SacRT Forward. Virtual Community Workshop Summary May 2018

Transcription

1 SacRT Forward Virtual Community Workshop Summary May 2018

2 Summary of Feedback May 2018 Virtual Community Workshop Summary of Feedback Introduction The Sacramento region has changed significantly since the Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) transit network was first established 30 years ago. Traditionally, transit services were focused on transporting people to and from downtown for employment, but more recently cities are redesigning transit services to better reflect the regions they serve today. Land use, travel patterns, economic centers and transportation technology in the Sacramento region have transformed, and so should the public transportation system. SacRT Forward will rethink the purpose and design of Sacramento Regional Transit s entire transit network by exploring wholesale changes to the network, including a blank slate look at how to position transit competitively long-term in the Sacramento region. Based upon technical analysis, best practices in the planning industry, and stakeholder and community input, the project development team will develop alternative transit networks, nearterm recommendations, and plan for expansion dependent upon increased local funding. SacRT Network Goals Understand changes in local and regional travel demand patterns Identify opportunities and challenges offered by new mobility options Develop service planning principle to guide SacRT services in the future Public Involvement Approach The objective of the SacRT Forward public involvement effort is to develop an understanding of the current and future transit riders perspectives on existing conditions and service and future needs and discuss potential options for developing a future transit network that addresses the issues, needs, and concerns of everyday riders. The SacRT Forward project team is collaborating with key stakeholder groups and the community-at-large at key milestones throughout the project. The public involvement program includes multiple opportunities including Stakeholder Representative Group (SRG) meetings, pop-up and virtual workshops, and a community open house to engage affordable housing and transit-oriented developers, business interests, community activity centers and destinations, community-based organizations, health and social service providers, local and regional planning agencies and transportation providers, major employers, SacRT s passengers and transit-dependents, schools, and transportation management agencies. As part of the process, the project team launched a virtual community workshop to engage community members throughout the SacRT service area in an early discussion about key choices they are willing to make and priorities they have for public transit. The results from the virtual community workshop will be used to inform the project team as they begin developing draft transit network alternatives for the Sacramento region. Page 1 of 10

3 Summary of Feedback May 2018 Methodology The virtual community workshop served as a forum for community members in the Sacramento region to learn about public transit as a whole and some of its key elements, as well as contribute their input on transit tradeoffs and priorities for the region. The project team implemented a three-week virtual community workshop to engage with community members both in and outside of the project area. The workshop included three short informational videos, each with closed captions, to explain important transit planning concepts. Community members were asked a series of questions related to transit needs, preferences and trade-offs. The feedback included in this summary report comes from 9 multiple choice, prioritization, and open-ended questions. The project team received 855 submissions from Tuesday, April 24 through Tuesday, May 15, The virtual community workshop focused on the following topics: transfers and connections, route frequency, walking versus waiting, rush hour service, land use, and funding priorities. It began with an introduction video, which explained how to evaluate what the best transit for everyone could mean for an individual. Part one focused on transfers and connections. Part two focused on transit frequency, or the elapsed time between consecutive buses on a route. This section offered a short informational video to explain the difference between high frequency and low frequency, and what frequency means for someone who is dependent upon transit as their primary mode of transportation. Part three asked participants for their preference on an important tradeoff: walking versus waiting. Participants were asked to share their preference, on a sliding scale, about whether they would rather walk farther to have a shorter wait for a bus, or walk a shorter distance but have a longer wait for a bus. An informational video about this specific tradeoff included an overview of the potential responses. Part four asked participants to prioritize and discuss which types of transit service they think SacRT should focus on: weekday rush-hour service, weekday all-day and night service, or more weekend service. Part five focused on land use as it relates to transit in the Sacramento region. Participants were asked about whether they investigated nearby transit options before deciding where they would live, work, and/or attend school. Part six focused on potential improvements to SacRT s service, which would only be implemented dependent upon future additional funding. Participants were asked to choose their top three priorities from a list of potential improvements including more service on Saturdays, Sundays, and weekend nights, higher frequency service, and expanded service. Page 2 of 10

4 Summary of Feedback May 2018 Virtual Community Workshop Feedback Results Transfers and Connections 1. How strongly do you agree or disagree with this statement: I would be willing to transfer to another route if it would help me reach my destination sooner. 2. There are many factors to consider when deciding if you are willing to transfer between routes. Which of the following would you take into consideration? (Select all that apply). 5% of the responses given for Question 2 were Other. The full list of other responses submitted for this question is available in this document s appendix. 3. How many more minutes are you willing to spend traveling to avoid making a transfer? Page 3 of 10

5 Summary of Feedback May 2018 Page 4 of 10

6 Summary of Feedback May Imagine you could reach the same destination in two different ways. Assuming there is no extra cost for the transfer, which of these ways would you prefer? Page 5 of 10

7 Summary of Feedback May Would you rather walk farther, but have a short wait for your bus OR walk a short distance, but wait longer for your bus? 6. How much should SacRT focus on weekday rush-hour service, as opposed to all-day and all-week service? Page 6 of 10

