Transit Talk with the General Manager

Sacramento, CA:  I would like to see more status message boards farther up the line toward Folsom. They are very helpful when I am downtown but they are non - existant farther up the line. Would save time and frustration for riders and RT.

Reply:  Regional Transit staff began installing signs at all of the remaining stations in February. This work should be complete by November of this year. At that point all stations will have electronic message signs. On the 15th of April, we will be implementing a revamped transit alert system at www.sacrt.com. Our goal is to provide passengers with information about problems and delays. We also plan to add problem and delay information to our mobile application (m.sacrt.com) by the end of April.

Sacramento, CA:  On weekends, Route 72 buses arrive at Mather/Mills 3 minutes before the Gold Line Train to Folsom. Most drivers on this route will stop close to the Light Rail entrance to allow us to get off and connect. However, there is a driver on this route that will not drop us off there and will continue to the marked stop that is farther away. This leads to me and other riders having to scramble to the Light Rail entrance with less time to connect to the train (considering that these trains only run every half hour.) I have contacted RT in regards to this same situation several times and nothing has changed. Can something be done to improve this situation?

Reply:  Thanks for the comment. I will forward this to our Transportation Department for investigation.

Sacramento, CA:  Why is it we don't get updates from RT until long after the media tells us what is going on? The derailment the other day is an example that comes to mind.

Reply:  RT is working to improve its communications with passengers during service disruptions and knows current efforts need to be improved. We were able to get messages up on our phone line at 321-2877 and on our website at www.sacrt.com within a 15 to 20 minute timeframe. The electronic message signs at the light rail stations were also warning of delays within minutes. We also worked with the media quickly to give them information to disseminate through their channels and help alert the public. Our Facebook page was updated in the 8 a.m. hour with an initial message, warning of a major service disruption on all light rail lines stemming from an issue near the 13th and 16th Street light rail stations. The next update with bus information did come at least an hour after that, which was too long. On the 15th of April, we will be going live with our revamped transit alert system at www.sacrt.com. Our goal is to provide passengers with more information about problems and delays. We also plan to add problem and delay information to our mobile application (m.sacrt.com) by the end of April. We are also installing the second 36 digital message signs at light rail station. These signs are also used to inform passengers of problems and delays.

Sacramento , CA:  I wanted to find out about Regional Transit's financial solvency. Is the financial situation, as of early April solvent enough, that, as you mentioned in January, will be able to go to your board next month and hold the TransitRenewal Phase II Public Hearing, or will that hearing have to wait indefinitely if for some reasons the financial situation is not solvent right now?

Reply:  Thanks for the question. To start off, RT is financially solvent. We are paying our bills and were able to dedicate funds to reserves last year and expect to do so again this year. Next year will be tight but we knew that before the onset of our budget process. RT's financial forecasting model predicted that it would be due to a number of predicted financial factors coming into play such as a rise in labor costs as bargaining groups emerged from past bargaining agreements and concessions ended. We have said all along that implementation of TransitRenewal would be dependent upon our ability to identify ongoing revenues to sustain the added service. This remains our commitment to the community we serve. At this point we do not expect to have additional revenues to support TransitRenewal Phase II in fiscal year 2014, and so will not undertake a Public Hearing to consider the service improvements contained therein. Rest assured that RT staff is continually assessing the financial picture and as soon as revenues are identified to support service improvements, we will schedule a Public Hearing.

Rancho Cordova, CA:  My phone went hay wire on me there. Let me try again. More and more I see in following Sacramento's quest to keep the Kings and build a brand new Entertainment Sports Complex in Downtown that this project is going to happen, how will Regional Transit address the late(r) evening service issues like frequency and hours of service on the streets surrounding the JMA Ventures Downtown Plaza? Would you be able to answer this question first regarding bus, and then perhaps rail like late(r) evening Sunday service?

Reply:  Our 2012 TransitRenewal study identified later evening service as a top priority for RT. In September we added later evening service on light rail on weekdays and Saturdays, and on major bus routes on weekdays. Later Saturday evening service on major bus routes is near the top of the list in terms of next priorities. In the event that a new Entertainment and Sports Complex is built downtown, we foresee a lot of riders making use of light rail to get to/from downtown, taking them either to our park-and-ride lots or to the major bus routes that will have later service. As we consider the development of a new Sports and Entertainment Complex we will be developing a service plan for both bus and light rail that provides the appropriate level of service to support events, or event level service. This will include both later and more frequent service.

