Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "light-rail"

U.S. Transportation Secretary checks out intermodal facility

2012-02-10T01:44:17Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson toured the downtown railyards with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Thursday, showing off the site of the future intermodal facility and – if all goes well for Johnson and the Think Big Committee – the site of a new entertainment and sports complex.

LaHood stopped in Sacramento on a tour of California to discuss investments being made in job-creating infrastructure projects in Sacramento and around the country, according to a press release Tuesday.

LaHood spoke to a crowd of more than 50, discussing the importance of high-speed rail in California, as well as job potential from the future intermodal facility.

“This facility is what I believe is a national model for a transit-oriented development opportunity,” LaHood said. “(It will) not only create jobs for people in Sacramento, but create an opportunity to be a magnet – to draw people to a part of the city that many people never thought would be usable.”

Johnson said Thursday that the 245-acre downtown railyards will be home to “two crucial hubs” in one location: the intermodal facility and the entertainment and sports complex.

“We believe this will be one of the busiest intermodal hubs in the country,” Johnson said. “It gets at two things at once: transportation and economic development.”

The intermodal facility will be a transit center that will provide connections between nearly all modes of transportation: bicycle, pedestrian, bus, light rail, taxi and train, according to the city website.

Work on the first phase of the transit project began in May and is expected to be complete by the end of 2013.

The entertainment and sports complex is expected to generate more than $7 billion in economic activity over 30 years and nearly 4,000 jobs to the region, according to the Think Big Sacramento website.

“We believe the entertainment and sports complex is a game-changer for this community,” Johnson said.

“We’re talking about a project that will bring 3 million people to downtown. (We’re talking about) a project that will double the size of downtown and will bring $154 million in additional revenue to our region,” he added.

If a financing plan is worked out before the March 1 relocation deadline and the project comes to fruition, it will be a 700,000-square-foot complex in the southern section of the railyards.

Representatives from the Think Big Committee planned to unveil the newest artist renderings of the entertainment and sports complex at Thursday’s event, but the plan changed at the last minute.

“(The renderings) just weren’t as perfect as we’d wanted them to be,” said Kunal Merchant, Johnson’s chief of staff.

“Really, though, people aren’t as interested in what it will look like right now,” Merchant added, “they just want to know how we’re going to pay for it. That’s the priority.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Sacramento leaders learn from New Orleans tour

2011-10-12T00:52:54Z

A delegation of Sacramento business and political leaders returned from a four-day tour of New Orleans with fresh insight into what it takes for a city to recover and thrive after a disaster, including improving transportation methods, sustainable housing and flood protections.

“New Orleans had a unique opportunity to reinvent itself because of all the investments made there after Katrina,” City Councilman Kevin McCarty said Tuesday. “We need to look at how we can reinvent ourselves here, too.”

On Tuesday, Council Members Angelique Ashby, Steve Cohn and Kevin McCarty and Mayor Kevin Johnson shared the lessons learned from the people in New Orleans about methods of recovery the city has used to rebuild itself after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.

“(New Orleans) Mayor (Mitch) Landrieu is a vibrant, energetic mayor,” Johnson said, “and he is an excellent example of the focus it takes to turn things around after a disaster. We went (there) to learn from the work they have done in New Orleans.”

Johnson, Ashby, Cohn, McCarty and 85 other delegates joined Maggie Townsley, public policy vice chairwoman for the Sacramento Metro Chamber, for the chamber‘s 13th annual study mission in Louisiana last week.

The study mission is a program the Metro Chamber develops every year to provide a learning experience for delegates about the challenges faced by other regions and how they successfully manage those challenges for long-term regional prosperity, according to the chamber website.

“We represent about 170,000 employees in the Sacramento region,” Townsley said. “One of the key things we do is partner with government and nonprofit organizations to further specific objectives for the region.”

Some of the objectives highlighted on this year’s study mission include improving city transportation, public housing and flood control.

Delegates on the tour had the opportunity to meet with Landrieu and other civic leaders and came away with ideas for improving Sacramento and the region.

“It’s been six years since New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina,” Ashby said Tuesday, “but the devastation from that event was widespread, and you can still see it.”

Ashby said that one thing that struck her was that the flood waters during the hurricane reached nearly 20 feet in height.

“Should our levees break in Natomas,” Ashby said, “we could be as deep as 33 feet. We can’t let that happen.”

Ashby said it is necessary to improving flood protection for the region, including having the levees in her district certified by the federal government for improvement funding.

One thing McCarty said he found fascinating in New Orleans was how they are rebuilding their public housing.

“One in five kids lives in poverty,” McCarty said, “and many times those families are isolated in neighborhoods divided from economic development and grocery stores and other public investments that improve the neighborhood.”

McCarty said one thing that the city of New Orleans has done to “reinvent” the city’s public housing is taking down old units and rebuilding them as mixed-income units.

“They are making sure they have (an economic) blend to bring in development opportunities,” McCarty said. “That is something we are going to look at for some of our neighborhoods here in Sacramento.

McCarty said that neighborhood housing and development, especially for low-income populations, should be a priority for Sacramento.

Representatives from the Sacramento Metro Chamber are preparing a report about the study mission and said they expect it to be completed sometime next week.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Surveillance cameras help prevent crime on Regional Transit

2011-09-03T02:18:23Z

The new cameras that were installed at several Sacramento light rail stations in May have helped prevent crimes and improve passenger safety, according to Doug Voska, a Sergeant with the Sacramento Police Department.

“People want to feel safe when they ride transit,” said Voska, who has a contract position with RT. “If they don’t feel safe, they’re not gonna do it.”

Because the cameras were primarily funded by the federal Department of Homeland Security, their main focus must be on terrorism prevention. But according to Voska, this has many crossover benefits when it comes to crime prevention and passenger safety.

“Even without a uniformed police officer, somebody is keeping an eye on things,” he said. There are officers monitoring all the cameras at the stations, and Voska said he hopes that by the end of the year, there will be people monitoring the cameras on the trains and buses as well.

Voska said that the cameras have helped officers solve numerous types of crimes, from graffiti to robbery.

The videos are often used for prosecution purposes, and the police department even uses the cameras to locate suspects who have fled from a crime scene via bus or light rail. Still, he maintained that “crime is not that high on RT, so they are primarily used for crime prevention.”

But the amount of surveillance on RT is causing some outcry among personal privacy advocates. Cres Vellucci, a member of the board of the Sacramento Chapter of the ACLU, said he is concerned over what he sees as an Orwellian affront on privacy rights.

“Pervasive video surveillance does threaten privacy rights,” he said via email. “The U.S. has … been proud to proclaim that we are willing to give a little bit in security if need be to maintain our unique freedom ... Fear, however, can make us do some terrible things.”

According to Linda Lye, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California, everything from data retention to the cost and effectiveness of the cameras has ACLU members worried. “Why are we investing scarce public safety dollars on methods that invade our privacy but don’t make us any safer?” she asked.