8 Summary of Feedback May 2018 The below graph represents all the responses submitted in a weighted format. Participants were asked to rank four different route services, from first priority to fourth priority. For the purposes of this summary report, the project team ranked each potential route service using a weighted point system: 4 points for each 1 st priority, 3 points for each 2 nd priority, 2 points for each 3 rd priority, and 1 point for each 4 th priority. The graph below shows the total number of points each potential route service received, ranked from the most prioritized to the least. 7. Before choosing the place you currently live in; did you investigate nearby transit options? Question 7 asked participants to explain why they answered yes or no. The full list of other responses submitted for this question is available in this document s appendix. 8. Before choosing the place you currently work or go to school, did you investigate nearby transit options? Page 7 of 10

9 Summary of Feedback May 2018 Question 7 asked participants to explain why they answered yes or no. The full list of other responses submitted for this question is available in this document s appendix. 9. If you discovered some new funding for SacRT service, what would you spend it on first? Below depicts the top priorities chosen by community members: 8% of the responses given for Question 9 were Other. The full list of other responses submitted for this question is available in this document s Appendix. Page 8 of 10

10 Summary of Feedback May 2018 Notification To promote the virtual community workshop, notifications were sent to more than 8,000 interested community members and SacRT transit riders. The project team reached out to diverse key stakeholder groups throughout the SacRT service area (including Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Natomas, Rancho Cordova, and Sacramento) to further promote the virtual community workshop with their individual organizations at meetings and through newsletters, social media (Facebook, NextDoor, Twitter, Instagram), and website updates. The virtual community workshop was shared and promoted by the following business interests, community-based organizations, jurisdictions, neighborhood associations, residential developments, and schools: ALOHA Transactions Hewlett Packard American River College La Loma Apartments Arcade Creek Neighborhood Association Land Park Community Association (LPCA) Asian Resources Lincoln Village & Countryside Neighborhood Bicycle Advocates of Rancho Cordova (BARC) Group Boys and Girls Club Mack Road Partnership Breathe California - Sacramento Region Martin Luther King Jr. Library Branch Brentwood South Neighborhood Association Meadowview Neighborhood Association Briarwood Mobile Home Park Mercy San Juan Surgery Center Cabrillo Parks Neighborhood Association Midtown Association Capitol Corridor Natomas Buzz Capital Region Organizing Project (CROP) Natomas Chamber of Commerce Centennial Estates Natomas Park Elementary PTA Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce Natomas Shopper City of Citrus Heights Neil Orchard Senior Activities Center City of Elk Grove North Franklin Business Improvement City of Folsom District City of Rancho Cordova North Highlands Online City of Rancho Cordova Parks & Rec North Natomas TMA City of Sacramento Northwest Neighborhood Association Downtown Sacramento Partnership Oak Park Neighborhood Association Elk Grove Unified School District Orangevale Chamber of Commerce Environmental Council of Sacramento Park Oaks Neighborhood Association (ECOS) Pocket-Greenhaven Community Association First 5 Sacramento Power Inn Alliance Florin Road Partnership Progressive Church of God Folsom Chamber of Commerce Rancho Cordova Library Folsom Cordova Community Partnership Richmond Grove Neighborhood Association Gold Ridge Apartments Ride Downtown 916 Grace Church of Sacramento Roseville Kaiser Hospital and Medical Office Page 9 of 10

11 Summary of Feedback May 2018 Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA) Sacramento Area Black Caucus Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce Sacramento City Unified School District Sacramento County Adult and Aging Commission Sacramento County Disability Advisory Commission Sacramento Employment and Training Agency Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Sacramento Railyards Sacramento Republic FC Sacramento State University Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed to Pork (STOP) Sacramento Transit Advocates and Riders (STAR) Sacramento Transit Riders Union (SacTRU) Sacramento Works One Stop Career Center Safe Kids Greater Sacramento Sam and Bonnie Pannell Community Center SIATech School Soil Born Farms South Land Park Neighborhood Association South Natomas TMA Southside Park Neighborhood Association SpareTheAir Scooter Stockton Boulevard Partnership Sunrise Mall Sunrise MarketPlace Business Improvement District Sunrise Ranch Neighborhood Association Sycamore Square Sylvan Old Auburn Road Neighborhood Association, Inc. Upper Land Park Neighborhood Association WALK Sacramento The project team also placed informational brochures with information about the SacRT Forward Network Plan and a link to the virtual community workshop on SacRT buses and light rail cars. Overall, more than 8,000 community members visited the project website ( to learn about the project and the virtual community workshop. A total of 855 community members participated in the virtual community workshop. Page 10 of 10

