At the SacRT board meeting in February, Henry Li presented a new strategic vision for the future of SacRT. Over several meetings, Sacramento Transit Advocates and Riders (STAR) has analyzed the issues, policies, and projects identified in the SacRT Strategic Planning workshop and slides from the February board meeting and March budget presentation. Listed below are the items we most support, a few we do not, as well as a few of our ideas. These are also on the documents page.

Operations, Maintenance, and Capital

• Prioritize funding of operations, maintenance, and a state of good repair, over major capital expansion

State of Good Repair

• Replacement of light rail cars with low-floor cars
• Replacement of buses
• IT innovations – Real Time Train Arrivals, WiFi at stations and on trains & buses.

New Ideas

• Pilot one gated light rail station, perhaps 16th Street.
• All new buses purchased will be fossil-fuel free.
• Complete replacement of light rail cars with low-floor cars, all at once rather than in phases.

Bus Route Optimization Process

• Engage the public, including low-income underserved neighborhoods, in the route optimization process.
• Establish system-wide performance measures, density criteria, and ridership goals with public engagement.
• Increase frequency of major routes to 15 minutes, and extend hours and days of operation.
• Re-establish service to low-income neighborhoods that meet minimum density criteria.
• Establish airport express bus service, running 24 hours, with 15 minute frequency for 18 hours
• Establish frequent express bus service for Roseville, Elk Grove and Davis
• Establish frequent bus service on major north-south and east-west corridors, such as Watt Ave

Light rail extensions

• Undertake a study of all identified light rail extensions and prioritize based on ridership and service criteria rather than politics.
• Remove the Green Line to the Airport extension from any tax measures until the study is complete.
• Prioritize maintenance of legacy light rail systems over new rail extensions.

Fares

• Establish transfers of 120 minutes consistently across all payment methods and all cooperating transit systems.
• Offer free or reduced fares for all students.
• Pilot distance-based fares on light rail and express buses.
• Implement ticket vending machines that accept cash addition to Connect Card at frequently used stations.

• SacRT