SACRAMENTO, CA – The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) announced its preliminary response to a June 30, 2026, Sacramento County Civil Grand Jury report, providing additional context regarding the report’s findings and reaffirming the agency’s longstanding commitment to deliver safe, accessible, and reliable public transportation for all riders.

SacRT appreciates the feedback we receive from customers, disability advocates, community organizations and independent oversight bodies, including the Sacramento County Civil Grand Jury. While SacRT respects the Civil Grand Jury’s work and welcomes opportunities to strengthen our services, the findings are either not accurate or do not reflect the operational, technical, and regulatory complexities surrounding the issues discussed. In reality, these concerns have been proactively and effectively resolved, surpassing established standards in our relentless commitment to delivering excellence for riders. Below are responses addressing each recommendation as well as the actions already taken to enhance service quality.

Finding 1 – SacRT did not effectively manage the QRyde software contract.

• SacRT identified one contract payment issue through its own oversight process after the first milestone payment was prematurely issued. A formal Notice of Default and Opportunity to Cure was sent to address the payment issue and appropriate personnel action was taken.
• SacRT is also proud to share that our Procurement department, one of the most heavily audited departments in the transit industry, has recently been honored with the 2026 Achievement of Excellence in Procurement from the National Procurement Institute demonstrating SacRT’s strong commitment to contract management and procurement practices. SacRT manages thousands of contracts without any similar issue, and this was an isolated incident that was proactively identified and resolved internally a while ago.

Finding 2 – SacRT did not adequately engage riders during implementation.

• During this new software implementation process, SacRT conducted extensive outreach through a comprehensive engagement process such as public meetings and incorporating stakeholder feedback before moving forward. These efforts are promoted to the public and SacRT GO riders, using key engagement tools such as our website, email blast, mobile app push notifications, news releases, social media announcements, onboard vehicle signage, and letters/postcards to targeted riders. We have shared examples with jurors on these efforts.

SacRT maintains active engagement with its Mobility Advisory Council (MAC) and regularly meets with disability advocacy organizations and riders. Here’s a quote from the MAC chair Charles Johnson: “The Mobility Advisory Council has always worked collaboratively with SacRT to improve accessibility and transportation services for the disability community. While there is always room for improvement, I appreciate SacRT’s willingness to listen to the MAC, engage the disability community, and continue working together to make meaningful improvements for riders. SacRT is doing an excellent job overall, given its limited resources, and has spent a lot of time communicating with the MAC and the disability community on a lot of topics through a variety of communication platforms and other outreach efforts. I was one of the beta testers when they were rolling out the new QRyde software and I have seen first-hand how they want to do the right thing and listen to the needs of the disability community.”

• The example cited by the jury involved the installation of a bus operator safety barrier. SacRT is among many transit agencies in the nation to install these safety barriers as a result of urgent requests by labor partners to protect one of our most valuable assets, operators. The vehicle’s safety barrier configuration fully complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements while protecting our bus operators.
• This single complaint involved one rider who uses an extra-wide, high-capacity power wheelchair, among more than 15,000 registered SacRT GO riders. In this instance, the rider’s mobility device included an adjustable seat elevation feature, and lowering the seat allowed the device to safely clear the path. Even though the safety equipment met all ADA requirements, we went above and beyond to work directly with this customer to promptly address this individual’s needs by making adjustments to the installation of the remaining barriers. As far as we know, we are the only agency in the industry to make this barrier adjustment.

Finding 3 – The delayed rollout of the mobile app negatively impacted riders.

• The implementation of a mobile application years ago exceeds the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for paratransit reservations and was only introduced as a value-added effort and an innovative enhancement to a legacy system.
• Throughout the implementation, SacRT continued providing uninterrupted ADA complementary paratransit service with zero trip denials. Prior to the transition to the new mobile app, approximately 100 of more than 15,000 registered riders (less than 1% of GO riders) used it, with only one documented complaint. The vast majority of customers continued scheduling trips by phone, which is the only ADA required scheduling method.
• The launch of the new app was to provide added features for riders alongside the fundamental core feature of scheduling rides. These added benefits include vehicle tracking in real-time and trip management (cancel and manage bookings), monitor estimated arrival times and receive trip notifications. As with the implementation of most technology, it takes time to implement and so we adopted a phased approach for public release until accessibility testing, pilot rider testing, and system improvements were completed.
• The new mobile app launched successfully on May 19, 2026, with the expanded capabilities including trip booking, trip management, vehicle tracking and other features.

Finding 4 – The Mystery Rider Program does not include riders with disabilities.

• The jury finding was inaccurate. The program vendor indeed included disabled representatives in the program to evaluate the service performance including ADA paratransit service.
• The Mystery Rider Program is an innovative program SacRT implemented to observe and evaluate through an independent contractor to monitor service quality, safety, cleanliness, reliability and compliance with regulations, which is above and beyond any requirements.

Finding 5 – Information provided to the Board did not fully reflect concerns raised during MAC meetings.

• MAC summaries intentionally present key points in clear, concise, digestible points to support quick comprehension and informed decision‑making. This streamlined format reflects the standard practice used for dozens of other advisory committees and Board of Director meetings as public agency standards. The complete and detailed MAC agendas, presentations, meeting minutes, and recordings are all publicly available on SacRT’s website with links on dedicated webpages.
• SacRT is committed to being more proactive and transparent in our communication efforts, and effectively at the July 2026 Board of Directors meeting we will provide the comprehensive minutes as requested.

In summary, while the report reflects concerns raised by very few riders, every rider’s experience is important to SacRT, responding with urgency, working directly with affected riders, and implementing immediate improvements wherever possible. We remain committed to continuously going above and beyond to deliver excellent customer service and ensure communications are effective and reach customers clearly and consistently. SacRT’s goal is always to meet and exceed ADA requirements and to continually enhance accessibility, safety, and the overall customer experience so that every rider can travel with confidence and dignity.

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