12 Appendix

13 Question 2 There are many factors to consider when deciding if you are willing to transfer between routes. Which of the following would you take into consideration? (Select all that apply). 5% of the responses given for Question 2 were Other. Below is a list of the other factors participants consider when deciding if they are willing to transfer between routes, organized by topic. Transfer Stop Environment I want to avoid a noisy and sunny environment. There must be a cool place to wait. Being in the sun. Hot metal benches while waiting. There needs to be shade in the summertime. I like an air conditioned space during the summer and a heated space during the winter while I wait for the next bus or light rail. I don't like waiting in the sun. I want to be inside while waiting. When it is hot and dusty outside, it makes me sweat. Air conditioning and heat. A comfortable place to sit while waiting, so I do not burn in the sun. I do not want to climb stairs. If there is somewhere nearby or at a stop that I can buy a snack. Snacks available during a transfer. Service Will this bus make it to the transfer point in time for me to transfer? Unreliable service. If the first bus is late, you can miss the connection. I try to always leave early to allow for a missed connection, which means I waste a lot of time standing around in the cold or the heat. Knowing that I will not be passed by because I am in a wheelchair. If the service is unreliable (e.g. off hours"). If my first bus or train is running late and I miss the connection. Certainty, consistency, and timeliness of service. I want service to be fast, dependable, consistent, and problem-free. There is very little service on the weekends. I do not want to wait an hour for a bus. If it is an express bus or light rail. Connections with light rail; particularly the Gold Line during the workweek. Ease/Convenience Transfers for short rides seem particularly unpleasant, also when carrying a lot of stuff, walking to another bus is not ideal. If the transfer could happen at the same stop that would be better.

14 Transferring routes with a child and a stroller is a lot of work, especially on the light rail. The steps are steep and it takes off so quickly. Inconvenience of transferring. If I'm carrying something, I may reconsider transferring routes. Time Total transit time How much time I save by transferring routes. Too long or too short of a layover time. Time spent in between connections. Bicycle Moving my bike to another bus or train. Moving my bike from one bus or train to another Ability to bring a bicycle. Wayfinding Unclear wayfinding to find that transfer. If there is signage at the bus stop, so I make sure I get on the right transfer. Ridership If it is crowded. Whether the next transfer is overcrowded such as the 93 bus in the morning or crowded Light Rail. Walking Distance Distance to walk between transfer spots. Walking distance if transfer is not at same location. Other I am not a regular transit user, so I cannot comment on this. Lack of public hearing, studies, and proposals for said unknown changes. Actual regional transportation encompasses the entire Sacramento metropolitan region. I prefer light rail to buses.

15 Question 6 How much should SacRT focus on weekday rush-hour service, as opposed to all-day and all-week service? Question 6 asked participants to share their additional comments related to how SacRT should focus its transit services. Below is a list of all the additional comments received, organized by topic. Night service With the new arena in town and busy weekend and summer nightlife, RT should run later and more frequently at night. On the weekends and sometimes during rush hour, the bus service's punctuality is frustratingly unpredictable, especially on Saturdays. More nighttime service is needed. I don t use night service. The light rail cars, and buses to some extent, are often nearly empty at night. I do not want all night service, but I do need to go to and from Folsom after 7pm. I got caught one time after the light rail stopped running and it was very expensive by Uber to get home. I also think the 15 bus takes too long to connect from downtown to Watt/I80 and vice versa. Most buses are empty when I see them driving around Sacramento. They clog up traffic for no reason. Less buses, more focus on peak times. I don't understand why you run empty or nearly empty buses all over the city. Seems like a huge waste of money and bad for the environment. I do not want all night service because homeless will stay on the trains to keep warm. I am retired and would take the bus more often but walking 5 blocks is a bit much, especially in windy and wet weather. Also, walking 5 blocks to a transit stop poses a problem when it is dark. Run at least some service very late at night, even if it is not frequent. Don't leave people stranded at their destinations after traditional business hours or on the weekends. Give people a way home if they choose to go to dinner or a show after work, or want to use transit on the weekends. More service until later hours on the weekdays. Not everybody ends at 5pm. Bus service I ve had appointments and had to wait up 30 minutes or more in the weather, then sometimes finding out that the bus doesn't pick up at that stop. Please keep the good drivers happy. Makes the trip unpleasant if they are grumpy. All transit needs to be clean, safe, and reasonably priced so those paying full fare are not carrying the burden of the cost or it will never pay for itself because paying riders won't use it. Seems like more consistent all-day service, coupled with an efficient transfer system, would contribute to better utilization by workday commuters. Weekend service is also very critical for families. I think a lot of people would take the bus to Golden 1 events if 1) it was available and 2) it felt safe. Downtown has become a very desirable destination for weekend entertainment, but the bus service doesn't correspond to that reality. On the other hand, people having fun and partying could lead to security issues that perhaps RT does not wish to encounter. I often wish I could take a bus downtown