West Sacramento , CA:  Someone recently told me about the possibility of Regional Transit "StreetCars" coming soon. Can you fill me in on this? How will our two "riverfront" cities be able to see this come to fruition? What are the alignment options?

Reply:  Regional Transit has been working closely with our partners from the Cities of West Sacramento and Sacramento, the Yolo County Transit District, and the Sacramento Area Council of Governments to develop a starter streetcar operation. The service would initially connect West Sacramento from City Hall, past Raley Field, across Tower Bridge into Sacramento, serving Old Sacramento, the Intermodal facility, the new Sports and Entertainment Complex, K street, the Convention Center and Mid-town. If all goes well it would be operational by the end of 2016. The project is projected to cost $135 million to build and RT would be the operator.

Rancho Cordova, CA:  I am not impressed with the level of communication when your system fails like it did the other day. Facebook was updated hours later. Your signs at the stations don't help at all. When are you going to provide better information to your riders? We all depend on you!

Reply:  As I stated earlier, RT is working to improve its communications with passengers during service disruptions and we know current efforts need to be improved. In addition to our updates on the phone line, website, Facebook, mass media outlets and the electronic message signs, we are looking to add twitter to our tools and a mobile application/website phone smartphones that will provide real-time bus information and service alerts.

Natomas , CA:  I recently watched a video replay of one of your board meetings in which your staff discussed ridership since the TransitRenewal Phase I Service Changes went into effect back in September. After the discussion, you had a speaker who I thought was very articulate and detailed, and knew what he was talking about. My feeling was, in watching him speak to the board was that he was trying to help your organization be better. He was addressing specifics to Route 13, which I ride as well. Based on what I saw and your board heard, are you in the process of making some changes to Route 13 that we can all benefit from later on this year or early next year?

Reply:  We get a lot of good information from our riders. We have plans to add Saturday service on Route 13 when funding permits. Our Planning Department is also following up on the comments that were made about Route 13 to see if any of them are feasible.

West Sacramento, CA:  I see you are planning on extending the Blue Line south to CRC. You can't seem to keep the stations you already have clean. How do you plan on keeping new stations clean?

Reply:  During the recent recession RT made dramatic cuts in service and station maintenance. We are adding both service and resources to do a better job at maintenance. As an example we recently ground the the concrete stairs at the Watt I-80 station and treated them with a special sealant We did this as a trial to see if we could eliminate the foul odor in the stairways. If it works (and it appears to be working) we plan on treating the remainder of the station and others in the same way. So as you can see, we are looking for cost effective ways to improve the system for our customers.

South Sacramento , CA:  I've been hearing that you and your team have been making tremendous progress in extending light rail to Cosumnes River College. Is there a date for celebrating via construction groundbreaking, or no such event planned?

Reply:  Thanks for noticing, and you're right, we have been making progress on the Blue Line to CRC. The current revenue operation date is estimated to be in September of 2015. We are still putting together plans for a groundbreaking celebration, but likely in May or June of this year. It's a little soon to say when the ribbon cutting will be for the project but I know it will be a big celebration. Keep watching our website for an announcement at least by mid-2015 for the celebration date.

North Natomas , CA:  What happened back on Tuesday with the Gold Line around 13th Street Station? How is Regional Transit going to address the most recent rash of service disruptions on its light rail lines? There should never be, at any time, any compromise for safety.

Reply:  We had a train derail at 13th Street Wednesday morning that shut down rail service in Downtown Sacramento for most of the day, and that pulled some of our buses off the streets to shuttle passengers at the light rail stations. The cause of the derailment appears to be a human error. One of RT's supervisors manually through a switch in an incorrect manner. Fortunately there were no injuries and minimal damage. We're very sorry about the inconvenience this caused our riders, however, we don't view this as part of a trend or indicative of safety problems. We feel that our operator training and maintenance of vehicles, track, signals, etc. keeps our passengers safe. Unfortunately, things don't always work perfectly. We are reviewing this incident to make sure we avoid a repetition and to ensure that when we do have problems such as this, that the response by RT minimizes the impacts on our riders.

