For Talamantes, serving on the STA Board is an opportunity to help build a transportation system that works for everyone while ensuring taxpayers can see the value of their investment.

“We should not be waiting for our transportation system to catch up with our growth. We need to make the investments now that will allow our communities to thrive in the future.”

To learn more about the Sacramento Transportation Authority, Measure A, and transportation investments throughout Sacramento County, visit www.sacta.org.