16 instead of Uber or Lyft, at least for the ride there. I would be willing to Lyft/Uber home if it became too late. Rush hour service More places for the overflowed crowd when rush hour hits. I think rush hour service is important, and should be give significant priority, but regular service on weekdays and weekend is important too. So, maybe it's an issue of trying to provide more during rush hours, but not ignoring the need for regular service at other times. Rush hour service is needed. I would like to see more service to and from Folsom on weekends to get to events in downtown Sacramento. Increased security would be good. Also a clean environment on the trains is needed. Bus service for transfers has not been good. I have a friend who depends on light rail to get her downtown for doctor. Besides being a convenience (in rush hour and to save on parking fees downtown), and a way to reduce carbon emissions, RT also is a Service to all citizens, especially low-income who cannot afford a car. RT needs to meet the needs of all citizens. Provide more express routes that would cost more in bus fare such as Yolobus as an example. Definitely provide weekday rush-hour service. I do believe rush-hour service is the most important. It's not just commuters, but children, too, who are moving around at the same time as commuters. Traffic on the highways and main arteries is worst during this time, rather than mid-day and weekends. I would consider weekday rush hour service as a luxury and more to augment regular service or offset capacity constraints. Unless there are committed traffic lanes, it doesn't make much of a difference during the week as congestion is creating a grid lock scenario county-wide during rush-hour. There would have to be verifiable incentives for travelers to stop using their other modes of transport (primarily vehicles.) All day and night service sounds desirable, but I understand that capacity and overhead make this costprohibitive. And more weekend services would be nice, but unless they are express routes to specific destinations, I would not be inclined to use RT more during off-peak hours. Rush hour service is great, but I'm not sure that that is the majority of the trips that people take. From the RT perspective, the rush hour trip is the most profitable as the state pays its workers transit costs - getting more to ride means more revenue. Work schedules, especially for lower-income jobs whose workers are more likely to depend on public transit, are increasingly out of the traditional 8-5, Monday Friday work week. Hours are more irregular. I think this is becoming increasingly true for higher paid workers as well, but those workers have more options. We need to get more solo drivers out of their cars and work day commute. If rush hour service increases will do that then make it top priority. The other services are needed too for increased mobility and reduced driving. Get people to "Pool" to travel whenever walking or biking isn't an option. Providing weekday rush-hour service paves the way of easiness for people.

17 Weekday rush hour service needs to be improved! There should not be short trains before 9 am. And, there should be no short trains between 4-6 pm. This is especially critical 3/4 of the year when school/colleges are in session. I'm a native New Yorker used to almost round the clock service. Rush hour service is important but many people do shift work or work from home and hours are variable. To not provide service during the day is to force many of those people into vehicles. That the SacRT system seems specifically designed to only be useful to 9-to-5ers is noticeable, and actually a frequent subject of discussion among those of us (a full third, last I checked the statistics) who work the apparently-less-valued shifts earlier, later, or on what the white collars consider the weekend. Definitely better weekend service and more service than once an hour. I see many people walking to the bus stop in the morning. I think it would be helpful to provide weekday rush-hour service, so people can get to their jobs. It would be great to have a commuter train that had the same time frames every day to the downtown area. While I think focusing on rush hour service will provide more incentive for skeptical users who could see the benefit of commuting via transit for work, I think cities need near 24/7 transit service to really incentivize mode shift. If folks only have the option to take transit during peak times, they likely won't replace a family vehicle or take family trips on transit. If there is reliable week-long, all-day service, people are more likely to be able to make a lifestyle switch towards more transit use. I work shifts, not 9 to 5. The service should be dependable on a routine schedule we can plan around. Cutbacks on service will result with finding another means of transit and we will not consider RT again due to the unexpected, unpredictable hardship cutbacks create. Simply put, don't disrespect your customers. To increase ridership, be visible, day and night. And be predictable. Where is the transit at night? There are too many "brands" out there (Cal Train, Capitol Corridor, etc.). Heavy commuter rail between cities need to fall under one brand. It's much easier to plan when you can connect the dots on transfers. An example would be Metro. Heavy rail, light rail, trailer buses, rapid, local and neighborhood. Stay RT keep the brands just create a network. Call it Metro if you wish. Other cities do. I agree with these priorities as ordered. I assume most riders are commuting. Commuting has the stricter time constraints. Rush Hour service is the most expensive to provide, since it requires additional equipment and operators. However, rush hour service is most likely to attract riders who have other options. For those who are dependent on transit for the trip to and from work, it must be remembered that many do not work the usual 8 to 5 schedule. If service is only providing during rush hours, these people will not be served. In my experience, the places where transit is most effective and most used (i.e. San Francisco, New York, Portland OR) are those places that provide a good level of all-day service 7 days/week in addition to the usual rush-hour service. The most important priority should be to provide regular service that people can rely on, day in and day out, to get them where they need to go along heavily-traveled corridors (whether or not they have a car

