Congratulations to SacRT on 50 Years of Service!

April 1, 2023 marked SacRT’s 50th anniversary of operation. ECOS celebrates this important milestone with SacRT by looking back at Sacramento’s history and celebrating what is to come. SacRT has played an integral role in generations of Sacramentans. Transit is woven into the fabric of daily life across the Sacramento region.

ECOS supports the insertion of dense development around existing light rail stations and major bus corridors, and the continued expansion of the transit network in our region.

Learn more about the history of SacRT, check out their Anniversary Pop-Up Events and more, please visit https://www.sacrt.com/apps/sacrt-celebrates-50-years/.

ECOS Support for Sacramento Regional Transit’s TIRCP Cycle 6 Grant Application

On February 1, 2023, ECOS submitted a letter of support for Sacramento Regional Transit’s TIRCP Cycle 6 Grant Application.

On behalf of the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) I am pleased to provide this letter in enthusiastic support of Sacramento Regional Transit District’s (SacRT) application for the 2023 Cycle 6 TIRCP Grant for their Increasing Ridership Through System Enhancement (IRTSE) program.

This three-part project will increase ridership, reduce green-house gas emissions, and add light rail service to a new affordable housing project in Sacramento’s River District. Together, these system enhancements are an important step in a series of efforts to modernize the transit system that serves nearly 1.6 million people in California’s Capital County.

Click here to read the letter in full.

Letter of Support for SacRT Grant Application

SacRT is applying for a grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s Rail Vehicle Replacement Program. The application asks for help replacing our aging fleet of Light Rail Vehicles with modern new low-floor vehicles. As many of us know, many of the light rail cars still in use today were original to the system in 1987 and they are now past their useful life. In addition, the new vehicles are much more accessible for people with mobility issues and those taking bicycles or scooters on light rail for their first-mile/last-mile needs. On December 20, 2022 ECOS submitted a letter of support for SacRT’s application.

Click here to read our letter.

Community Bus Stop Improvement Survey

Civic Thread is partnering with Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) to develop a Bus Stop Improvement Plan, which will create a list of necessary and desired improvements to bus stops, amenities, and sidewalks in the SacRT system. We need your opinions and feedback to identify priority bus stop needs. Please share your thoughts about your bus stop priorities to help ensure that this planning process is led by community. This survey will also help us identify areas of concern to hold community walking tours. By taking this survey, you have the chance to be entered to receive a free month of transit on the SacRT system (includes bus service, light rail, and SmaRT Ride).

All questions are optional. The survey will take approximately 3-5 minutes.

Click here to take the survey.

ECOS Climate Committee 5/12 Focus on Transportation

ECOS Climate Change Committee – Focus on Transportation, THURSDAY, MAY 12 6:00 pm

Co-hosted by Ralph Propper, Climate Committee Chair and John Deeter, Transportation Team Lead

Agenda

6:00 Let’s chat — Zoom break-out rooms

6:05 Welcome and brief introductions

6:10 Sacramento Regional Transit (Sac RT) staff will discuss plans for the coming year. RT’s fiscal status has improved, as ridership is increasing again.

Craig Norman (Director of Engineering) will discuss more frequent service on Folsom line, electric buses, low-floor light rail stations/vehicles, new LRT stations (Dos Rios station; Horn Rd. station near Rancho Cordova’s Kassis property)

6:30 SacRT and TOD – Traci Canfield will provide high level overview of the SACOG-SACRT Transit-oriented Development Action Plan written in 2020

6:50 CapCity Freeway Lawsuit Update – Betsy Weiland of SARA (invited contributor) to discuss impacts to river

7:05 Transportation Ballot Measure for November election – Steve Cohn of SacMoves (invited contributor)

7:20 UPDATES

  • Climate Action Plans for County and City of Sacramento
  • For July presentation — Valley Rail, San Joaquin JPA, by Dan Leavitt, Manager of Regional Initiatives, will update us on the Stockton to Sacramento segment of Valley Rail w/maps, station areas, station designs. Valley Rail is on the Sacramento Subdivision from Stockton to Natomas — on separate, parallel UP track(s) to Sac RT from Cosumnes River Blvd to R Street in Midtown. Service will extend to Natomas (Elkhorn Blvd), but planning work is being done with Butte CAG and SACOG for a future extension to Butte County (Chico).

7:30 Adjourn

Thursday, May 12, 2022, 6:00pm

Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6656164155

To phone in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 665 616 4155