Unmet Transit Needs Hearings 2020

Your local transit operators and the regional transportation planning agency, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), are looking for comments and suggestions that will help plan and improve transit services in Sacramento, Yolo, Yuba and Sutter counties.

You can share your comments on transit services in the four counties in a number of ways.

Participate in one of the the Unmet Transit Needs hearings via Zoom – click here for the dates and more info: https://www.sacog.org/unmet-transit-needs

Email – transitneeds[at]sacog[dot]org
Online Comments – sacog.org/unmet
Call/Text – (916) 426-3799
Mail -SACOG, Attn: Unmet Transit Needs, 1415 L Street, Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95814

Deadline: All comments must be received by November 23, 2020.

Yuba and Sutter Counties

October 27, 2020 – 2:00pm | Meeting ID – 976 6567 0483, passcode – unmetneeds. Phone access also available at (888) 475-4499.

Sacramento Regional Transit

October 28, 2020 – 2:00pm | Meeting ID – 964 8114 0701, passcode – unmetneeds. Phone access also available at (888) 475-4499.

Sacramento County

October 29, 2020 – 2:00pm | Meeting ID – 961 5128 4151, passcode – unmetneeds. Phone access also available at (888) 475-4499.

Yolo County

November 4, 2020 – 6:00pm | Meeting ID – 927 9341 6737, passcode – unmetneeds. Phone access also available at (888) 475-4499.

Board Unmet Transit Needs Hearing

January 21, 2021 – 9:30am

Let your opinion be heard – Provide your public comments during the SACOG January 2021 Board meeting.

LOCATION: Remote meeting via Zoom

More meeting information will be posted here once available.

Please note – Comments on all four county (Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba) transit services will be accepted at this hearing.

Below are each of the flyers.

SacRT Expands Microtransit

The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) is expanding three SmaRT Ride on-demand microtransit zones on Monday, June 15 to accommodate increased travel demand to key destinations. The zones include Franklin – South Sacramento, North Sacramento and Rancho Cordova. They are also Adding Electric Shuttles to the “Franklin – South Sacramento Zone.”

With a total of nine active SmaRT Ride service zones, SacRT is the largest microtransit provider in the country, operating with 45 shuttles.

You can view the route maps below.

Click here to read the press release.

City of Sacramento Climate Action Plan/General Plan Questionnaire

Note new deadline: June 19, 2020

There is still time for city residents to participate in the 2040 General Plan update and Climate Action Plan’s virtual community questionnaire, as the deadline has been extended until June 19. The previous deadline for public input was June 5. Click here to learn more.

Sacramento City is updating their general plan, including the City’s Climate Action plan. We need Sacramento City residents to fill out this online community questionnaire to make sure everyone’s needs are represented. Participate by June 19, 2020 to help the City prioritize key proposed strategies around six general topics which will be part of the 2040 General Plan. You can choose to provide input on all six topics, or just one! You might be impressed by the ideas proposed; we were!

The six general topics presented in this virtual workshop for public input are:

Livability
Mobility
Climate Change
Environmental Justice
Economic Development
Sustainable Growth

Each of these general topics has specific questions for participants and opportunities for additional input. ECOS encourages all of our members and allies to spend approximately 30 minutes responding to this survey opportunity by June 5th, 2020. It is very important that our City government receives robust input and support from progressive, environmentally-conscious citizens.

Available in multiple languages.

Time commitment: approximately 30 minutes

Click here to participate

Stockton Blvd Transportation Study

Do you walk, bike, take transit, or drive on Stockton Boulevard?

Help choose which features will be used to improve Stockton Boulevard from Alhambra Boulevard to 47th Avenue in the City of Sacramento!

City transportation planners have just launched a survey to hear what features residents would like to see on this roughly four-mile stretch of Stockton Boulevard in southeastern Sacramento.

The City of Sacramento has created some options that aim to improve safety and mobility for people using all modes of transportation. They need to get opinions from YOU, the people who walk, bike, take transit, and drive on Stockton Boulevard.

Thank you in advance for your input! This survey will take approximately 5 minutes. Also available in Spanish or Vietnamese.

Deadline: June 30, 2020

Click here for the City’s announcement of this survey.

Click here to learn more about the the Stockton Boulevard Corridor Study.

Click here to take the survey

SacRT Adds Additional Bus Service to Peak Commute Routes

April 8, 2020
Press Release from Sacramento Regional Transit District

Ridership Data Shows Essential Employees Still Commuting

Sacramento, CA – The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) is adding additional bus service to busier routes in an effort to provide transportation for essential workers while promoting social distancing. On March 23, SacRT temporarily reduced service due to COVID-19 related school and business closures and Administration orders to “shelter-in-place.”

