SacRT’s Bus Stop Improvement Plan was completed in February 2023, after considerable community outreach and research by partner Civic Thread. The plan did not cover all bus stops in the system (more than 3200), but focused on low-quality stops on routes in lower-income and communities of color.

The plan identified a level of needed improvements, reflecting past neglect, that far exceeds the current budget of SacRT. But action can and should be taken to overcome this deficit, starting now.

Bus stop improvements often require coordination with the county and the cities. Where wide sidewalks are present, it is easy and quick to install a bus bench. But sidewalks in lower-income communities are often the minimum legal width, or less, so a bus bench may require widening a sidewalk at the stop, and/or obtaining an easement or purchasing property to place the bench. And some bus stops don’t even have a sidewalk, they are dirt or gravel. Of course all the other desired bus stop amenities including but not limited to shelters, may require more coordination and more space. Bus stops along high frequency routes should also have bus pads so that the weight of the bus does not deteriorate pavement, producing low spots that gather water and result in riders being splashed when the bus comes. So far as we know, Citrus Heights is the only city that has implemented bus pads at many stops.

So what now?

The SacRT Strategic Priorities and 2024 Outlook only mentions bus stops once: “Bus Rapid Transit Implementation: Enhanced Stops/Stations”. No mention of bus stops not on BRT routes. As far as STAR knows, SacRT does not have a program for implementing the bus stop improvement plan, and there is no line item in the current 2024 budget for bus stop improvements. STAR and other transit advocates will be seeking to make sure there is a line item in the next budget. Bus stop quality probably affects riders as much as the buses.

• Bus Stop Improvement Plan