18 or other options at their disposal). However, congestion relief (or peak hour capacity) should also be considered. For those communing during rush hour service this is very important as buses and trains fill up during this time and the commute is uncomfortable. I am unable to use public transportation due to my job, so for me weekend service is the most important. My issue with weekend services is that the wait times are too long, and the in terms of the bus, it is far too unreliable. RT's definition of rush hour is very odd. It ends at 8am and 5pm, which is when most everyone I know commutes (i.e. rush hour is the 8am hour and 5pm hour, not earlier). Spotty service during actual commute times discourages car commuters from using the service. Prioritize weekday rush-hour service, but also prioritize service at key locations when it is apparent there will be a high demand (i.e. Kings games, concerts at the arena, Friday and Saturday night service to downtown, etc.) Rush-hour service. Used to have Express route from Antelope to Watt / I-80. It was amazingly swift and I used it all the time! Then, you got rid of it and charged me to park at Light Rail. Weekday rush hour service will probably get RT the biggest bang for the buck and is likely the best way to increase income from fares. That said, I'm very concerned about people who don't have cars and depend on RT. They need to be able to get places evenings and weekends and they need RT in order to be able to do that. Light rail I used to take the light rail all the time when I lived in Portland, Oregon. The trains came every 5 to 10 minutes. When I moved to Sacramento, I tried to take a train downtown. I had just missed a train and saw I had to wait 30 minutes for the next one. I drove instead. I rarely take light rail now in Sacramento as a result of the waiting time between trains and buses. I also believe Sacramento is the only city with an international airport that doesn't provide light rail service to the airport. To truly be a sustainable city, we must improve on public transit. Not sure if this will be a question, but I would like to add that we (RT passengers) have been told for many months now about RT adding more light rail cars during rush hour service. When is that going to happen?! The Gold Line cut down to 2 cars about a week ago and there were plenty of passengers to fill at least 4 cars. I continue to ride on trains that are standing-room only due to the lack of enough cars. The light rail should also come every 15-minutes a little later on weekdays (like till 7:30 or 8 on the blue line instead of 6:30). Light rail frequency should be on 10-minute headway during commute times. I used to rely on transit to get everywhere but now I drive. I'm not confident that the extra number of passengers added by extra rush-hour service will counteract the added traffic burden of more buses and more light rail. I think all-day and night service, as well as better weekend service, would be more efficient. Rush hour service should be prioritized for light rail. Need weekday rush service and also prime time weekend service and each route is different.

19 Weekday rush-hour service is most important, but there is also value in providing service all day and through the weekend. For some riders night service would be very important. We moved to North Natomas in very excited about the light rail planned to our area. Now, 15 years later, we're still excited about light rail to our area, but where is it? You were surprised with the amount of travelers coming from Folsom - I think you would be surprised how well the Airport branch of light rail would be. Please - 15 years is too long to wait. Light rail is blocking Folsom. Everyone hates it. Light rail during rush hour is absolute chaos. I will often struggle to find someplace to stand, never mind finding a seat. I live in Folsom so don't use the existing Sac Regional Transit bus service. However, I do use light rail and would love to see bus service from downtown light rail to and from the airport. I understand that the Yolo Bus provides some service to the airport but I think a lot of people would benefit on having a more frequent route to and from downtown Sacramento, maybe with a few different stops downtown. I use SacRT exclusively from the light rail between Folsom and Sacramento. For the light rail stopping at Sunrise some of the time, especially in off hours, is a big factor that prevents me from using it more. The Folsom Stage Line is once per hour and has a weird route that makes it very difficult to use to get anywhere effectively. I still use it occasionally but walking is often faster, and biking is pretty much always faster. Not only provide weekday rush-hour service but have enough light rail train cars. Comfort for the passengers is also important. Not just crammed in and forced to stand instead of sit. Weekday Service More and varied routes during the day are needed. Service that gets people downtown at 7:00am on weekdays and leaves downtown at 4:30pm on weekdays should be the highest priority. Evening routes on weekdays would be distant second. All day week-day gives the best for our buck. Weekends are next. Commuters can handle themselves. Weekday should be the priority. I would like the SRT to consider that there are many people who drive from Folsom to Cal State Sac and St. Francis and consider a bus going M to F from Folsom to those locations. Also, think there should be some easy to use transport to Raley field on game days. Weekend service Provide more weekend service. I currently have no weekend service. I am a paratransit customer, but that can get very costly when a person is retired. The system basically cannot be used on the weekend because of the longer wait times. It is very disappointing. Light rails should come every 15 minutes on the blue line on the weekends consistent with the hours operated on weekdays. Younger Sacramento residents want to live downtown and use the system on the weekend. The trains can be shorter as long as they come more often. Hours for buses on the weekend should also be more frequent (or no one will ever use them as an alternative to cars). If there's a bus on Monday there should be a bus on Sunday.

