What is Bus Rapid Transit? 

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) combines the speed, reliability, and prominence of light rail with the flexibility and low-cost of buses. BRT travels on dedicated bus lanes, with an emphasis on fewer stops, longer-distance travel, and higher speeds.  

The Benefits of BRT: 

• Speed: BRT often operates on dedicated bus lanes, allowing buses to bypass traffic congestion and move swiftly through busy corridors. This means you spend less time in traffic and more time at your destination. 
• Reliability: Traffic signal priority helps BRT ensure a punctual and dependable schedule, making connections to other routes more reliable. 
• Stations, not Stops: BRT routes feature stations, rather than ordinary bus stops, built to architectural standards more like a light rail station, for greater identifiability, safety, and comfort. 
• Frequent Service: BRT routes run at least every fifteen minutes throughout the day and have late night service, like light rail. 

 Route 51 Stockton/Broadway: 

SacRT has designated Route 51 - Stockton/Broadway at the forefront of BRT efforts. With 2,000 daily boardings, Route 51 is SacRT’s highest ridership bus route.

The Stockton Blvd corridor is prime for reinvestment and at a major tipping point with the Aggie Square development on the horizon plus over 1,000 housing units that are currently planned for the corridor, helping to breathe new life back into the area. And the Broadway corridor is the site of three major modernization efforts by the City of Sacramento, including the Downtown Mobility that recently broke ground, as well as the Envision Broadway and Broadway Vision Zero projects in Oak Park, which were recently funded for engineering design. 

In 2019, SacRT completed a High-Capacity Bus Service study, laying the groundwork for our visionary Bus Rapid Transit system network on some of Sacramento’s busiest corridors. 

With a strong partnership between the City and County of Sacramento, along with a recent $5 million award from SACOG, SacRT is making incredible strides. The City of Sacramento is even pledging to create a dedicated 4.5-mile bus lane as part of the project, ensuring that this transformative initiative is a success, because unimpeded transit will travel faster than people in cars and ensure a reliable schedule. 

Past Studies:

• 2023 Stockton Blvd. Implementation Plan
• 2020 Stockton Blvd. Conceptual Plan 

Read more about SacRT’s High Capacity Bus Service/ Bus Rapid Transit and Read the 2021 High Capacity Bus Final Report.