Since that time, SacRT has been closely monitoring ridership and is happy to announce that they will be adding more frequency and earlier start times to five highly utilized bus routes (15, 30, 51, 72 and 87) starting Monday, April 13.

Most routes will have earlier start times and increased frequency of 15 to 30 minutes during peak commute hours. SacRT heard from riders that they needed more peak hour commute options on bus, and the added frequency should help essential employees get to work and allow customers to get to other vital destinations, like grocery stores and medical appointments.

Summary of the added service:

Route 15 (Del Paso): Adding 21 new trips, including six earlier morning trips with 30 minute frequency

Route 30 (J Street): Adding 29 new trips to provide 30 minute service

Route 51 (Stockton/Broadway): Adding 20 new trips, increasing frequency to every 15 minutes during peak commute hours

Route 72 (Rosemont): Adding 30 new trips, including additional morning trips and increasing frequency to every 30 minutes

Route 87 (Howe): Adding 11 new trips, including a new morning trip and increasing frequency to every 30 minutes

SacRT has also added extra buses to routes 51, 67, 68, 84 and 93 during peak commute hours to allow for social distancing. SacRT will continue to monitor ridership and has additional buses standing by to assist on other routes if needed.

Light rail service will continue to operate as follows:

Blue Line (Operates on Sunday schedule seven days a week)

Gold Line – Weekday (Modified Sunday schedule) – Train service departs Historic Folsom starting at 6 a.m.

Gold Line – Saturday (Modified Sunday schedule) – Train service departs Historic Folsom starting at 7:30 a.m.

Gold Line – Sunday (Operates on regular Sunday schedule)

Green Line (Operates on regular Monday – Friday only schedule)

In addition, SacRT will continue to operate most of its peak commuter/express service Monday through Friday (routes 102, 103, 106, 107, 109, 113, 129, 161 and 193); SmaRT Ride microtransit service (in all zones) and Folsom Stage Line bus service (routes 10 and 30). To view the adjusted schedules, visit sacrt.com/schedules.

At this time, most of SacRT’s contracted services, including Elk Grove’s e-tran bus, Rancho CordoVan shuttle, and ADA paratransit services will not be affected. North Natomas Jibe service has been temporarily suspended for 60 days effective April 3 and the launch of the new Causeway Connection (route 138) zero emission electric powered bus service will be postponed until further notice.

SacRT continues to take proactive measures to slow the spread of the virus including fogging and sanitizing our buses, light rail vehicles and facilities every day. To further protect customers and employees, SacRT is installing protective plexi-glass and detachable chain barriers near the driver’s area, and requiring all riders board from the rear of the bus and. In addition, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, disposable gloves, masks and safety glasses have been distributed to employees. SacRT is urging riders to download the free ZipPass fare app or pick up a Connect Card at participating Raley’s/Bel Air markets or by calling Customer Service at 916-321-BUSS (2877) to reduce touchpoints while paying fare.

SacRT wants to remind everyone that public transit should only be used for essential travel to access food, medicine and essential employment. All other trips should be avoided and everyone should follow the guidance of Governor Newsom’s order to shelter-in-place to help flatten the curve. SacRT understands that the service it provides is critical to the Sacramento community and will continue to communicate timely updates as soon as possible. For more information on SacRT preparations to reduce the spread of COVID-19, visit sacrt.com/covid19.

Click here to view the original press release.

Photo by VH S from Pexels

More funding for transit and less money for new roads.

On March 18, 2020, the Environmental Council of Sacramento sent the following message to the Sacramento Board Clerk regarding Sacramento County Measure A’s Draft Expenditure Plan (DEP) .

ECOS consists of 20 locally-based member organizations, as well as many individual members. Since 1971, we have promoted infill development and transit, as opposed to sprawl – to save habitat, reduce pollution, and more recently — to deal with climate change.
We are gratified that Mayor Steinberg and CARB have recognized that new highway projects must demonstrate that they would not exacerbate climate change, in order to be eligible for funding under Measure A+. We strongly support the funding that would be provided to the Air District. We are pleased that Measure A’s Draft Expenditure Plan (DEP) would provide a much greater percentage of funding for transit, compared to 2016’s ill-fated Measure B.
However, the DEP would not provide as great a percentage for transit as the current Measure A. Since current Measure A was approved by voters, the existential threat of climate change has become more obvious and serious. Also, the affordable housing crisis has become California’s biggest problem. Therefore, future county growth must be higher density, and transit-oriented. We can only accomplish this by providing more funding for transit and less money for new roads.

Click here to view the email message in PDF.

Photo by form PxHere