20 The sparsity of weekend service has been a frustration, but, a greater frustration, by far, has been the lack of service early in the morning and later in the evening. For example, I often need to get from Binghamton Drive and San Juan Road to University and 65th by 6 a.m. As it stands, there is no RT configuration that makes this possible. While downtown remains a dead zone in the evenings and weekends, the focus should really just be on weekday rush-hour. If/when the downtown area gains more residential living and nightlife, then other services should be reconsidered. Would it be possible to provide night weekend service? It's crazy that the buses stop operating pretty much at 9 pm. I'm lucky to live close to a stop with 15-minute peak-hour headways during the day and 30-minute in the evenings, which is able to get me to/from work even thought I often arrive/leave at different times. I think there should be a focus on providing longer service hours on weekdays and more frequent service on weekends for folks who are transit dependent, as well as for people like me, who are able to afford living close to work downtown and forgo personal vehicle ownership. I'm fine with the current amount of rush-hour and weekday and night and weekend service. We clearly need more routes more buses and a campaign that promotes the additional service to the public so they begin to use it more. Promote buses to downtown where parking is awful - take the bus - easy - often and doable. I think good service throughout the day, at night, and on weekends will make RT more useful for more types of trips, so people can really get rid of their cars. Some users need only weekday service particularly for those living in Folsom. But those of us without cars really suffer on Weekends because we can't get around efficiently. I mostly concerned about commute time service. This wouldn't allow me to click- I think having weekend service is essential, and weekday service should be more frequent and more extensive, in terms of routes and areas reached. If possible, more frequent weekend routes would be beneficial. We need more weekend service. We need more weekend services I do most of my shopping on Weekends. I can't get to the Costco on E. Stockton Blvd any day of the week, even though it is only 2 miles from my house. There is a grocery outlet and a Wendy's there. I go every there week taking a cab. I shouldn't have to. Every single Wal-Mart has a bus stop. This is discrimination against Costco members. We need more all-week service. By provide more weekend service I mean provide late night service. To encourage people to use public transit for weekend night life, you shouldn't be potentially stranded because you missed the 10 pm light rail. It should run until after at least most restaurants close. I know this doesn't affect those that are you're probably focusing on which is commuters, but Sacramento's restaurant scene is growing. So maybe a few pilot weekends to see how much extra revenue is brought in compared to the cost to run the trains later would be beneficial.

21 My home and the homes where I house-sit are all in the suburbs on routes that stop running in the early evening. I m lucky enough to be able to afford rideshare to get home whenever I need to make a stop after work, but many of my neighbors don t have that option. And there is no Sunday service at all in my area so rideshare is the only option aside from a bicycle. Sunday Service on bus 84. Straighten out Bus 82 so it spends more time on Watt Ave instead of going on Morse and Edison and Engle Ave. It takes too long!!! and goes too slow to get to 65th street Light Rail. Make 15 bus Westbound stay on Freeway until Marysville Boulevard / Raley s Boulevard lvd/ Raley's Blvd. Exit. Then go down Marysville Blvd. When downtown reroute to avoid freeway 5/99 and take Jibboom street with bus stops in front of hotels. In Eastbound direction make 15 start near 16th light rail then North on 16th street to I street onto Freeway. (Move the starting and ending point 8 Blocks. Make the Blue line connect directly from 16th street station to 12th and I street stations with one new station near J and 16th St. and let the Green and Gold lines handle traffic to 7th and 8th street K street etc. at 16th street. Sacramento needs more weekend service. It s hard when buses run only every hour on weekend or there is no service provided by a particular route, for example, Route 24 and 25 (on Sundays). Buses should run more frequently and longer. Service shouldn't stop by 5:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. It s not easy to get to a destination if you miss one bus on the weekends and end up waiting another hour. Very inconvenient. Buses should run every 5 or 10 minutes at most. We are the capital city of California. Even Stockton or other cities in California have regional transit system buses that run every 5 or 10 minutes. Let s follow their example. The bus stops are also not spaced out very good either, they are spaced out either too far away or some very close with most containing no coverings from the heat or rain. This should be addressed too. Sac RT should bring back some routes they took away, for example routes 104 Madison Express bus, routes 9 and 10, The Carmichael Neighborhood ride bus. Create new routes in areas that need it, for example, a bus route that runs all the way down Garfield Avenue, Walnut Avenue, 9 and 10 routes. This route had excellent ridership, and a route that runs up Sunset Avenue in Citrus Heights and Fair Oaks. The area of Carmichael needs more service other than the 25 route. The 25 route should also run more frequently starting at Cypress in Carmichael and headed in the direction to Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights. You shouldn't have to pay for a transfer if you already paid. The bus fare is high enough and if you are traveling a short distance, 1 or 2 bus stops. The seats of the buses are often dirty too. There is much more to be improved with Sacramento's regional transit system. We definitely need more night and weekend service, too. Weekends are a great time for people to experiment with Mass Transit because they are not in a routine or on a deadline, presumably. If they become comfortable, perhaps they will change their attitude about their weekday commute. Personally, I've been disappointed by the lack of weekend and night service when I've had to work late, or when I'm trying to get home from a concert/sporting event downtown. Another reason I believe more focus needs to be more robust on weekends and nights is that I believe most state government workers, if they take mass transit, can work out a schedule with their supervisors so that they may start work at a time that synchronizes with their transit schedule. The dilemma of

