Transit Talk with the General Manager
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October 06, 2023
Henry Li, General Manager/CEO
General Transit Questions
Archived
Opening Remarks:
Welcome to the October 2023 edition of the Transit Talk Online Chat! October is a busy month for our region, with many exciting events going on. Thank you to everyone who took the pledge on October 4th for California Clean Air Day. We hope you enjoyed a free ride of SacRT services that day to help us keep the air clean.



The Aftershock Festival is currently underway at Discovery Park. If you are heading to the festival, SacRT is here to make sure you have a ride. Event attendees can ride SacRT for free with a valid ticket, and we are offering a free shuttle between 8th & K and the ARCO on Jibboom Street for easy access to Discovery Park. Next weekend is the GoldenSky Festival for country fans, and we have the same services available for that as well. Learn more at sacrt.com/aftershock and sacrt.com/goldensky.



Later this month, Ironman will be coming to our region. Event participants and spectators can ride SacRT fixed-route bus and light rail for free with the free ride flyer at sacrt.com/ironman. Detours and a light rail service disruption are expected on SacRT bus routes and light rail service in the downtown area. Please allow for extra travel time on this day. Information will be available soon at sacrt.com/alerts.



If you are a student who uses the RydeFreeRT program, we have an opportunity for you to win some fantastic prizes! All you have to do is send us a video telling us why you think the RydeFreeRT program is amazing. Send your video by Monday, October 23, 2023. The top videos will be announced and posted on SacRT's social media channels on Friday, October 27, 2023. The top three winners (who get the most "likes") will be announced on Friday, November 3, 2023. Visit sacrt.com/studentvideo to get all of the details.



Halloween is right around the corner! At SacRT, the holiday wouldn't be complete without SacRT-Rex making his annual appearance. He will be riding transit and handing out treats the week of Halloween. No tricks required, SacRT-Rex just wants to have some fun and greet passengers.



If you are a SacRT GO rider, we will be holding two open houses during this month. A virtual open house will be held Friday, October 13, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and an in-person open house will be held Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pannell Meadowview Community Center. This is an opportunity for riders to meet and greet with SacRT staff. Learn more at sacrtgo.com.



I also want to give a quick update on our light rail modernization project. SacRT is continuing work along the Gold Line to modify the light rail stations to meet the height requirements of the new low floor trains. To avoid impacts to commuters, this work is being done during the weekends. For October, there are two more weekends of construction planned. The weekend of October 14 and 15, 2023, construction is underway at the Glenn/Robert G Holderness Station with a bus bridge between Hazel and Historic Folsom stations. On the weekend of October 28 and 29, 2023, construction will take place on the Starfire Station with a bus bridge between Watt/Manlove and Butterfield stations. Learn more at sacrt.com/station construction.



Thank you for your continued support of SacRT as we work to improve the light rail system! Now let's get to your questions.

Elk Grove, CA:  What do I need to use your Aftershock service?

Reply:  All you need to do is show your valid same-day ticket for the Aftershock festival. Just show it to a bus operator when boarding the bus, or to fare inspection staff upon request on light rail. The shuttle runs from 8th & K to the Jibboom Street ARCO gas station, which puts you very close to Discovery Park. We hope you enjoy using SacRT and enjoy the concert!


Sacramento, CA:  I see that the new low floor trains are in the process of being test. I am very excited to be able to ride on one. When can riders expect to see these trains out on the system?

Reply:  That is correct, the new low floor trains are being tested to get them ready for revenue service. They are expected to be out on the system starting in summer of 2024. These new trains will begin serving the Gold Line first. You can learn more at sacrt.com/newtrains.


sacramento, CA:  Can college students participate in the student video contest?

Reply:  Thank you for your interest, but no, this video contest is just for those eligible for SacRT's RydeFreeRT program, so that is for students in grades TK - 12.


Roseville, CA:  Has SacRT considered adding BikeLink bicycle lockers at the Roseville Rd or Watt/I-80 stations? While some stations on the Gold Line have these lockers, they are owned and maintained by the City of Folsom. Sacramento City staff have advised that their city only places lockers on their public right-of-way and property. This leaves SacRT as the only entity which could consider adding such lockers to farthest two Blue Line stations in the northeast of the city.

Reply:  Thank you for your question. Earlier this year SacRT completed an Origin and Destination Survey that found over 10% of riders arrive at light rail stations via a bicycle. https://www.sacrt.com/apps/origin-destination-survey/ We will continue to look at ways we can improve amenities for bicyclists and we look forward to ushering in new-low floor vehicles that will dramatically improve the passenger experience.


Closing Remarks:
Thank you for your questions. The next session of Transit Talk with the General Manager/CEO will take place on Friday, November 3, 2023.