After the successful debut of SmaRT Ride in Citrus Heights, the Sacramento Regional Transit District’s (SacRT) new on-demand microtransit service will be expanded to serve the communities of Antelope and Orangevale with a connection to the Historic Folsom light rail station. And, thanks to increased requests, the service hours will be expanded an additional three hours to operate from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. SacRT implemented the first phase of SmaRT Ride on February 12 and its resounding success was the catalyst for service expansion beginning sooner than anticipated on Monday, April 23.

SmaRT Ride is similar to other ride-share services where customers can use a smartphone app to request a ride that will pick up and drop off passengers wherever they wish to travel within the service boundaries. Using TransLōc’s free Microtransit app, the software creates a flexible route for bus operators to follow as they pick up and drop off passengers on smaller, neighborhood-friendly sized buses. This is one of several pioneering efforts that will likely transform the way public transit is delivered locally and throughout the nation in the years to come.

“We doubled our ridership in the first month of the pilot project so we know that SmaRT Ride is a viable solution to serve our customers who may not have easy access to fixed-route service,” said SacRT General Manager/CEO Henry Li. “We are excited to begin phase two of this innovative service.”

SacRT is looking to secure funding to expand SmaRT Ride service into additional areas in the Sacramento region after phase 2 of the pilot is complete.

“Public transportation is changing as we know it and SacRT is at the leading edge with Microtransit technology,” said SacRT Board Chair Patrick Kennedy. “The convenience factor that SmaRT Ride provides is tremendous and it’s one more example of the new leadership in action at SacRT.

Following a ride request, the Microtransit app will provide passengers with an estimated pick-up time, track their bus in real-time, and be alerted when their ride is about to arrive. Passengers will also be alerted when their ride is about to reach their desired destination.

The cost to ride SmaRT Ride is only $2.75 per trip, $1.35 for those eligible for discount fare (seniors, students, and persons with disabilities). All SacRT fare media is accepted, including single ride tickets, daily and monthly passes, smart card (Connect Card), mobile fare app (ZipPass) and cash. The low-cost makes this service much more affordable than a traditional ride-hailing service, which could cost riders more than five times the amount.

“We have been working closely with SacRT to bring about the expansion of SmaRT Ride to residents in Orangevale and Antelope,” said Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost. “We are committed to providing convenient public transportation in suburban Sacramento and we believe that SmaRT Ride is the new mode of the future.”

SmaRT Ride customers will also be able to request rides by calling 916-556-0258 or by going online to ondemand.transloc.com ; however, trip reservations must be made on the same day.

SacRT is one of just a handful of transit systems throughout the nation piloting microtransit technology and is the first transit agency in the Sacramento region to offer this new type of ride-hailing service.

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