About STAR

About STAR

Mission

We advocate to increase ridership and expand accountability of public transit in the Sacramento region, by promoting efficient, affordable, safe, clean, and accessible service with optimized intermodal connectivity.  We advocate for routes and service hours that serve the needs of those who depend on public transit and provide a compelling alternative to car use.

Vision

We envision a regional transit system for Sacramento that:

  1. provides an efficient full trip experience including one fare per trip; internal integration so any bus/light rail connections are time efficient and there is adequate interface with foot, bike and car modes of getting to bus/light rail stations;
  2. attracts high ridership;
  3. provides ease of connection to public transportation out of the region including Amtrak and bus lines;
  4. assures any rail expansion does not compromise existing services needed to meet the above defined mission;
  5. operates in a socially responsible manner; and
  6. incorporates citizen input, including having citizen representation on the Board of Directors.

Sacramento Transit Advocates and Riders (STAR) is an informal organization of people who support and use transit. We advocate for transit solutions which get people out of their cars and onto public transit.

We are not a nonprofit organization, yet, but will work towards more formal status and governance over time. We meet before SacRT Board Meetings as the Action Team, and form committees as needed to investigate and propose solutions for particular transit issues.

Major initiatives in 2024-2025 include:

  • rejection of the initial SmartRide program replacement with Uber credits, and proposed a service targeted at disabled, low-income and senior riders, which was the model for SacRT Flex
  • tracking of usability and safety issues with deployable ramps on the new Siemens S700 low-floor light rail cars, working with the disability community and SacRT Mobility Advisory Council
  • attends and usually speaks on agenda items at each SacRT Board meeting
  • was a strong voice at SacRT Board and SACOG Board for the Dos Rios Light Rail Station, resulting in SacRT reversing their abandonment of the project
  • participated in the SacRT Mobility Advisory Council meetings
  • tracking of potential transportation funding measures, including Sacramento Transportation Authority, SacRT, and a citizen initiative
  • recommended replacing existing Green Line light rail with enhanced bus Route 11
  • raised concerns to the SacRT Board about the large number of mistakes that SacRT leadership has made over the last year, apparently without consequences
  • supported RydeFreeRT program for free transit use by K-12 students, and continued advocacy for stable funding
  • expressed strong concerns about SacRT’s wholesale commitment to hydrogen buses in the northern half of the service area, using grey hydrogen generated from natural gas
  • participated in the SacRT Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) stakeholder group
  • argued for, with some success, improvements to the SacRT budget document, particularly to amplify operations revenue and expense
  • worked with sister organization SacTRU (Sacramento Transit Riders Union) on a variety of transit issues
  • represented STAR in the SacMoves Coalition, and City of Sacramento Vision Zero Action Plan update
  • promoted Tap2Ride credit card payment system and readers, which are on buses but not yet light rail stations
  • tracking issues with the promised 15-minute service to Historic Folsom on the Gold Line, including the insufficiency of the short passing track at Glenn station
  • participated in City of Sacramento meetings and processes on Truxel Bridge, which SacRT had identified as a transit/walking/bicycling bridge, but the city insisted on including private motor vehicles
  • recommended changes to the SacRT governance structure for more equitable representation based on population and not on governmental entities

We focus on the core of the region, served by Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT), but also address regional needs and agencies, including Yolobus (Yolo County), Roseville Transit (City of Roseville in Placer County), Placer County Transit, El Dorado Transit, South County Transit (City of Galt), Yuba-Sutter Transit (counties of Yuba and Sutter), and Amtrak. See Sac region transit agencies for links.

The best solutions for transit consider and meet regional needs.