“If the government is going to implement measures that do invade our privacy, we want to be sure that they’re actually making us safer, and the data hasn’t really shown that with respect to video surveillance cameras,” Lye said.

She cited studies done by the ACLU in 2007 and by UC Berkeley in 2008 to support her claim that cameras do not make a big enough impact on crime. “The hard research shows that these (methods) don’t make us safer,” she said. “The thing that we find frustrating is this false dichotomy that’s often posed between safety and privacy.”

“There are far more effective, and much less expensive crime prevention tools,” wrote Vellucci, who recommended alternatives such as better lighting, community policing, and job and youth programs to “reduce crime and also help the local economy.”

Despite the ACLU’s opposition, Voska said that he believes the public generally supports the cameras.

“I’ve heard people say that they like the camera surveillance because they do feel safer,” he said. “Since we can’t afford to have a police officer on every train, we try to keep an eye on what’s going on … as efficiently and as effectively as we can. RT is not in a position to violate anybody’s rights.”

Like all other technology, the cameras are in constant need of upkeep. “Everybody who has a camera system has to deal with malfunctions,” Voska said. This includes everything from technical problems to issues with shrubbery growing into the cameras’ fields of vision.

Vandalism has also had an effect, albeit a small one. One camera has been stolen, and several of the cameras have been lightly tagged with graffiti, Voska added.

But Voska insisted that the cameras are worth the trouble. “It’s an overwhelming desire on the part of the passengers to feel safe,” he said. “Sometimes we don’t have any (officers) there, so that’s when we keep an eye on it through cameras.”

Here are links to the studies cited by the ACLU:

UC Berkeley Study: CITRIS Report

ACLU Study: Under the Watchful Eye

Bridge over tracks to connect Curtis Park, Land Park

2011-06-14T00:53:50Z

Residents will get a chance to see the design of a planned pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the railroad between Curtis Park and Land Park Wednesday night.

The city’s project team will give a construction update at the Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community, 2791 24th St., at 6 p.m. ~~6:30 p.m~~ . Wednesday

The bridge is designed to give pedestrians and cyclists safe access over the railroad tracks from the light rail stop at Sacramento City College near the intersection of 24th Street and Sutterville Road.

“Currently, pedestrians and bicyclists must use Sutterville Road to travel between Curtis Park and the light rail station,” according to a Department of Transportation newsletter. “This multi-lane, high-speed roadway makes walking and bike riding a risky and inconvenient way to travel.”

Click here to see the city's map of the area.

According to the newsletter, the elevated track crossing will be 12 feet wide, with concrete railings and access shields to give riders and walkers enough space for safe two-way traffic.

Engineers will be able to begin the design phase in July, when the environmental phase is completed. A grant of $500,000 was received from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, and no funding is coming from the city’s general fund, which is currently $39 million in the hole as City Council attempts to balance spending and revenues.

Sacramento Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Tucker said the project is a candidate to receive Proposition 1B funds from SACOG.

“The city should succeed in getting the money to build it,” she said in an email Monday. “It’s really a ‘feel-good’ project that will get students and RT riders from Point A to Point B in the safest, most direct fashion.”

The design phase is expected to be completed in 2012.

Currently, the design includes using both ramps and staircases to access the elevated crossing. Ramps will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and stairs might have small ramps incorporated into them that would allow cyclists to push their bicycles up the stairs if they don’t want to use the longer ramps.

The approach ramps are 400 feet long on either side of the 300-foot span over the railroad tracks.

The project goes back to 2006, when a feasibility study was funded as the city looked to link the already pedestrian-oriented Curtis Park and Land Park neighborhoods and provide better access to public transit, according to Tucker.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

Light rail construction this weekend

2011-04-29T02:59:54Z

Construction on the light rail’s Gold Line will close numerous stations and streets over the weekend as it will be undergoing track renovations from 6 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Monday.

The Gold Line construction will close the Eighth and K streets, Seventh and I streets, County Center and the Sacramento Valley Stations as well as several streets.

Regional Transit spokeswoman Alane Masui said that from 6 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday, eastbound H Street between Sixth and Ninth streets, southbound Seventh Street between F and I streets, and northbound Eighth Street between I and G streets will be closed.

Masui also said that from 8 a.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Monday, eastbound H Street between Seventh and Ninth streets and northbound Eighth Street between I and G streets will be shut down due to construction.

"The closing of light rail stations and streets is due to low traffic on the weekends," Masui said.

The renovations are the first stage of an ongoing project to extend the Green Line toward the River District (Richards Boulevard).

For more information of street closures, click here.

Masui said that the construction is focused on "cut-overs," or the realigning of the Green and Gold line tracks.

According to Masui, shuttle buses will transport Gold Line passengers to and from Sacramento Valley Station, and will serve bus stops at Seventh and K as well as Eighth and K streets as alternatives to light rail.

Two more weekend closures will be held May 13-16 and June 3-6 for additional extensions of the Green Line according to Jo Noble, the senior community and government affairs officer for Sacramento Regional Transit.

The extensions for the Green Line will eventually reach the River District, while the final objective is the light rail extension to the Sacramento International Airport.

The completion date is scheduled for sometime in 2017.

The Green Line renovations and construction will add about a mile of track to the light rail at a cost of $44.4 million, according to Masui.

Also, two new stations will be built: one at Eighth and H streets and one at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard at Township 9.

For further information on the light rail construction, call (916) 930-1192. Residents can also sign up for construction alerts by emailing Jo Noble at noble@sacrt.com. A map of the light rail stations can also be found here.

Light rail signs to give real-time train info

2011-02-18T01:09:50Z

Sacramento light rail riders will soon have real-time information on train schedules and delays as a new electronic sign program is implemented.

In an effort to improve its communication with riders, Sacramento Regional Transit is installing 36 signs at 22 stations in the first phase of a project that will eventually see signs at all stations, said Alane Masui, Sacramento Regional Transit spokeswoman.

“They need the information so they can make the decision that best fits their needs,” she said.

Signs will inform riders about train delays and scheduling issues, Masui said, adding that the information is currently posted to the website, but transit officials wanted to make the information more readily available.

“They will be able to say things like, ‘Trains experiencing minor delays,’ ” she said. “If there is a service disruption, we can let our passengers know so they can plan accordingly.”

Riders interviewed Thursday at the Sacramento Valley station, which has one of the new signs, said they thought the new electronic signage is a good idea.

“You never know when a train’s coming or if you just missed one,” said Terrance Williams, who rides light rail every day. “It’s going to save time.”

Masui said passengers will be able to plan around train delays, opting to either wait out the delay or find alternate transportation such as buses or taxis if need be.

“This will definitely help,” said Bruce Smith as he waited for a train in the rain on Thursday. “I used to ride the trains a lot, and I always wanted the info. It’s going to be more like BART now.”