Sacramento , CA:  In an era we are now in, where social media composes much of our lives these days, will Regional Transit ever get onto Twitter? I see through your website that you are on FaceBook. As a Twitter user, I myself find many transportation focused entities to follow as well as transit agencies too. I just can't find Regional Transit, so I thought it would now be appropriate to pose this question to you today. Thank You.

Reply:  RT realizes the value of Twitter as a communication tool and is in discussions on how it will be implemented. Once we have decided how to deal with internal staffing and communication issues related to to Twitter use, we will move quickly to launch our presence.

Sacramento, CA:  Transit Talk should be an intake system for complaints that actually get resolved. I have already asked staff several times to open the system ahead of time since not all of us are willing or able to spend our lunch hour on this or use work internet for personal use. Riders should be able to include pictures. The public should be able to track that a complaint was actually resolved and when. Complaints should be filed by subject, not by date. Since problems aren’t being solved, the board should spend its own time analyzing what is going wrong. The evening meetings are very difficult to attend due to the fact that by the time it is over, the buses that would take riders back home have already stopped running. I have submitted these suggestions to the Borad as well. When is transit talk going to become a functional system? Thanks, Sharon

Reply:  One way to submit questions before the system opens is to like RT's facebook page at www.facebook.com/sacramentort and input the questions there. We mention the chat the first Thursday of each month, the night before the chat, and will load questions people post into the system. RT also has a full complaint system and we track and respond to every complaint that we receive. Transit talk is not intended to be a substitute for our complaint management system. But, an opportunity for our customers to interact directly with me, RT's GM/CEO.

Sacramento, CA:  The transit staff, Director, and Board need to lead rather than follow public opinion. The RT is currently run by a board and an executive director who drive cars. A transit rider should be appointed now! Once we can have elections, we can elect many board members who understand transit and ride it. How can we sell our product if we don’t even buy it ourselves? Only people who have to depend on transit have their boots on the ground and can truly troubleshoot its defects, put resources where they are most needed, and make it work. I have submitted this to the Board as well. When are we going to have a transit rider on the Board? Thanks, Sharon

Reply:  Most agencies have a board made up of elected officials whose responsibility is to represent their constituents. SMUD has a board made up of people who run for the SMUD board. RT's board is made up of elected officials from the cities and county we serve. Those jurisdictions can elect to appoint an RT rider to the RT Board. At this point all of RT's Directors are elected officials from their jurisdictions. I do have access to my personnel vehicle. However, I do choose to ride the system for many of my travel needs. During a typical week I average about six to eight trips on trains and buses. It is not uncommon for me to ride my bicycle to the bus stop and ride the system with my bike as well.

North Highlands, CA:  My phone is an Android, which offers me the "GooglePlay" Store. Does Regional Transit have an "App" that I can download to my phone, or is that in the works for now?

Reply:  Our smart phone application can be reached at m.sacrt.com from your smart phone. This application will give you a good deal of transit data and real time bus location. At the end of the month, we will be adding a transit alert component to the smart phone application to help alert passengers of service disruptions.

Sacramento, CA:  What is RT doing to make people feel like riding transit is safe in spite of the news broadcasts of fights on the trains?

Reply:  The news broadcast yesterday was, in fact, a good example of the steps RT has taken to make passengers feel safe while riding. During that incident, which began somewhere off of the transit system, a G4S Security Officer contacted the subject, before the fight erupted, in an attempt to prevent such an event. After the disturbance became physical, the security officer called for police officers to respond while he attempted to isolate the rest of the passengers from the two involved subjects. When it moved off of the train, the security officer was successful in preventing the initial subject from re-boarding the train. The train was only delayed a minute or two and no other passengers were injured. The subject who initiated the disturbance was arrested by responding police officers. This type of an incident could happen anywhere. If it happens on the transit system, passengers have many options available for their response. Station cameras are monitored by security personnel. Bus and light rail camera video can be reviewed for identification and prosecution purposes. Incidents can be reported to uniformed RT, security and police personnel as well as via Passenger Emergency Buttons and intercoms on the trains. In addition, RT has recently launched it's See It. Hear It. Report It. Public Information Campaign in order to let passengers know not only what to report but how to report it. Passengers can now report crime problems to RT by calling the Crime Tip Line (916-556-0275) or Texting 67283 (followed by SacRT and the message). It's important to remember that calling 911 is still the best way to report an emergency but all the previously mentioned options are now also available. All the See It. Hear It. Report It. information including a video on the how to react to different safety situations can be found at www.sacrt.com/SeeHearReport.stm.

