Tag Archives: Regional Transit

Elimination of City’s $1 million contribution to “RydeFreeRT” program for students

On May 7, 2024, ECOS submitted a letter to the City of Sacramento about the proposal to eliminate their $1 million contribution to “RydeFreeRT” program for students. Below is an excerpt from our letter.

ECOS (Environmental Council of Sacramento) opposes the City Manager’s proposed elimination of the City’s $1 million contribution to SacRT’s “RydeFreeRT” program for students. Student ridership has more than doubled since its inception five years ago, providing clean mobility options for students including internships and other opportunities. Our region consistently ranks in the top ten nationally for unhealthy air and RydeFreeRT has substantially reduced air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.

Click here to read the letter in full.

Envisioning Our Transit-oriented Future: Del Paso Boulevard 3/27/2024

When: Wednesday, March 27, 2024, 4:30pm
Where: The Rink Studios, 1031 Del Paso Boulevard Sacramento, CA 95815

Join us for a dynamic, multimodal event highlighting the potential for new transit-oriented housing and mixed-use development along Del Paso Boulevard.

We’ll begin with a walking tour showcasing opportunities around the existing Globe Light Rail Station and the planned Valley Rail station connecting Sacramento to a new and growing train network spanning the Central Valley and Bay Area.

The main event program closes with a series of presentations exploring Del Paso Boulevard’s bright future as a vibrant hub for inclusive economic development and community growth.

Attendees may attend the whole event including tour or arrive in time for presentations. Complimentary refreshments provided.

Register

4:30 PM Pre-event walking tour

Walking tour highlighting corridor anchor businesses, growing transit options, and sites of potential new housing and development. With guides from Del Paso Boulevard Partnership and other organizations.

5:30 PM Main event

Speakers from Del Paso Boulevard Partnership, Sacramento Regional Transit, Valley Rail and The City of Sacramento provide engaging multimedia presentations illustrating the history of Del Paso Boulevard and its bright future as a hub for intersecting transit lines and expanded transit-oriented housing. Free refreshments provided.

Print or screenshot the flyer below to ride SacRT for FREE to and from the event.

SacRT Mobility Hub Implementation Plan application

The Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) supports the SacRT Mobility Hub Implementation Plan application for the FY2022-23 Planning and Capacity Building grant program. The application is submitted by Civic Thread in partnership with Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) and Sacramento Building Healthy Communities (Sac BHC). On October 25, 2023, ECOS submitted a letter of support for this application.

Click here to read our letter of support for this application.

AB 1052 Sacramento Regional Transit District’s Ballot Authority (Support)

On May 30, 2023, ECOS submitted a letter of support for AB 1052, Sacramento Regional Transit District’s Ballot Authority.

Below is the text of our letter.

On behalf of the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS), we thank you for authoring AB 1052 and express our support for the bill as it moves through the legislative process.

Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) continues to face reduced ridership and higher costs originally driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of those negative impacts continue today, along with the lasting societal changes the pandemic caused. 

We strongly believe that a robust, efficient, and cost-effective SacRT transit system benefits all people within its service area, but some projects provide more benefits to a subset of the residents living within that service area. However, if SacRT wants to place a measure on the ballot to increase a sales or use tax, or property tax, that measure must cover its entire service area.

In the wake of these changes and the ongoing financial uncertainty, AB 1052 would give SacRT the authority to ask a subset of its service area to support paying for projects that would more directly benefit that area. Many much-needed community and SacRT projects are more localized, impacting and delivering the most benefits to a geographically specific region as opposed to the entire widespread, 440-square mile SacRT service area.

We know that efficient public transit provides tremendous regional benefits. SacRT services reduce traffic, improve air quality, boost regional economic growth, create jobs, and connect neighborhoods. It also offers residents a cost-effective way to get to and from school, work, medical appointments, and essential services. In addition, it provides mobility equity, by providing greater access to opportunities and services so all members of our community can connect, thrive, and prosper. 

ECOS was founded in 1971 as a visionary and action-oriented coalition for our region.

Today the organizational and individual members of ECOS work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, promote smart growth land use and transportation principles, promote equity in housing, promote sustainable regional water supply for all users, public health and opportunities, and promote regional habitat conservation.

We are pleased to offer our support for AB 1052 and I thank you again for carrying the bill.

Click here to read the letter in PDF.