SRTP February 10, 2022 Open House Q&A
What route number would operate from the proposed San Joaquin ACE Natomas Station to the SMF Airport, and would San Joaquin ACE pay for the costs like operating, labor, marketing, maintenance, etc.?
This has not been determined. The Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) service is not operated by SacRT; it is provided by the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA). The SJJPA has plans to expand service to the Sacramento International Airport (SMF), which will use tracks going through downtown and have stops north of Sacramento with a potential station on Elkhorn Boulevard near Rio Linda/Natomas. The SJJPA plans to provide shuttle buses between stops/stations and SMF; however, those plans are still to be developed.
Has there been some thought given to extend Route 15 back into Downtown via Richards Boulevard, or leave it as it is when it was changed back on 09/08/2019?
There has not been much consideration to restore Route 15 on Richards Boulevard for several reasons; one, because it ran on Richards Boulevard for years and did not carry many passengers; two, because it is mostly redundant with the Blue Line; and three; Richards Boulevard is covered by Route 11 seven days a week.
Internally, we may want to rethink Route 11, as it is the only route to the City College Station itself. By early 2025 there will be an ACE San Joaquin Station at City College. If extended North to SMF, both ACE and San Joaquin riders would have an airport bus option on Route 11 to from City College Station and SMF. It may be a long trip, but it would work out well.
Thank you for the suggestion.
Does the proposed elimination of Route 134 on the C Street portion go past the medical facilities on C Street?
No, the medical facilities on C Street would not be affected by the proposed elimination of that segment of Route 134.
Why aren’t any new light rail vehicles running on the Blue line?
The funding for the new light rail vehicles is tied to grants for the Folsom project. This is why the first batch of vehicles are relegated to the Gold line. Subsequent shipments of train cars will include the Blue line.
With the upcoming ACE train service, will you be using the Elk Grove commuter buses to augment the ACE service, or will you end the commuter service for the west side because of ACE?
No changes are planned to commuter service because of the ACE trains. If a commuter route did lose service to train trip(s), then that may be a reason to consider changes; however, we cannot determine that right now.
I’m very much for the 15-minute version of Route 81. It’s easier to understand. Has it been your experience that simpler schedules improve ridership?
Yes, in most cases, frequent routes have better ridership than infrequent routes. The current Route 81 schedule is complicated because of the short trips on Florin Road, and we have received complaints that it is confusing, so implementing this change will help simplify the schedule and reduce confusion.
You really need to increase commuter bus trips on E-Tran. Induced demand is not just for cars, it can work for buses too.
Thank you for the suggestion.
My concern is that it will take five years to implement weekend service in Elk Grove.
The proposed timeline for the Five-Year Service Plan is not set in stone, and many other factors could come up for consideration before the proposed year for weekend service in Elk Grove. This is the forum for comments/concerns such as these, and we want to continue to hear about customer priorities to determine where the support is, and when the appropriate improvements need take place.
Bus trip cancellations in December and January were very high; one day a severe 182. However, you’ve made much progress lately. Now in February they’re down in the 20’s and 30’s. If trends keep going this way, what do you think about reevaluating just before March to what extent the April 3 changes are needed, if at all?
We are constantly evaluating services and operations and will continue to monitor cancellations very closely and in coordination with SacRT’s Operations Division. The reductions for April are temporary for 12 months, and it may be possible to restore services if the trends with cancellations continue to improve.
Where would the Green Line fit within this SRTP?
The SRTP covers language pertaining to the Green line project in Section 5 (Capital Improvement Planning). The Long-Range Transit Plan (LRTP) will likely include more information about this project, as it is slated for 15-20 years from now, which is within the LRTP plan period, more so than the SRTP plan period.