Sacramento, CA:  Will the public have an opportunity to see the proposed budget for next year before it is adopted?

Reply:  Yes. RT staff will bring the preliminary FY 2014 Operating and Capital Budgets to the RT Board at the April 22nd Board meeting. The presentation will be made at a public hearing that will be continued for sixty days until June when the budgets will be adopted. During the sixty day comment period, the public will have an opportunity to look at the budget documents presented in April, and hear updates at subsequent board meetings until the June 24th Board meeting when the final budgets are presented for adoption. RT staff will report to the Board on any public comments received whether by phone, letter, or email so I would invite you to look at the draft documents and provide feedback to staff during the comment period.

South Sacramento, CA:  I am regular rider on Paratransit. I am confused now becuse sometime a RT bus picks me up and sometime a paratrnsit van. But its the same drivers that I know all these years. The drivers say its not RT tho and that RT has nothing to do with paratransit.

Reply:  I think you are seeing the new paratransit vehicles RT recently provided to Paratransit. The 102 new vehicles are branded with a new color scheme. They are very nice. RT contracts with Paratransit to provide ADA services for RT in our service area. RT pays Paratransit between $11.5 million and $12 million a year to operate this service on RT's behalf. So yes, the service is operated by Paratransit Inc, but paid for by RT.

Sacramento, CA:  What do I have to do to have a bus stop moved from in front of my house?

Reply:  You can contact Lynn Cain (lcain@sacrt.com) and request that the stop be relocated. It is often hard for RT to relocate a stop. When we relocate a stop the new location must meet ADA requirements, and we look for locations that are near key destinations. Lynn will take this all into account when reviewing your location.

Sacramento, CA:  When will light rail go north to Roseville and beyond? Going to the airport seems like a waste of money.

Reply:  We are asked that question on a regular basis and the answer is always the same. RT will take the Blue Line north to Roseville, Rocklin, and beyond, when those communities are willing and able to participate in the cost of doing so. The question may better be asked of officials in those communities. If the demand is sufficient, it may spur interest to begin discussions on expanding service to the north. Extending service in that direction is in RT's TransitAction Plan with the caveat that it would be dependent upon funding participation from the areas served. Extending service to the airport, on the other hand, is within the RT service area and is the most desired service extension named by residents. We believe the demand for service to the airport exists but we will only undertake such an extension when additional funding is available.

Elk Grove, CA:  I used to ride RT when you served Elk Grove 10+ years ago. And I used to complain about on-time buses, cleanliness of buses and driver attitudes and driving practices back then. Elk Grove promised to make it better by taking it over. But it's horrible! I want RT back! The buses are late or don't come at all, the buses are filthy, the drivers act like they don't care. Please please please sit down with the City and talk to them about taking the service back and save us from this dismal replacement. Is it possible for this to happen???

Reply:  The city of Elk Grove determines who provides their transit service. We are open to operating the service again, but the decision remains with the city of Elk Grove.

Sacramento, CA:  I think it would make transit a more attractive option if we would continue to build more shelters. Also we should attach bike hooks to the existing shelters. This would increase ridership since it would give people the option of bicycling to the bus stop. Hanging bikes vertically is the most economically way of storing in terms of space and cost. Also, could we find a way of attaching bike racks to the outside of Light Rail Trains? The bike situation inside the train isn't great. Some people just have a really hard time getting the bike onto the train. You don't find many elderly and female bike-train commuters. Getting on and off the train has hurt my knees. Riders don't like the amount of space it takes up and won't move so we can use the racks. Is it possible that we could get better bike storage options with existing funds? I am home today, so I am submitting several questions, since I usually don't get to participate at all. Thanks, Sharon

Reply:  Under our current contract we have a limited number of shelters. Next year we will be bidding the shelter contract and expect to add at least 300 new shelters. We will look into your suggestion for adding bike hangers into the shelters. We are working on improving our bicycle storage on trains. The issue remains a competition for space between the bicyclists and the pedestrian passengers. We have a team of people working to improve the situation. Our next light rail vehicle purchase will be low floor trains. I agree that it will be a huge improvement for the elderly and others who have trouble with the stairs.

