Streetsblog USA is running a sorriest bus stops competition this spring. We encourage you to take a look, to be both entertained and horrified. A new post every weekday pits the horribles against each other, with the ultimate outcome, a la March Madness, the worst of the worst instead of the best of the best. In general, Sacramento does not have bus stops that are this bad. I have one on my list to check out, provided by SacTRU, and you may have others you’d like to suggest. But certainly, if not the worst, our bus stops are not great. Most of them lack seating, shelters, trash cans, lighting, bike racks, and sufficient wait space.

But let us take the opportunity to clarify something about bus stops. They are in many ways not the responsibility of the transit agency but of the transportation agency. The transportation agency, which is in the case of SacRT, is the City of Sacramento, Sacramento County, City of Folsom, City of Rancho Cordova, and City of Citrus Heights (and someday soon, the City of Elk Grove), responsible for providing high quality sidewalks, at least from the nearest corner to the bus stop, if not continuously. The transportation agency is responsible for providing enough sidewalk width for a bus stop, without constraining the sidewalk width for ADA. The transportation agency is responsible for providing frequent and safe roadway crossings, within 100 feet of the bus stop. The transportation agency is responsible for setting a speed limit that does not endanger people outside of vehicles, particularly people using mobility devices. The transportation agency is responsible for providing bus pads, so that the weight of the buses does not result in distorted pavement and potholes, just as it would for any roadway with heavy vehicles. The transportation agency is responsible for providing a roadway where buses can safely stop to load and unload passengers.

The Streetsblog series is great, but it makes the mistake of putting most of the responsibility on transit agencies, However, most of the responsibility lies with the transportation agency.

When SacRT, or the other regional transit agencies, does not provide the bus stop amenities you expect and deserve, we encourage you to report these. And get involved in SacTRU, which focuses on the issues that prevent a positive and safe experiences for transit riders. But remember that it is largely the transportation agencies that are failing, and not SacRT.

• SacRT