Transit Talk with the General Manager

May 06, 2022
Henry Li, General Manager/CEO
General Transit Questions
Archived
Opening Remarks:

Welcome to the May 2022 edition of Transit Talk with the General Manager/CEO.

SacRT on the Move is SacRT's Short-Range Transit Plan (SRTP), which makes recommendations on SacRT's service looking forward over the next five years.Staff developed the five-year service plan that considers things such as span and frequency improvements, pandemic recovery, and ridership building initiatives. Potential service plan items are also motivated by SacRT's Network Integration Plan, as well as concepts brought forth via customer complaints and unmet transit needs. For more information about the plan, visit sacrt.com/SRTP. Staff will present the SRTP draft plan information to the SacRT Board of Directors at the Monday, May 9, 2022, meeting. Visit sacrt.com/board to join the meeting.

In addition, during the May 9th SacRT Board of Directors meeting, SacRT will hold a virtual public hearing on SacRT's Fiscal Year 2023 Preliminary Operating and Capital Budget. Public feedback is an important part of this process, and we are providing several opportunities for interested persons and/or agencies to make your views known with respect to the social, economic and environmental aspects of these projects. For a list of SacRT's Proposed Program of Project and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Allocations, and more information, visit sacrt.com/FY2023preliminarybudget.

SacRT purchases a wide variety of supplies such as IT equipment, office equipment, and bus and rail parts, just to name a few. We also procure many services such as janitorial, pest control, facility repair and preventive maintenance, printing, and more. If you would like to learn how to do business with SacRT, join us for a series of free webinars. The first webinar is on Thursday, May 26 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. To learn more or to sign up for a webinar, visit sacrt.com/howtodobusiness.

As of April 18, 2022, the FTA no longer mandates that masks be worn on public transportation; however, SacRT still highly recommends wearing a mask while riding public transportation, especially if you are unvaccinated. The health and safety of our staff and riders remains a top priority and we thank you for your cooperation.

May is Bike Month! And transit and bikes make a great team. All SacRT buses have bike racks on the front that can hold two or three bikes, and bikes are allowed inside light rail trains. SacRT also offers bike locker rentals at 23 light rail stations. Learn more about how to bike-and-ride on transit at sacrt.com/bikeandride.

May is also a month to celebrate the Sacramento region at a variety of festivals and events. SacRT has partnered up to offer free rides on bus and light rail. For a complete list, check out our passenger newsletter, Next Stop News, found in the newsstands located on buses and trains, or visit sacrt.com/freerideflyer.

Lastly, I want to remind everyone that SacRT is hiring!!! There are a variety of career opportunities, and we offer an excellent salary and benefit package. Visit sacrt.com/careers for more information.

Now let's get to your questions!



Folsom, CA:  What does the construction schedule look like for beginning to double track from Beck’s Furniture into Folsom City Limits? Will Regional Transit have to implement a planned bus bridge during the duration of the construction period?

Reply:  Thanks for asking, we are moving forward with the Light Rail Modernization Project and construction work will start this summer and is expected to be complete by late 2023. SacRT will operate shuttle buses to transport passengers between stations as needed. We will continue to update this project online at sacrt.com/modernization.


Sacramento, CA:  What are the current mask requirements for SacRT?

Reply:  As of Monday, April 18, 2022, the Federal Transit Administration no longer mandates that masks be worn on public transportation; however, SacRT still highly recommends wearing a mask while riding public transportation, especially if you are unvaccinated. The health and safety of our staff and riders remains a top priority.


Sacramento, CA:  Regarding safety, can you help more with people at stops and stations who harass, threaten and/or assault others? Could you provide an emergency contact number for help, such as RT911?

Reply:  Please use the Alert SacRT app to report any issues you encounter. We have a 24/7 Security Operations Center that an respond to any issues. The app also has an option to call SacRT police. The Alert SacRTapp can be downloaded for free through the App Store or Google Play.


Sacramento, CA:  Is there any reasonable way to prevent bums from comping on the bus benches? The benches at Stockton and Broadway (near the Walgreens) are often filled with bums and trash. I hardly know what you can do, but it is a problem.

Reply:  If you ever see any issues at stations or on vehicles, please use the free Alert SacRT App to report the issue to our Security Operations Center. We have a team of sworn police officers that can respond to any issues and our facilities team can respond to any trash issues.


Folsom, CA:  As many folks have seen and listened to, inflation is a major topic in the news. Has the transit district taken a hard look at its current fare structure and looking to make changes soon? I, for example, would like to see adjustments up and down to the 1-way fare and the daily fare. In many cities across the United States that I have traveled to, I see that a daily fare is double the 1-way fare, and riders are highly encouraged to buy a daily fare over a 1-way fare. Salt Lake City is a good example, where the light rail and bus fare is $2.50 for a 1-way, and $5.00 for all day. Could Regional Transit, for example, go to a 1-way fare of $3 and a daily pass at $6, which in turn would both raise and lower fares should this be implemented?

Reply:  We understand that inflation is a concern for many of our passengers. We are currently assessing ridership levels and are working hard with community leaders and local businesses to understand what the lingering impacts of COVID-19 may be on our long term ridership patterns. This information, along with other internal analysis will help shape our fare structure in the future. At this time we are not considering any immediate changes on our base fares, but will certainly look into this option as a possibility at a later time.