22 getting to work 5 minutes late or 55 minutes early may not be a typical dilemma for the overwhelming majority of workers downtown who want to take mass transit. When service is readily available in the evenings and weekends, it makes the system seem more accessible and convenient, and a better option to replace driving a car as an individual's main mode of transportation without having to sacrifice too much freedom of mobility. More transit on Sunday evenings would allow people who work or go to dinner or entertainment that ends even as early as 8pm to be able to use transit to travel. For me, I would love a neighborhood loop that intersected a bus to downtown so that I could use that to commute on weekdays and stay on the loop for weekend errands. But I have the luxury of having a car AND transit. So for the community as a whole I see the value in more focus on 24/7 service. All day and late-night service is crucial. Peak hour is important but to get people out of their cars we need better all day weekday and weekend service. There is no service anywhere near where I live. The closest thing is the 25 bus but it operates weird because some do not go all the way to where I want to go then I must wait for another 25 but to get where I need to go. We need service on Madison Ave from Auburn Blvd. to Sunrise Blvd. I also need a bus that goes to White Rock Road and Sunrise to the Sunrise Mall but there is nothing there at all. It takes hours to go all the way to Mather field Light Rail station to catch the 28 or 21 bus. Routes I live on Dry Creek Road and E Street and there are two low income apartment complexes next to each other. One has houses families and the other houses elderly and disabled people. There is also an apartment complex on C Street close by. I believe if the bus here in my area ran more than once per hour, there would be more riders. Who wants to wait, standing up, for 40 minutes to 2 hours if they just missed the bus? Especially if they are elderly or a mom with children. I would like the bus route in each direction to run every 30 minutes instead of every hour. Then maybe decrease the time to 15 or 20 minutes. Or at least have an extra bus with a different route number come through in between times. Maybe I am wrong, but I think bus 15 used to come through this area also. I m on the Route 34 bus line which is hourly from 5am-6pm Monday through Friday. I would greatly appreciate if they would offer 30 minute or 15 minute intervals during week day rush-hour and then later night options till 9pm with hourly options. In the 1980s, eleven bus routes served American River College (ARC), now there are only two successful routes that together provide a quarter-million rides a year to our students at ARC alone. The service ARC provides the community spans numerous demographics--everyone needs an education to get ahead, so considering the role ARC plays in advancing people's lives and, as a result, improving the community as a whole, the number of bus routes that serve this institution and others like it should be increased. I would love it if SacRT would expand to north Sacramento. A huge community of people are not able to take advantage of the services SacRT offers.

23 The #62 route that I take has ok frequency of every 30 minutes on a major route (Freeport Blvd) into downtown. But no service on Sundays and holidays. Light rail really is not an alternate option because either station near my house are 20 minutes away by foot. All day and night service are essential. I live near the #25 bus going up Marconi. I don't like waiting an hour to ride two stops to the shopping center on Saturdays or not having bus service on Sundays to go to church or park on Sundays in the afternoon. I take Amtrak Capitol Corridor from Fremont to Sacramento, if I catch the earlier train I can sometimes catch the last Bus #2 at 625pm 7th and H. If train is slightly late then I have to make other arrangements. If I take a later train, I cannot take the bus 2 or 6 at all. I also don't like having to wait 45 minutes for the #23 bus to go to shopping areas in the daytime, especially during the warmer weather. I would like to have bus service in Del Paso Manor more frequently and frequent buses from the light rail back to Marconi Ave and Watt Avenue near my home. I'm very elderly, nondriver, and have to travel to do my shopping with my utility cart for groceries or downtown to see any parks to relax or go to museums or eateries. Buses are not frequent and there's not much to do in Del Paso Manor/Arden Arcade for seniors in the afternoons, and bus service is not frequent enough. The traffic crunch is during commute time - that is a key period where transit should take the lead. Weekday schedules could also be supported on a half hour or hourly basis without detracting from supporting the commute periods. As to all night service, that should be evaluated based on need of the service and what activities would be supported by such service. Weekend service is a total different animal - getting people to and from weekend events and activities - it needs to be flexible in service and frequency. Options regarding realignment of routes. Have Route 56 split between Cosumnes River College and Florin High School on weekdays and Route 54 extending to Power Inn Station. Provide transfers so that RT operates as a system rather than just individual routes. The ideal transit situation, which is not always feasible, is a system of high frequency routes that are located reasonably close to each other so that individuals don't need to look up a schedule to know when the next bus or light rail car is coming, because they know that the next transit ride is only a minute wait or less. I have lived in the Southside Park neighborhood 25 years, and occasionally ride the 38 or 51 buses. If RT is looking to economize, what if the two routes were combined, with small shuttles added to cover areas that would not be covered if 38 was discontinued, specifically a connector bus between Broadway and 8th street (or maybe run the 51 all the way west on Broadway to 5th instead of the current 8th Street) to the Seavey Circle neighborhood, where there are two schools, and another connector from Stockton Blvd. to 65h Street. Also, things get rowdy on the 51 bus often; providing more support to drivers who are dealing with difficult people would make the ride feel safer (although I am sure many other routes have the same issues).