The signs are currently in test mode, and installation started in November, but they are scheduled to start working with real-time updates sometime this spring, Masui said.

“Very soon, we’ll be posting schedule information,” she said. “It’s currently published in the timetable. It will all be tied into our network, and passengers will know exactly where their train is.”

Each sign costs abut $12,000, and the first phase of the project is part of a grant from state Proposition 1B transit funds.

The second phase – to complete the signage – has yet to be funded, and Masui said that will come in 2012.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Development sought in North Sac

2011-02-11T05:41:09Z

The Sacramento Planning Commission gave the green light to plans to re-zone parts of North Sacramento to attract future development.

The commission made a recommendation, Thursday night, to the City Council to vote on plans that will allow for more commercial development near a Regional Transit line.

City staff formally refer to the plans as the Northeast Line Implementation Plan. Areas near a light rail line that has stations at Globe Avenue and Del Paso Blvd, and at Arden Way and Del Paso Blvd, are the focus of the proposals. The city’s plans also cite areas around Royal Oaks Drive and Arden Way.

The City Council is expected to vote on the plans next month. The commissioners approved the plans but did not comment on them.

In an interview earlier on Thursday, Greg Sandlund, an associate planner for the city, said, “We just see this area having tremendous potential.”

The areas around the light rail line are unique, Sandlund said. “It’s the only corridor outside of the Central City where you have light rail running along a commercial corridor,” he said.

***

In other light rail news, Regional Transit is making headway on work to bring a light rail extension from Meadowview Road to Cosumnes River College.

As part of its extension, the agency intends to purchase parts of the backyards of 47 homes, according to Diane Nakano, assistant general manager of engineering and construction for RT.

Nakano said the environmental process is expected to run until May.

View Northeast Line Implementation Plan in a larger map

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Light rail construction prompts street closures

2011-02-04T23:32:54Z

Road work will be taking place downtown on F, G, H, Seventh and Eighth streets this month, causing street and lane closures as well as limited parking and pedestrian access.

The roads are closed as part of the extension of the light rail Green Line, said Linda Tucker, spokeswoman for the city of Sacramento.

Click on the points in the map below to find out how your commute will be affected.

View Road work from Feb. 7 - 27 in a larger map

From Feb. 7 - 27, G street will be completely closed at night between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. between Seventh and Eighth streets. Additionally, Eighth Street will narrow to two lanes between H and G streets.

G street has already been narrowed to two lanes between Seventh and Eighth streets, and will remain narrowed until Feb. 27.

From Feb. 14 - 27, the intersection of Seventh and North B streets will be detoured at all hours.

According to Regional Transit, Seventh Street will be open to northbound traffic from F to North B streets and to southbound traffic from North B Street to Richards Boulevard.

North B Street east of Seventh street will be closed except to local access to driveways.

Detour map courtesy city of Sacramento/Regional Transit.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

La Valentina affordable housing project kicks off

2010-12-10T01:21:47Z

Developers are promising to bring new life to a blighted section of Alkali Flat following the groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for 81 units of affordable housing adjacent to the Alkali Flat/La Valentina light rail station.

The site on the corner of 12th and D streets has been vacant for more than 20 years and previously housed an auto repair shop.

The new construction will include 63 apartments and 18 townhouses, the latter being the first “Net Zero” site designed for Sacramento, meaning all energy consumed on the site will be produced there.

“We’re here to bring, I think, the most contemporary, most cutting-edge design that we could bring to one of the oldest residential neighborhoods of Sacramento,” said Meea Kang, a principal at Domus Development, the San Francisco-based company in charge of the project. “We’re very pleased to be able to do that."

Kang said the $27 million project is being financed by a combination of private, state and local funding and will create and/or maintain about 400 jobs in the area. Construction is scheduled to be completed in summer 2012.

“We are tremendously excited about this project, because this is one of the first near-zero-energy projects in the Sacramento area,” said Paul Lau, assistant general manager of SMUD. “This meets all the requirements of a great project.”

SMUD contributed more than $400,000 in credits for the project’s energy conservation, Lau said.

Lau checked off a laundry list of energy-efficient features in the building, including solar roofing panels, sliding glass doors, energy-efficient windows, space heating, central air conditioning, compact fluorescent and LED lighting, and Energy Star appliances.

“The whole (City) Council is really excited about this project,” said City Councilman Steve Cohn, in whose district the project sits. “This project really hits all the sweet spots; this hits all the points that we are trying to do when we talk about Sacramento becoming the most livable city in America.”

Cohn applauded the fact that the site is “taking advantage of a 25-year investment” in the Alkali Flat/La Valentina light rail station and urged Sacramentans to rely more on walking, bicycles and public transit.

“These types of projects are going to do just that,” he said.

But it wasn’t just government officials and developers who saw the groundbreaking as a good thing Thursday.

“Affordable housing gets people off the street,” said Harvey Hayes, an area resident. “And the energy efficiency is big.”

Hayes said he believes people are speeding up the natural process of the Earth’s climate change, and in working to be more energy-efficient, that process can be slowed down.

“Anything and everything makes a difference,” he said.

Another local resident, Richard, who declined to give his last name, said the area has long been a haven for drug use and crime, but building new housing on what was formerly a derelict lot will help curtail that problem.

“This place is a slum,” he said. “(The new project) is going to help a lot with the drug situation.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Ashby talks arena, Natomas housing

2010-12-07T02:09:13Z

New Sacramento City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby hosted a driving tour of North and South Natomas and the Gardenland/Northgate neighborhood for The Sacramento Press on Monday. Throughout the tour, Ashby commented on a range of issues affecting Natomas, including plans for a new basketball arena and her views on the city’s low-income housing ordinance.

Ashby’s district includes the downtown Railyards and Natomas — two spots discussed in recent months as potential homes for a new arena. As she drove by Arco Arena, she said she wants to ensure that site in Natomas is factored into any development plans for a new sports and entertainment complex.

“But if the consensus is that if an arena best serves the city of Sacramento by being built downtown, or the Railyards, or wherever, then I’m OK with that — so long as that plan includes a designated re-use plan for this Natomas site,” she said.

“And I won’t be in support of anything that doesn’t address the Natomas component.”

While driving around North Natomas neighborhoods, Ashby expressed her views on the area’s planning issues. She said she would like to reexamine a 2000 city ordinance that aims to distribute affordable housing in neighborhoods.

“Because of the low-income inclusionary housing ordinance only applying to new growth areas, we have a lot of low-income inclusionary housing in North Natomas,” she said. “[This] isn’t really a problem, except for that it’s all stacked up. And we don’t have any services for low-income folks.”

For example, North Natomas doesn’t have a food bank, she said.

“Let’s see if there aren’t some modifications (to the ordinance) we can make to help stabilize our communities,” Ashby said. “And make the neighborhoods a little bit more balanced as they address serving the needs of folks.”