Sacramento, CA:  RT does not seem very customer friendly. 1st: Why are monthly passes available only 1 week before the month they are to be used? My wife purchases passes for her office and this short availability often creates big inconveniences. 2nd: I caught by the Tuesday derailment (not the derailed train, but one that followed). When our train stopped, the operator chasing passesgers off the train was abrupt, bodering on rude. Telling us; 'there has been a derailment, Everybody Off The Train! You can get on the next one to go to 23st where there will be a bus bridge.' I understand the suituation was less than ideal, but; how would you feel if after boarding a plane the flight attendents just started saying there is a problem GET OFF THE PLANE!! I think my fellow passengers and I would have responded better If the operator sadi something like" There has been a derailment. We need everyone to get off this train so we can move it out of the way. When we got on the next train it started going the wrong way, starting and stopping in very jerky motions then just sat for several minutes before going back to the station we just left. No one told us anything. We got to 29th st and were told something like Sorry but this is far as we can go. Not a single Bus in sight. I walked the remaining 1.9 miles to work. Why can't RT treat riders more like valued customers instead of people stuck with the only game in town? If I did feel like a valued Customer I would probably ride more and drive less.

Reply:  The primary reason passes are not sold earlier is to limit the ability of counterfeiters. Customers who have regular monthly orders of significant volume can contact RT's Finance department to recieve purchases by mail on a scheduled basis or even become an RToutlet if buying more than $500 worth of RT merchandise per month. The contact number for ordering by phone to be mailed merchandis is 321-2822. To become an RT outlet, contact Michael Young, Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist, at myoung@sacrt.com. Regarding the disruption this week, I'm sure our operator could have done a better job keeping passengers informed on what was happening with service. It will be stressed to our operators that during disruptions, the frequency, tone and content of their announcements is vastly important to our customers' experience and understanding.

South Sacramento, CA:  In addition to service changes coming up in September 2013, do you have any other possible changes that are coming up? Status of Connect Card and future Pay and Park lots?

Reply:  We are committed to matching service improvements to sustainable revenues and as I related in an earlier question. The Connect Card is an ongoing project funded by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) and is continuing toward implementation with the pilot program scheduled for RT in October 2013. Once up and running, the rest of the participating transit agencies will transition into the program. Expansion of Park and Pay lots is currently on hold at the direction of the RT Board.

Folsom, CA:  Approximately when will riders see an improvement to the waiting time between trains traveling to the City of Folsom, how much will it cost to make these improvements, and what will be the time improvement (minutes)?

Reply:  It's hard to predict exactly when the waiting time between trains traveling to Folsom will improve. The specific improvement that will make this possible is to double-track the line between Sunrise and Hazel stations and between Glenn and Iron Point Station. Since this is now estimated to cost $50 million, with no funding source yet identified, it could take awhile. Once the project is complete, however, it is expected to reduce the waiting time from thirty minutes to fifteen. Also under our current contract with the City of Folsom, the City would be responsible for the increased operating cost.

CA:  I'm interested in more information on how to obtain passes and or the norm for tomorrows event?in reference to Cesar Chavez flier,do you have more info ?

Reply:  I believe you can find more information about the event your interested in by contacting Desiree Rojas at Bezdez812@yahoo.com. You can also go to facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/268901066571229/

Sacramento, CA:  When is the lightrail suppose to be done from Meadowview Lightrail Station to Cosumnes River College?

Reply:  We are now estimating the project will be completed by September of 2015.

Sacramento, CA:  Will there be bus service going out to Vineyard Road between Gerber Road & Calvine Road?

Reply:  We unfortunately do not have plans for bus service to this area. We are geared primarily toward bus and light rail service on fixed-routes and schedules in more heavily populated areas of Sacramento. You may want to contact Paratransit, Inc. at (916) 429-2009 as they provide some service to lower-populated areas beyond where our regular routes operate.

Sacramento, CA:  Today, I was watching News10 and there was a fight on the light rail train on Tuesday night (I think). How come the security guard who was in the video didn't stop the flight instead of just watching?