Sacramento, CA:  While there were service adjustments that went into effect last month, I am still noticing on the website a significant amount of bus trip cancellations that I was hoping would have been corrected with the April 2022 service adjustments. What is Regional Transit currently doing to reduce and/or eliminate bus trip cancellations? Are further temporary service reductions in the works to address this continuing problem? Thank you.

Reply:  We understand the impact that even one cancellation has on our riders and we are working on a number of solutions. We are continuing with our hiring efforts and have two more in-person hiring events planned for next month. Also, our dispatchers and supervisors are working around the clock to find solutions to reduce cancellations. We apologize for the inconvenience.


Sacramento, CA:  I do have an iPhone but don't know how to do App's. Does RT provide any help with this?

Reply:  Yes, you can contact our SacRT Customer Service Center at 916-321-2877 and a staff member can assist you with finding and downloading the app on the Apple Store. You can also visit our Customer Service and Sales Center at 1225 R Street, adjacent to the 13th Street light rail station.


Rosemont, CA:  Hello, There has been a lot of construction on Folsom blvd surrounding the Butterfield station, is this related to any RT projects?

Reply:  This construction isn't related to any SacRT projects. We are moving forward with our Light Rail Modernization project, but construction doesn't begin until summer.


Rancho Córdova, CA:  I have noticed construction activity and construction work going on along a stretch of Folsom Boulevard next to the Gold Line in unincorporated Sacramento County between Starfire/Norcade Drive and Bradshaw Road. What are the workers constructing? It has appeared to me that it looks like sidewalks and walls next to the light rail tracks, but I am not a hundred percent sure.

Reply:  This construction isn't related to any SacRT projects. We are moving forward with our Light Rail Modernization project, but construction doesn't begin until summer.


Sacramento, CA:  What is the approximate wait time for a Smart Ride?

Reply:  The wait time for SmaRT Ride varies depending on time of day and which zone you’re in. Currently, the wait time is an average of 26 minutes for SmaRT Ride.


Sacramento, CA:  What is the best way to wait for a Smart Ride (in parking lot? inside store watchin out window? do they call your phone when arrive? tracking on your phone?)

Reply:  The SacRT SmaRT Ride App will tell you the location to wait for the SmaRT Ride shuttle after you book your ride. A pin will appear on the map and you walk to that location to wait for the shuttle. The app will show you the shuttle on the map and alert you two minutes before it arrives.


Citrus Heights, CA:  With the formal public comment period now closed with regards to proposed September 2022 service changes, I am a bit curious with two questions: 1) How many comments/questions did SacRT receive and log when the comment period was open? 2) Did the comments received in alter and/or change the draft staff recommendation in any way, shape, or form?

Reply:  SacRT received 28 comments during the public comment period for the September 2022 Service Changes. Comments were primarily requests for clarification or recommendations for additional services that will be considered in the future. SacRT staff is presenting the September 2022 Service Changes plan to the SacRT Board of Directors on Monday, May 9, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. You can find the meeting information about sacrt.com/board.


Sacramento, CA:  Good afternoon, With the STRP behind us and up for board approval, when will the long-range plans be available to view/comment?

Reply:  At this time, we are still in the process of finalizing our Short-Range Transit Plan and we are in the early stages of our Long Range Transit Plan. Once we have a better idea on timing of the project, we will be sure to let riders and the community know.


Citrus Heights, CA:  While we await for parts to repair the broken electronic signs at light rail stations, wouldn't it make sense to turn them off? Some of these signs have displays stuck with information that doesn't update. For example, a sign at 8th & O is frozen with the clock reading 6:31PM and the weekday schedule. I happened to notice this on a weekend when Green Line doesn't run. Another stuck one is at the Morrison Creek station. Therefore, what do you think about turning off these misleading signs until they're fixed?

Reply:  We are in the process of replacing these signs. Many of the parts were not available due to the supply chain issues during the pandemic. I am sharing your suggested with IT to see if that would be a good option while we are working on updating the electronic message boards. Thank you for riding SacRT!


Sacramento County , CA:  Are there any new updates for BRT in the region

Reply:  In 2018, Caltrans awarded SacRT with funding from the Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program to develop, prioritize and conceptually plan for an effective high capacity bus system in the Sacramento Region. This funding program allowed SacRT to develop the SacRT High Capacity Bus Service Study, which is available on our website. The study identifies the top five Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors that we will begin planning and preparing for BRT implementation, such as infrastructure needs and improvements that are necessary to operate rapid transit. These efforts will require coordination with local jurisdictions. We hope to have more information on this project soon.


Elk Grove, CA:  Will Regional Transit be considering a new bus route between Cosumnes River College and the Elk Grove train station off of Dwight Road between Laguna and Big Horn Boulevards? Are there landmarks and/or destinations between the existing light rail station and the up and coming Dwight Road Train Station in the western end of the City that would warrant a bus route that would be cost effective and necessary/needed once the Dwight Road train station becomes an active station in the middle of the current decade?

Reply:  Future service planning in the City of Elk Grove will include considerations for providing transit to major landmarks and destinations as they are developed and as ridership demand increases. For example, on May 9, the SacRT Board of Directors will consider an expansion of Route E110 to serve the new Sky River Casino. This change will be conditionally approved subject to a contractual arrangement with SacRT and the Sky River Casino to support the cost of the service. As resources allow, SacRT is considering additional weekend bus service in Elk Grove. This is tentatively planned in 2027 subject to available resources.


Closing Remarks:
Thank you for your questions. The next session of Transit Talk with the General Manager/CEO will be held on Friday, June 3, 2022.