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.

Highway Tolling in the Sacramento Region 4/4/2024

JOIN US! ECOS CLIMATE COMMITTEE
Thursday, April 4, 2024 6:00 PM start
(re-scheduled from March 21)

Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6656164155
To phone in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 665 616 4155

Highway Tolling in the Sacramento Region

6:00 PM: Welcome and Introductions

6:10 PM: Kathleen Hanley (Principal Transportation Planner, SACOG) will discuss the Capital Area Regional Tolling Authority (CARTA) that was recently approved by SACOG’s board. SACOG (Sacramento Area Council of Governments) decided that this JPA (Joint Powers Agreement) for managed lanes on our highways was necessary to provide better travel options. This will first be applied to Interstate 80, between Sacramento and Davis.

6:40 PM: Open discussion: We will discuss the status of Caltrans’ plans to add lanes to this freeway, and concerns expressed by CARB (California Air Resources Board), as well as environmental groups, including ECOS. Note that the California Transportation Commission (CTC) was to have decided whether the State should provide funds for this project recently, but delayed a decision to its May 16 meeting. Note that CTC and CARB boards will have a joint meeting on April 11.

7:00 PM: Updates and Announcements

Status of SACOG’s Blueprint 2025
Status of application for federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant, submitted by SMAQMD (Sacramento Metro Air Quality Management District)) on behalf of 7 area counties
ECOS contract with SacRT for Educational Outreach and Communication Support Services, and community meetings at Stockton Blvd and Del Paso Blvd (jointly with SMART, Sac Metro Advocates for Rail & Transit)
Status of application for Governor’s Office of Planning and Research’s Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program Grant Opportunity
Update on Sacramento County’s Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force
Sacramento City meeting April 9, Truxel Bridge plans
Others?
Ralph’s birthday is today 😊

Click here for the agenda in PDF.

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.

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

SacRT to modernize light rail system, increase train frequency to Folsom

August 14, 2019
Emily Hamann
Sacramento Business Journal

“Sacramento Regional Transit District is in the beginning stages of a multiyear, multimillion-dollar project to upgrade its light rail system, which will include more frequent service to Folsom.
Most of SacRT’s current light rail cars are reaching the end of their useful life, and will start costing SacRT more money in maintenance and repair costs. So SacRT is upgrading to new low-floor cars. The doors on low-floor cars are level with the street, which eliminates the need for elevated platforms at light rail stops.
Most of the state funding for the project is directed toward upgrading the Folsom line, which is aimed at reducing traffic congested corridors. Some of the funding is also coming from the settlement of a lawsuit between Caltrans and the Environmental Council of Sacramento. The environmentalist group had sued Caltrans over a plan to add carpool lanes on Highway 50. As part of an out-of-court settlement, Caltrans agreed to pay $7 million toward improving the Gold Line, which parallels the freeway. “

Read the full article here.

SacRT Forward Update

February 26, 2019

Update – SacRT’s new bus network that was approved by the Board of Directors on February 25. For detailed information on the plan, you can link to the Board presentation at: http://www.sacrt.com/apps/wp-content/uploads/SacRT-Forward-Board-Presentation-022519.pdf

February 18, 2019

Over the past year, SacRT has been working on the SacRT Forward project, a complete redesign of the bus network. A draft plan was released for public review on December 10, 2018.

Since then, major outreach efforts took place to let riders and stakeholders know about the proposed plan. Since December 10, SacRT has received more than 400 comments from the public. Staff has participated in more than 70 community, neighborhood association and stakeholders meetings and has ridden almost every bus route in the system to hand out information to customers and bus operators.

On February 18, 2019, SacRT unveiled an update to the proposed draft network. Below are updated maps, a summary of all the proposed route changes, and a video detailing all of the changes, route by route presented by SacRT Planning staff.

Click here to see the one-page “Rider Alert” summary of the changes.

Click here for more details.