Reply:  As with most videos like that one, the viewer sees only part of the incident. It began prior to RT even being involved and it continued after the cell phone video ended. Some people may question why the security officer didn't do more. As you will see below, he did. However, he did not try to physically intervene in the fight between the two subjects. It's important to know what he knew - that this was a fight between two willing subjects - not a battery or robbery of an "innocent" or random passenger. There was no reason for the security officer to risk his own safety in this incident. The news broadcast yesterday was, in fact, a good example of the steps RT has taken to make passengers feel safe while riding. During that incident, which began somewhere off of the transit system, a G4S Security Officer contacted the subject, before the fight erupted, in an attempt to prevent such an event. After the disturbance became physical, the security officer called for police officers to respond while he attempted to isolate the rest of the passengers from the two involved subjects. When it moved off of the train, the security officer was successful in preventing the initial subject from re-boarding the train. The train was only delayed a minute or two and no other passengers were injured. The subject who initiated the disturbance was arrested by responding police officers. This type of an incident could happen anywhere. If it happens on the transit system, passengers have many options available for their response. Station cameras are monitored by security personnel. Bus and light rail camera video can be reviewed for identification and prosecution purposes. Incidents can be reported to uniformed RT, security and police personnel as well as via Passenger Emergency Buttons and intercoms on the trains. In addition, RT has recently launched it's See it, Hear it, Report it Public Information Campaign in order to let passengers know not only what to report but how to report it. Passengers can now report crime problems to RT by calling the Crime Tip Line (916-556-0275) or Texting 67283 (followed by SacRT and the message). It's important to remember that calling 911 is still the best way to report an emergency but all the previously mentioned options are now also available.

Elk Grove, CA:  It always seems RT is behind when it comes to technology, for example, not being able to purchase all of your bus passes online (no student or disabled monthly passes available online), the delays in issuing a smart card, not being able to use credit cards to purchase tickets at the light rail stations, and communicating with passengers during service disruptions. Why doesn't RT contact other transit agencies in SFO or LA to find out what they are using to service their passengers?

Reply:  That's the problem with technological advances, they often outstrip an agency's ability to pay for the implementation of the latest and greatest capability. RT is working diligently toward many of the upgrades you have noted and they will, in time become a reality. To address some of your specific questions, the delays in smart card have been due to development delays on the part of the manufacturer, not the participating transit agencies. We are as eager as you are to offer the smart card to riders. We are also in the process of installing fare vending machines at many of the light rail stations to enable credit card purchases and, of course, when we have smart card capability, purchases online with credit cards will be possible. As for contacting other transit agencies, we frequently contact other agencies nationwide with regard to their service offerings as we learn of new technologies in the industry. Trust me, RT is eager to provide as much new technology as we can afford to our customers.

Citrus Heights, CA:  I ride the 21 and the 93 line on a daily basis. My total ride time on both routes combined is 15 minutes yet on some occasions my commute takes almost an hour. The problem is connecting from the 93 to the 21 at Louis and Orlando the time between buses is 1 minute (60 seconds). I actually make my transfer at Auburn Blvd and Auburn Oaks because of this. Even transferring at that location it is a duck shoot if I'll actually make the connection. I am asking if RT can look into making the connecting time between those routes a little bit more reasonable.

Reply:  Starting on Monday, the Route 21 bus currently leaving Louis & Orlando at 8:24 p.m. will leave 4 minutes later at 8:28 p.m., and so forth for the trips currently leaving at 8:54, 9:24, and 9:54 p.m. This change was actually a consequence of schedule adjustments we made at the other end of Route 21 at the Mather Field/Mills light rail station; however, this may help if you're trying to go from Route 93 to Route 21 in the evening. I will pass your suggestions on to our Scheduling Department for review. If you have specific times when you have difficulty making this connection, that helps our investigation, both in terms of the schedule and in terms of reminding our operators to try to accommodate transfers. Please send any additional details you have to our Customer Advocacy Department at: http://iportal.sacrt.com/webapps/csfeedback/default.asp