Ashby also pointed out large, neglected structures that were supposed to be developed but are now bank-owned blight. She nicknamed the failed development near East Commerce Way “Stonehenge,” and said the structures should be torn down. Graffiti and a knocked-down Porta-Potty were some of the features of the site.

Ashby also provided a tour of South Natomas, pointing out Regional Transit’s plans to run a Light Rail line there on a busy part of Truxel Road.

“I’m just not convinced that running Light Rail down this street will help it,” she said. “But I’m open to the discussion and I’m listening.”

Ashby also commented on the relationship of the Gardenland/Northgate neighborhood to South Natomas. “I think Gardenland/Northgate is its own community. But they very much are neighbors with, and associated with, South Natomas,” she said.

Ashby expressed optimism about the Natomas community and future plans for the area. “Who would choose to live here, I think, is a pretty cool family,” she said. “It’s somebody who wants a suburban setting like a Rocklin or a Roseville, but they want to be in the city of Sacramento. They want to be green ... They would be willing to hang out downtown.

“When people talk about building out downtown, this is who is going to go down there and shop and eat,” she said. “So, what you don’t want is to allow this community to fall apart at the seams. Because this is the community that will help stabilize the rest of the city if we can keep it as an attractive solution to the suburbs.”

Photos by David Watts Barton.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Light Rail Prepares for Zombie Onslaught

2010-10-25T15:37:52Z

Zombie enthusiasts are gearing up for the first-ever "Zombie Train" on Friday - a flashmob on Sacramento Light Rail, capped off by Tainted Love at the Powerhouse Pub.

Folsom is hosting its annual "Night of 1,000 Pumpkins" on October 29, in which they are soliciting the public's help to bring 1,000 jack-o-lanterns to its historic Sutter Street. At 7:23 PM, a trainful of brain-eating zombies is expected to arrive in search or brains and beer. All Zombie enthusiasts are encouraged to come, as well as anyone interested in attending the bar crawl, though organizers ask that the zombies not eat the children. It is unknown how many zombies will show up, though organizers are hopeful that up to 100 zombies will make the journey.

The Zombie Train starts in Midtown at 6:28 at the Sac Valley Light Rail station, and makes its way to Folsom, presumably picking up quite a few undead for an interesting train ride. Organizers are hoping fellow zombies will take pictures and video of their trip and post them on the Facebook page.

Once in Folsom, zombies will be checking out the pumpkins, shops, craft tents, and various bars, which are expected to have drink specials for zombies in attendance. Powerhouse Pub will even be hosting Tainted Love that evening ($15 cover charge) and having a $300 zombie contest. "Throbbing Zombies" will also be on special for the undead in attendance at Powerhouse.

Zombies are advised to find a sober friend to drive or cab it home, as the 7:23 light rail train will be the final Folsom train for the evening. Lake Natoma Inn is also down the street for zombies who can't make it back to their graves by sunrise.

What: The Sacramento Zombie Train
When: Friday, October 29
Where: starts in midtown, ends in Folsom

Train stops:
Sac Valley 6:28p
8th & O 6:34p
16th Street 6:39p
29th St 6:43p
University/65th 6:49p
Watt/Manlove 6:55p
Mather/Mills 7:03p
Sunrise 7:10p
Hazel 7:16p
Folsom 7:23p

Sactown Rundown - Sept. 23-29

2010-09-22T23:17:14Z

A pair of your Sac Press music gurus will be off-Grid this weekend checking out Band of Horses out in the Bay Area – here’s hoping they stretch out the jams a little more than their otherwise stellar show in Davis back in May.

It’s gonna be a great time, but man, look at what we’re going to miss!

Joe Buck Yourself– When I interviewed Joe Buck (not the baseball announcer with the baritone pipes) two years ago, he offered a fairly cohesive glimpse into his own version of reality; he was under control with anger, and according to him, he was surfing the internet for the very first time, attempting to buy Ron Wood’s leather jacket on EBay. He’s a man who doesn’t waste time on the web, wouldn’t mind extracting his weight in blood from J.D. Wilkes of Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers (a band from which Buck was unceremoniously dismissed), and swears he will never again be in a position where he’s expendable. As the longtime sideman of Hank III and as his own one-man band, his niche seems well in-tact. Buck’s fuming, gritty and sleezy country punk wiles come courtesy of a kick drum and a junky guitar, forged in fire and tuned by the Devil. The West Nile Ramblers support one of the more unique characters you’ll ever meet. 9 p.m. Friday. Blue Lamp, 1400 Alhambra Blvd. Cover TBA. 21+. www.myspace.com/bluelamp.

Truth & Salvage Co. – At some point, this North Carolina outfit will make a trip to Sac as a headliner; ditto for most of the cities they will play as their self-titled debut album (produced by the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson) continues its eponymous cycle. Having opened for the Avett Brothers at the Crest Theatre back in April, and this time sharing the stage with San Francisco’s Tea Leaf Green, this scintillating six-piece is a freight train ride down the Route 66 of American music, boasting a core membership of four singer/songwriters bouncing off each other in a Grateful Dead sort of manner, with nods to legends like Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and the Allman Brothers, and operating with the edginess of Wilco, Blitzen Trapper or Cross Canadian Ragweed. Sharing the stage with Tea Leaf Green, this one is a can’t miss. 8 p.m. Tuesday. Harlow’s, 2708 J St. $15. 21+. www.harlows.com.

Check out the Truth & Salvage Co. session over on Daytrotter.

Sean Hayes – No, this is not the same Sean Hayes from “Will & Grace” giving a lecture on what it’s like to have people think you’re a homosexual when you only play one on TV. This is the somewhat puzzling singer-songwriter who sounds enough like Mason Jennings to make you wonder if he stuck around after his show at Harlow’s a couple weeks ago, but has a style that’s a bit like trying to tackle a greased pig. He’s got all the standard makeup of your garden variety singer-songwriter, but he’s tapping into the neo-Americana movement as well as the resurgence of Southern jazz and blues at the same time. He’s an immaculate conception of a singer; musically, there’s no birth certificate, no social security number, and no forwarding address. Isn’t it more intriguing when there’s so many unanswered questions, and that he’ll be playing and disappearing with the sun barely down? 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Harlow’s, 2708 J St. $15. 21+. www.harlows.com.

Check out the Sean Hayes session over on Daytrotter.

The Silent Comedy – It is legitimately refreshing to see a band from out of town in the midst of a torrid love affair with our fair city of Sacramento; it appears we’ve used the Shady Lady and a motivated drinking crowd to woo the cats from San Diego’s Silent Comedy. Their prohibition indie punk rock wiles are a perfect match at the friendly confines of the Promiscuous Damsel (their self proclaimed favorite spot in town), as they will play there for the third time this year, and the fourth overall after their barnburner of a set at Old Ironsides earlier this month. Come for the ‘stache, stay for the sonic wallop. Local Sammie winners (and nominees for this year) Light Rail start the party. (NOTE: This show has been changed from it’s original date of Tuesday, Sept. 28th). 9 p.m. Monday. Shady Lady, 14th and R St. Call for cover. www.shadyladybar.com.