24 I have to work on Saturdays, Bus 84 doesn't start till 9ish. 84 ends too early on Saturday forcing me to take 60+ stop zig-zag route on Route 19, then walk 1/2-mile home after an exhausting day. Don't get me started with HOT summer days. There are too many buses going to Pocket and Florin Town Centers and not enough buses frequencies serving Fruitridge road, 24th street and Stockton Blvd. I want the 61 bus to continue to go down to Southland Park Dr. to Florin road. Right now, it ends at South hills shopping center in a rich neighborhood and few people get on or off there. In other words, once it crosses Freeport Blvd., no one uses the bus. My mom needs to go to work every Saturday. So hopefully there will be more buses route for sac downtown to Elk Grove Laguna. Also, right now seems most of the e Tran bus time is designed for the state workers. In order to catch the bus to work, my mom needs to leave an hour early, so she actually arrives too early. So hopefully there will be more buses for other time in the morning not just the 6,7am early ones. Make the 54 bus go on East Stockton Boulevard; it currently takes Power Inn Road and there are no bus stops south of Elsie. Right now, we need one by Power Inn and Lenhart Road. Extend Light Rail to Madison Ave. Reroute Bus 82 so it goes to Madison Avenue and Auburn Boulevard and does not go past Kaiser hospital. I think we need more drop off only bus stops. They save time, particularly at colleges. SCC already has 2 shelters in front and it could be a drop off at one then a get on at the other one. There are many wheelchairs and people always try to rush on board before we can get out. Too many buses go to Rush River. Make the 62 loop at Freeport and Florin and U-Turn back to downtown. Make the 62 bus come up to Freeport and Florin also, so we can catch the 81, 62, and 56 at the same location. Please eliminate the Rush River depot because no one goes there. We need the depot located on Florin Road between Freeport Boulevard and S. Land Park Drive. That is where people are going. I would love to be able to catch the 6, 56, 62, and 81 bus. 81 goes there right now. Being unable to transfer except at Rush River wastes so much time. There is space for buses and also vacant land available that SacRT can use for a depot. We also need a bus stop for the 62 near the Broadway Light Rail and also a bus stop for the southbound 62 near 4th Avenue/ Wayne Hultgren station. There is only a stop in the Northbound direction. A direct route on Manzanita/Fair Oaks to Downtown or even Sac State would be GREAT! Traveling from the Carmichael area takes almost two hours with the current routes available. I know that the 29 is available on weekdays, but an option for people who don't want to rush home after work would be worth looking into. Frequency Smaller buses--more frequent arrivals (every 15 minutes) --used when less people use the route but still want to maintain frequency. 35 years and still no Light Rail to SMF--still haven't been able to figure out

25 how to transfer from Sac RT to Yolo bus to SMF--as there is no easy interchange, so I continue to use Super Shuttle. The key is knowing exactly when a bus is coming. Ideally buses run at least every 15 minutes, or as a backup every 30 minute. Too often RT has considered "rush hour" to be 7:30 am-9 am and 3:30-5:30 pm. Fine for students, homeless and state workers (who are all subsidized by RT or the state). Before I retired, I worked at Kaiser medical clinic 9 miles from my home in old Land Park. My normal commute on RT (light rail + bus) took 1 hr. 15 min in the morning and up to 2 hr. or more in the evening. My 5:30 pm end time got me to the 16th St transfer station just after RT went back to every 30 min service at 6:15-6:30 pm. Not everyone works downtown on a flexible schedule. I generally arrived at work 30 min early in case RT had delays or breakdowns or buses that didn't show up. I rarely got home before 7:15-7:30 pm. This inadequate service is ridiculous for the size of the metro area. BART, AC Transit, and systems in LA, San Diego, Portland, Seattle, Washington DC, Baltimore, and New York all do a far better job, and they have the same budget challenges as Sacramento. Frequency and quick transfer is the key. If people have to wait longer, they won't use it. It would irritate people when they wait for the bus and another wait for the transfer. 1/2-hour service can add one hour or more to the trip. Who would get out of their cars to do that? People are willing to sit in their own cars and congested traffic rather than taking public transit. It's just a simple fact of life. It so depends where you live. I live out in Carmichael on the rush hour only 29 route. I utilized the bus daily for 14 years. But when the 22 was cut back, I was now forced to either catch one of the two early morning buses or drive. But this is a car-centric area, with limited bus service. If I were downtown, I'd much more need all day and night service on a frequent basis. I am complaining about Bus 19. It doesn't run frequently enough. It is the only bus you guys give us. I want another bus route in addition to 30 minutes on Weekends. You guys have not served North Highlands at all. It takes forever to get to ARC. You have all the buses go to Sunrise transit center and only have 2 that go to ARC. Everyone here must have a car to get around. Please consider extend Green line along Truxel to end at San Juan. Please do not make a stop at El Camino because it is too close to downtown and slow the train. I have been told that I live within 1/2 mile of a transit route. When I challenge them, they show me a map that includes routes that travel down the freeway. Yes, I am within 1/2 mile of the freeway. Where specifically are the stops on Highway 50? I want the 15 Bus to be made faster. It has too many loops that it goes on when it hits Richards then goes down Sunbeam. We need to get to work and catch the train and it misses it almost every day because of the turnout. It passes the Globe Ave station so it doesn't need to stop at Arden station in addition. Let it continue on Del Paso Blvd. in both directions and it will help out all the people. In the alternative put a northbound bus stop near Del Paso north of Arden for those that want to transfer buses. I use the 51 bus often. It used to have 5 buses per hour during rush hour but was discontinued over objections of the riders in the hood. Now that the economy is good I want RT to RUN 6 buses an hour during rush hour. This will save a lot of time because it won't stop and start so often. The buses are also