Elk Grove, CA:  A couple months ago I had suggested service improvements and high frequencies on the 5-MACK/ELSIE route; you had stated that the 5 was in the plans for service improvements. I had thought about it and a couple more thoughts came to mind. The neighborhood between Elsie Road and Calvine Road from Power Inn to Cottonwood/Stevenson has no service what so ever. To catch the 5, 54 or the 154 is over a 1.5 mile walk. One suggestion I do have to make a TNR route that follows the 5, then the 56 down Mack/Elsie, and makes a right down Sunrise Greens, right on Summer Sky, left on to Bloomington, right on Golden Meadows left on to Stevenson, a right down Spengler, left on to Auberry Drive, right on to Calvine Road to CRC. This service would provide an overlap to the 5 and 56, increasing frequency to 30 mins, if timed properly and give the Sunrise Wildwood neighborhood access to Light Rail, ETran and CRC. Making it a TNR route would allow for the use of a small cutaway vehicles without a massive cost of increasing service. I hope you take this suggestion to heart.

Reply:  Thank you for the suggestion. Our first priority right now, in terms of bus service improvements, is to restore some of the routes and hours that were eliminated in 2010 due to reductions in our state funding. Our 2012 TransitRenewal plan established a priority list through 2017; however, we are constantly reviewing suggestions and new ideas to determine if the TransitRenewal recommendations should be revised or amended.

CA:  Will there be an iPhone/iPad app with schedule times and routes?

Reply:  RT has a web application in testing now at m.sacrt.com for use on Android and iPhone devices. After visiting the site, you can then add the link to your phone's homescreen for easy app-like access. It includes real-time bus information and all RT bus and light rail schedues. The application has a number of nice features but is still being finalized. If you decide to give it a try, let us know what you think. By the end of the month it will include service alerts/disruption details.

Sarcamento, CA:  Is there a reason monthly pass can not go on sale earlier? With only limited places selling them it isn't always easy to get one before the month starts.

Reply:  The primary reason passes are not sold earlier is to limit the ability of counterfeiters. Most of the problems and issues you experience will be solved by the upcoming smart card implementation. In October we will begin testing the new smart card system which allows customers to purchase on line, at kiosks and at retail establishments. Customers can set the card to auto load, much like with a Starbucks card.

Sacramento, CA:  Next month is the last month for the Spring semester for Los Rios. Is RT hiring for the summer?

Reply:  Please keep checking the RT website for job openings. We are unable to accept applications unless they are in response to a published opening. Good luck.

Comments from Mike Wiley: 

The next session of Transit Talk with the General Manager will be held on Friday, May 3, 2013. Before we go I wanted to talk a little more about the Blue line to Cosumnes River College and the recent State of RT Breakfast and TransitAction Awards.

The Blue Line CRC took an important step in its development on March 25 when the RT Board of Directors delegated authority to the General Manager/CEO to award the contract for construction of civil, track, structures, stations and systems to Balfour Beatty Rail Inc., Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. and Teichert Joint Venture.

The bid sufficiently meets all RT requirements and came in at approximately 8 percent below RT estimates for the project.

The work to be performed includes construction of track, at-grade crossings, drainage facilities, sound walls, retaining walls, roadway construction, traffic signaling, overhead contact system, traction power, substations, instruments houses, signaling systems, park-and-ride lots and light rail stations.

When the agreement is finalized, RT will issue a Notice to Proceed to the contractor and construction of the line can officially begin. The Blue Line to CRC is estimated to be complete by September 2015. The extension will provide residents of Elk Grove and south Sacramento a viable transportation option to connect to the economic center of Sacramento while helping to significantly reduce automobile emissions.

Before the chat begins, I would like to congratulate the 2013 TransitAction Awards recipients, who were honored at the 2013 State of RT Breakfast on March 21:

• Business of the Year: McClellan Park
• Organization/Agency of the Year: Capitol Area Development Authority
• Transit Oriented Development of the Year: 7th & H Street Apartments
• Elected Official of the Year: Councilmember Bonnie Pannell, City of Sacramento
• Individual/Transit Advocate of the Year: Barbara Stanton

More than 460 transit supporters were on hand to witness the awards presentations and hear about RT's accomplishments over the past year, including our goals moving forward.

It was humbling to see so many people in one room who understand that transit is a vital part of a growing economy.

Thank you to all RT and Sacramento Metro Chamber staff who helped make this year's event a success. The efforts of everyone will ensure its continued growth.

Thank you for your questions today and have a nice weekend.