Mark Your Calendars: Dead Kenny G’s – Just because the name is so damn good! But so are the tunes, courtesy of sax madman Skerik and his fellow Les Claypool sideman Mike Dillon. Oct. 10. Harlow’s, 2708 J St. $10. www.harlows.com.

For a complete listing of Sacramento area music happenings, check out Ann Freeman-Clement’s Concerts, Music Events and the Local Music Scene every Friday on Sacramento Press.

Lightrail, What a Concept. Sigh.

2010-09-08T23:29:09Z

By Paul Dale Roberts

Lightrail. What a concept. Take the lightrail and save money on gas.

Lightrail. What a concept. Take the lightrail and make new friends on your way to work. A great social environment. On some lightrails, they even place the seats in such a way, that 4 people in the seat are looking at each other, because 2 seats face each other. Of course when there is no one sitting in front of you, most people have the habit of placing their feet on the chair. When an RT officer comes by he will tell you not to place your feet on the seat in front of you.

Lightrail. What a concept. Park your car and ride, no worries about parking fees.

Lightrail. What a concept. Save our environment. Ride the lightrail and stop riding solo in your gas guzzling vehicle to work.

Lightrail. What a concept. No more congestion on the freeways. No more bumper-to-bumper commuting to work. Get on the lightrail, sip your coffee and kick back and enjoy the ride.

Lightrail. What happened to the concept? Now they are charging parking fees at various lightrail stations. They are hitting us easy with only paying $1.00 a day for parking, but before you know it they will be increasing the parking fare, along with increasing the monthly passes. Don't tell me they won't do this, they will. I already hear grumbling amongst the passengers that they are charging for parking and some passengers are already talking about driving to work again. By charging us for parking, they are defeating the purpose of what lightrail was all about. Why fix something, when it isn't broken?

Lightrail. It was once a concept. Sigh.

City Council to hear public comment later at night

2010-08-18T04:54:06Z

Residents will need to attend Sacramento City Council meetings later in the evening if they want to speak about issues that are not on the weekly council agenda.

The City Council changed its meeting rules Tuesday night to move the open public comment section to the end of the weekly meeting. Currently, the public can speak at the beginning of the meeting on any issue that is not related to the City Council agenda.

Council members were split on the issue and voted 5-3 to alter the time of the open public comment section. Mayor Kevin Johnson and council members Kevin McCarty and Ray Tretheway opposed the change. Councilman Steve Cohn was absent from the meeting.

Johnson and Tretheway said it benefits the public to keep the open public comment period earlier in the evening. Councilwoman Lauren Hammond, meanwhile, strongly supported the move.

“I think moving public comment to the end hurts transparency and council access, and I think it’s disrespectful to the public,” Johnson said.

City Council meetings start at 6 p.m., and citizens often participate in open public comment period before 7 p.m. Now, citizens who want to speak on off-topic issues will need to wait until the end of the meeting. City Council meetings vary in length; some meetings have run for several hours.

Tretheway said public access to the open comment section of the council meetings would be limited because of Regional Transit’s cuts to light rail night routes.

Tracie Rice-Bailey, an advocate for the homeless population, said moving the comment period would be “so very inconvenient for our people.”

Rice-Bailey is an activist with Safe Ground Sacramento, a group that lobbies city leaders to designate a public space in which homeless people could legally camp.

Safe Ground supporters regularly advocate for their cause during the open public comment period of City Council meetings.

Councilwoman Lauren Hammond, meanwhile, said that moving the section to the end of meeting could make the meetings quicker. “My hope is that our meetings won’t be as long,” she said.

Hammond also said that “special interests” dominate the current open public comment time period. She did not identify the groups.

“It might be one group this month; it might be a neighborhood group another month,” Hammond said.

***
Council leaders also decided Tuesday to hold a monthly afternoon City Council meeting.

The council voted 7-1 to meet monthly at 2 p.m. Johnson opposed the idea of an afternoon meeting, saying that adding a meeting to the council’s plate would be inefficient.

Councilman Rob Fong said the afternoon meeting would enable to council to hold workshops and better manage its agenda. The council did not choose a day of the week for the monthly meeting.

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Concert in the Park 8/6, Live Stream

2010-08-05T20:56:43Z

Friday Night Concerts in the Park at Cesar Chavez Plaza is about to meet this season's end Aug. 13. Join The Sacramento Press for the second-to-last installment of this free, all-ages outdoor concert series featuring The Golden Cadillacs, Light Rail, and Johnny Guitar Knox & the Soothers.

The music and festivities begin at 5 p.m. and run till 8 p.m., and the concert features local bands specializing in folksy, bluegrass music

In its 19th year, Friday Night Concerts in the Park still attracts huge crowds from all walks of life. Interesting vendors, delicious food stands, great live music and the ever-popular beer garden make for a fun and inexpensive summer evening for the whole family.

Stop by The Sacramento Press booth and pick up a free balloon for the kids, enter a raffle, and sign up for our weekly newsletter and brand-new promotion, Deal Ticket.

We will also be live-streaming video of each band’s performance, which can be found here on the day of the show:

Free live streaming by Ustream Free video chat by Ustream

Light rail station closed for a month

2010-08-03T22:59:03Z

The light rail station at 12th and I streets closed Monday for renovation work and will reopen Sept. 7.

The most noticeable improvement will be the installation of an elevated ramp to replace the old wheelchair lift, making access to the train for people in wheelchairs much more efficient and quicker, said Alane Masui, spokeswoman for Sacramento Regional Transit.

“This is a major improvement for this station,” she said.

Other improvements include repainting, new seating and redone landscaping, Masui said.

Light rail users questioned Tuesday were in favor of the improvements.

“It’s hard for me to climb up the steps onto the train,” said Danny Frias, who walks with a cane and rides light rail every day. “I’ve got a bad back, and I always use the ramps when I can.”

Kathleen Andrews, who rides light rail every workday, said the temporary closure is a minor inconvenience, but well worth it.

“It’s going to be a major improvement,” Andrews said. “For a while, I needed to use a walker, and I couldn’t get off (at the 12th and I streets stop) without assistance.”

With the new ramp, she added, riders needing to use things like walkers and canes will be able to do so without help.

Average daily ridership for the station is 1,316 passengers, and Masui said they will still be able to use light rail, but will have to use either the station at 12th and D streets or the Cathedral Square station at 10th and K streets/11th and K streets.

“We don’t expect any delays in service on the light rail line,” Masui said, adding that construction won’t get in the way of trains passing through the temporarily closed station.

Funding for the approximately $190,000-project came mostly in the form of a grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments with almost $21,000 from Regional Transit Measure A funds, according to Masui.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sac to plan streetcar's route

2010-07-29T03:29:16Z

The city of Sacramento is back at the drawing board — literally — on its efforts to set up a streetcar connecting to West Sacramento.

A new study to plan the streetcar route in Sacramento has received $310,000 in federal grant funds.

An additional $90,000 from a local source will help pay for the study, according to a July 27 report from the city’s Transportation Department. The City Council signed off on the new funding Tuesday night.

“What we’ll be doing now is looking now more broadly at the best routes for that system on the Sacramento side,” Councilman Steve Cohn said Wednesday.

In the most recent plan, the streetcar would run from West Sacramento City Hall, across Tower Bridge and stop in Old Sacramento at the foot of the bridge.

City leaders learned earlier this month that the Sacramento/West Sacramento project would not receive the millions of federal dollars for which it had applied.

Cohn said one of the weaknesses of the streetcar plan was that it didn’t outline a route in Sacramento beyond Tower Bridge.

In the new study, the city will examine ideas for a route.

“The project focuses on connecting some of the most active destinations in the City of Sacramento including: the dense urban central business district, the vacant 240 acre Railyards redevelopment area, the emerging commercial, arts, and entertainment neighborhood in Midtown, the R Street corridor, the Sacramento State University campus and the Arden Fair Mall,” according to the Transportation Department’s report.

Cohn said he does not expect the city will have a decision on the final route after this study is conducted. But he said he wants to make headway on extending the route past Tower Bridge and connecting it with other forms of transportation, such as light rail.

The city’s report did not specify when work on the study will start. Read the report on the new funding for a streetcar plan here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Changes to Regional Transit's routes affect many

2010-06-24T03:15:52Z

Sacramento Regional Transit cut 25 weekday routes and altered numerous others June 20. How is it affecting the daily riders?

Mary Glick, 50, takes bus 72 multiple times a week, a line that has been limited by the new cuts. She says she's restricted to what hours she works at her downtown Denny's now, but counts herself lucky to live so close to her house from her light rail station.

"It's kind of a bummer," she said. "Thank God it only takes me 40 minutes to walk home."

Regional Transit cut the routes to save money and provide a cushion forthe $25 million that was lacking in their budget. However, the cuts could cause even more loss to RT's income.

"I don't even know if I can keep riding," Sacramento City College student Rodney Alvarez, 20, said. "It's the way I get home at night, but I might just start grabbing rides from friends instead."

The altered routes are as follows:

Cut routes:

Weekdays - Routes 4, 9, 10, 18, 20, 36, 50E, 63, 73, 83, 89, 94, 95, 100, 101, 102, 104, 106, 107, 141, 142, 200, 201, 251 and 261

Saturdays - Routes 5, 6, 8, 13, 14, 16, 24, 28, 54, 61, 65, 74 and 143

Sundays - 8, 13, 14 and 22

Stopped after 9 p.m.:

Weekdays - Light Rail (Blue and Gold Lines), Routes 1, 13, 14, 15, 21, 23, 30,38, 51, 56, 61, 62, 67, 68, 72, 80, 81, 82, 86, 87, 88 and 93

Saturdays - Light Rail (Blue and Gold Lines). Routes 1, 15, 21, 22, 23, 30, 51, 56, 67, 68, 81 and 88

Sundays - Light Rail (Blue and Gold Lines), Routes 1, 15, 21, 51, 56, 67, 68, 81 and 88

Many routes will have altered times of arrival and departure, some changing from every 15 minutes to 20 or 30 minutes:

Weekdays - Routes 1, 2, 6, 34, 38 and 61

Saturdays - Light Rail (Blue and Gold Lines), Routes 1, 30, 51 and 81

Sundays - Light Rail (Blue and Gold Lines), Routes 23, 30, 56 and 81

A few routes have had slight changes to their schedules:

Weekdays - Routes 74 and 75

Saturdays - Route 55

One was changed completely:

Weekdays - Route 28

For full details on individual routes, visit www.sacrt.com/schedules/current/routes.stm

Rail Construction closes Seventh Street downtown

2010-05-18T18:59:28Z

Street closures affect vehicle traffic as well as bus routes.

Construction workers dig up old sewage pipes on the west side of 7th Street between G and H Streets this morning. They will also dig up old pipe on the east side of the street which will be the location of the new light rail tracks between downtown and Richards Blvd. New sewage pipes will be laid on the west side of 7th Street.

RT construction contractors will close two lanes of 7th Street between F and H streets, effective Monday, May 17 through Wednesday, June 2, 2010. Two lanes will be closed to traffic to perform work associated with RT's Green Line to the River District light rail project, which will extend light rail 1.1 miles north to 7th Street and Richards Boulevard at the Township 9 development.

RT has worked with the City of Sacramento to develop detours during the road closure, and signs will be posted to direct motorists. Sidewalks will remain open. Pedestrian access and access to all businesses and parking lots will be maintained. The bus stop at 7th and G streets will be temporarily relocated. All affected inbound bus routes will end on 8th Street at H Street. All affected outbound bus routes will start on F Street at 8th Street.

SacPress Photo | Kati Garner

RT Cracking Down On “Freeriders”

2010-04-22T10:39:20Z

If you decide to ride on the Light Rail without proper fare this weekend, RT Police will find you.

Regional Transit began a series of crackdowns earlier this month on riders riding illegally.

On my transfer to the Meadowview Train at the 16th Street station Downtown last week, a dozen of RT Police rushed the train before it left for the next route.

Each police officer checked each rider for their tickets or their transit passes.

Those who didn’t have fare were issued tickets containing a fine.

For the riders who got off at the previous station were welcomed by another group of officers awaiting to check for their proof of fare.

RT has lost tens of thousands of dollars in recent years as the result of unpaid fares.

The stings of checking for fares by RT Police have been conducted at various locations and times throughout the Light Rail Transit lines.

Tickets for the light rail system are available for purchase at every light rail station. Valid RT Bus transfers as well as valid college ids are also acceptable forms of passes for Light Rail.

Do public transit stops attract crime?

2010-04-21T16:44:52Z

Last week’s fatal stabbing of 68-year-old Bernice Nickson took place at a downtown Regional Transit stop.

While it would be hasty to let one incident determine RT’s entire reputation, the incident does beg the question: Are Regional Transit stops hubs for crime?

Alane Masui, assistant general manager of communications for Sacramento RT, said no. She said that when crimes take place on the street, transit stops are just easy landmarks to associate with the incident.

“It’s more of a perception than a reality,” she said. “When something occurs, people try to put the incident in context, and transit stops serve as regional landmarks.”

There are about 3,800 bus stops and 47 light rail stations in the Sacramento area. Masui’s point is that RT is all over the city, meaning it’s nearly impossible to draw a line determining where a “transit area” ends and a “non-transit area” begins. So a comparison of safety rates can’t really happen. It’s left to perception, not hard data.

Sgt. Norm Leong of the Sacramento Police Department said transit stops do attract crime, but he stopped short of singling them out as a problem.

“When you have people out walking, it creates a vulnerability,” he said. “But it’s no different than a nightclub closing or a concert getting out.”

He said there is an added danger now that so many people wear headphones in public, essentially putting their $200 smart phones on display for potential criminals to steal.

But Leong said criminals are foolish to break the law at RT stops because the stops have high-quality surveillance cameras. Bernice Nickson’s death was solved thanks in part to one such camera, which provided detectives a general description of the killer and his initial direction of travel after the stabbing.

Still, some riders believe crime is higher at bus and light rail stops. Daniel, a 23-year-old who declined to give his last name, is one of them.

“It’s the streets,” he said, sitting on his bike at the Eighth Street and O Street light rail stop. “I’ve seen people get jumped. At Power Inn I saw someone get his head beat in with a bat. And no one came for a while.”

"It's only at some stops," added Ashley, also 23, who said it has more to do with neighborhood than anything else.

"I'm comfortable," said 55-year-old Suzy Bonin, in reference to public transit as a whole. "At night ... it can get iffy."

Bonin says she might think twice before letting her teenage grandson ride alone, however.

According to a performance report on SacRT.com, there were 42 crimes on RT in January, which is about average for the past year. Those are felonies and misdemeanors, not minor infractions. RT’s worst month last year was March, with 74, and its best was December, with 36. The number of crimes January is down 11 from last year’s January total of 53.

Roger Dickinson, who is on the RT board of directors, agreed with Masui. He said transit stops are unfairly used as reference points for crimes that may actually have nothing to do with public transit.

“If someone gets stabbed a block away from a light rail station, the media still refers to the station,” he says. “Even if it had nothing to do with the genesis of the crime.”

So, are the stops dangerous?

Regional Transit said no -- it’s just perception. The Police said yes, but no more so than a nightclub or a concert. But at least RT stops have surveillance.

Leong said the whole discussion triggers a certain level of paranoia. But RT is still the best option for many commuters, and its shortcomings are just the price riders pay for the convenience of light rail and buses.

“What’s the alternative?" Leong said. "Don’t walk anywhere?”

- Photos by Brandon Darnell

Regional Transit lays off 37 employees

2010-04-20T02:42:41Z

If you're wondering how budget cuts go from abstract accounting to real life, read on: Below is the list of local Regional Transit bus routes that will cease to operate in June.

As part of its response to a budget crisis, Regional Transit laid off 37 employees Monday. An additional 14 employees accepted retirement incentives instead of layoffs, according to RT spokeswoman Alane Masui.

Monday's layoffs are expected to be followed by further job cuts; transit system officials plan to lay off about 200 employees in the coming months, Masui said. All told, RT is carrying out $11.7 million in cuts.

RT has not laid off employees since the early 1980s, Masui said, noting that the current and upcoming layoffs are "unfortunate" and "sad."

But it's not just jobs. Services will also be cut, which means fewer buses and slower light rail pickups. And nearly four dozen different RT bus lines will cease to operate on June 20.

Put simply: There will be a lot fewer buses running, and after the budget cuts are administered fully, the transit agency will no longer offer light rail and bus trips after 9 p.m. The cuts after 9 p.m. apply to trips that begin after 9 p.m., Masui clarified. Some trips that start before 9 p.m. will still finish their routes after 9 p.m.

RT will stop the following weekday bus routes: 4, 8, 9, 10, 18, 20, 36, 50E, 63, 73, 83, 89, 94, 95, 100, 101, 102, 104, 106, 107, 141, 142, 200, 201, 210, 226, 251, 261

The following Saturday bus routes will be cut: 5, 6, 8, 13, 14, 16, 24, 28, 54, 61, 65, 74, 143

RT is slashing the following Sunday bus routes: 8, 13, 14, 22

Photos by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Friday Night Concerts in the Park return May 7

2010-03-30T20:52:21Z

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) has released the 2010 schedule for the Friday Night Concerts in the Park. The free, outdoor concert series will rock Cesar Chavez Plaza (10th and J streets) every Friday night from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. starting May 7 though August 13.

For the latest concert news, visit www.downtownsac.org/concerts.

2010 CONCERT SCHEDULE*

May 7 - Kepi Ghoulie
The Kelps, Dog Party, Simpl3jack

May 14 - Rick Estrin & The Nightcats
Low Down Dirty Dogs

May 21 - Dance Gavin Dance
Phallucy, Con of Man, Desario

May 28 - Mike Farrell
Aaron King & The Imperials, One Eyed Rhyno

June 4 - Method Echo
The Nibblers, Live Manikin

June 11 - The Nickel Slots
Los Blazing Hangovers
Mae McCoy & The Neon Stars

June 18 - Secretions
The Shruggs, The Four Eyes, The Enlows

June 25 - Mumbo Gumbo
Not An Airplane

July 2 - The New Humans
Sister Crayon, Chelsea Wolfe

July 9 - Izabella
Walking Spanish, Inversions

July 16 - Kate Gaffney
Gerald Pease, Autumn Sky, Juliana Zachariou

July 23 - Lite Brite
Prieta, Musical Charis

July 30 - Whiskey & Stitches
Final Summation, Bastards of Young

August 6 - The Golden Cadillacs
Light Rail, Johnny Guitar Knox & the Soothers

August 13 - The Brodys
The Phantom Jets, This Luxury

*Schedule is subject to change.

Produced by the DSP, the Concerts in the Park attract more than 4,500 fans every Friday night during the 15-week concert series. The event is presented by Budweiser and sponsored by Revolution Wines, CBS 13 and CW 31.

Disclosure: Article submitted by DSP Marketing Manager Jennifer Snyder

Regional Transit board cuts: slower light rail, fewer buses

2010-03-30T05:48:05Z

Dozens of bus routes in the Sacramento region will vanish and light rail will slow down on the weekends as a result of sweeping Regional Transit budget cuts. The agency’s board of directors slashed bus, light rail and paratransit service Monday night to resolve a $10.6 million deficit.

One of the major budget fixes scales back night service seven days per week. The RT board decided that light rail, bus and paratransit trips that now begin after 9 p.m. will cease.

Public transportation will also be slower on weekends. Right now, light rail picks up passengers in 15-minute cycles during the weekend. The cuts mean that riders can catch the light rail every 30 minutes on weekends, explained Mike Wiley, RT’s general manager and CEO.

Cuts will take effect June 20.

While the board cut paratransit trips that begin after 9 p.m., that decision could be changed. Board Member Don Nottoli asked RT staff to look into ways that paratransit riders could take later rides.

Some paratransit riders expressed concern at the Monday meeting that they could be left on the street if they were out late.

Pamela Ross of Sacramento said that she takes paratransit late at night when she comes home from summer vacations. Ross, who uses a wheelchair and has two service animals, was worried that she wouldn’t have a paratransit ride home from the train station. She said she “really didn’t want to sleep in the train station at night.”

RT works with a private firm, Paratransit, Inc., to provide transit service for disabled residents.

The cuts yield $11.7 million, nearly $1 million more than the deficit, Wiley said. That extra million provides “wiggle room,” he said.

Wiley said that million-dollar cushion could be necessary because there are many assumptions in RT’s budget plans. The agency previously had a $25 million deficit, he said. The deficit number changed because recent state legislation moved $11.8 million to the agency. Before Monday, RT made more cuts and also found some new revenue opportunities, Wiley said. The state money, new revenue possibilities and new cuts brought the deficit down to $10.6 million, he explained.

However, the numbers are not set in stone, Wiley said. The new revenue possibilities — which include funds RT is hoping to receive from the federal government — will need to pan out.

An RT report for Monday’s meeting said the following weekday bus routes will disappear: 4, 8, 9, 10, 18, 20, 36, 50E, 63, 73, 83, 89, 94, 95, 100, 101, 102, 104, 106, 107, 141, 142, 200, 201, 210, 226, 251, 261

The report states that the following Saturday routes will end: 5, 6, 8, 13, 14, 16, 24, 28, 54, 61, 65, 74, 143

The following Sunday routes will stop service: 8, 13, 14, 22

Some bus routes will also have slower service on weekends.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Friday Metro Chamber event looks at regional transit; recognizes awardees

2010-03-17T18:51:13Z

The expert on the state's transit industry and financing, Joshua Shaw of Shaw/Yoder, Inc. will be the featured speaker at the State of RT Breakfast, Friday, March 19. Shaw is executive director of the California Transit Association.

Mike Wiley, RT General Manager/CEO, will also address the transit service priorities of the Sacramento region. This breakfast event will focus on TransitAction, RT’s new transit vision that will shape the future of transportation over the next 25 years.

The event, hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber and the Sacramento Regional Transit District, also includes the annual TransitAction awards, given to organizations and individuals promoting public transit.

2010 TransitAction Award Recipients

Business of the Year
The Alliance for Business and Community
The Alliance, representing the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce and Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was selected for promoting transit as a beneficial business and economic opportunity for their collective memberships.

Organization/Agency of the Year
City of Sacramento
The City of Sacramento was selected for adopting its 2030 General Plan that endorses sustainable, mixed-use development, which encourages walking, biking and the use of public transit to create a "Healthy City" by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

Transit Oriented Development of the Year
Historic Folsom Station
The Historic Folsom Station project was selected for its creative pedestrian and transit-friendly design, which blends the rich history of the Sacramento Valley Railroad from the Gold Rush era with a more contemporary mixed-use development served by light rail.

Individual/Transit Advocate of the Year
Mary Brill
Mary Brill is being recognized posthumously for her adamant, unyielding and admirable efforts to promote and enhance public transit, smart growth and mobility in the Sacramento region. Her dedication and commitment to advocate on behalf of many Sacramentans is an inspiration.

Elected Official of the Year
Sen. Darrell Steinberg
Sen. Darrell Steinberg was selected for his efforts to address the current public transit funding issues in the Legislature including landmark legislation to alleviate greenhouse gas emissions integrating smart land use, housing and transportation (SB 375) and a pilot transit passenger safety and exclusion act (SB 1561).

The event is set for 7:30-9:30 a.m., Friday, March 19, at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento, 1230 J St. Sacramento. For event information, contact Chantal LeFevre at 916-319-4260 or clefevre@metrochamber.org. Register online here.

Preliminary work starts on green line

2010-03-16T04:31:18Z

Preliminary work is paving the way for the first mile of the Sacramento Regional Transit District's newest light rail line, which will one day run to Sacramento International Airport.

A contractor's crew has begun identifying the location of utilities — water, sewer, electric and phone lines — that must be relocated before the tracks for the new "green line"are laid. The line will initially span a little more than a mile, starting downtown at the Sacramento County courthouse at Eighth and H streets and running north to a terminus at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard.

The new line is now expected to open in January 2011, rather than November as initially reported, said RT spokeswoman Alane Masui. She said she did not know the specifics behind the delay, except that the project's notice to proceed wasn't issued as soon as expected.

Two weeks ago, 80-foot pieces of straight rail were delivered downtown via railroad flat cars and flatbed truck.

"It's quite a ballet to unload that track," said green line construction project manager John Gaines of the engineering firm 4LEAF Inc.

Last week, a company that specializes in welding rail began welding those into 400-foot segments at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard. The company is expected to finish welding pieces of track together Tuesday. The segments will be stored in parking lanes on Seventh Street between B Street, just north of the levee, and Richards Boulevard.

Crews have been digging potholes downtown and at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard to search for utilities to relocate for six weeks. Utilities will start being moved in the next week or so. Track installation is expected to start in June and continue through October.

Demolition also has begun on an old building at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard, where one of the stations will be built.

The line's expansion to the airport — another 11.7 miles of track — isn't expected to be constructed for eight to 10 years. The first mile is being paid for with local funding. Measure A sales tax funds will finance most of the $44 million project to build 1.1 miles of single track and two stations.

State and federal funds will be sought to build the rest of the line, according to RT General Manager Mike Wiley.

Light rail ground broken Monday

2009-10-13T03:27:13Z

Officials broke ground Monday on the city's newest light-rail line.

The first segment of Sacramento Regional Transit District's "green line" will run just more than a mile, from downtown north to the River District. Eventually, the line will carry public transit riders to Sacramento International Airport.

"It's the first great step to a complete transportation system. This is going to connect everything together," said U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui, standing at the future site of the line's initial terminus, 7th Street and Richards Boulevard. "We have an investment in an expanded airport. We're going to have to have another way to get there — and that's going to be light rail."

The line will start at the Sacramento county courthouse, Eighth and H streets, and head to the future regional transportation center and the Railyards, then head north along Seventh Street before reaching the terminus at Township 9 in the Richards Boulevard Redevelopment Area. The line is expected to begin operating in November 2010.

The line's expansion to the airport isn't expected to be built for eight to 10 years. While local, state and federal funding is expected to be used to build the rest of the line, the first stretch will be financed entirely by local funding, said Mike Wiley, RT General manager.

Measure A sales tax funds will pay for most of the project to build the 1.1 miles of single track and two stations, estimated to cost more than $44 million. The Sacramento Transportation Authority sold bonds for several projects, including this one, and will loan some of the money to RT until the Measure A money becomes available, said Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn.

Wiley praised Matsui, Mayor Kevin Johnson, Cohn, Sacramento City Councilman Ray Tretheway and Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson for their support of public transit and light rail.

The green line is expected to bring more than just riders. The line is expected to bring money through economic development by spurring infill development in the Railyards and the River District, and by eventually connecting downtown to the airport, said Cohn and others.

For that reason, as well as its contribution to clean air and reduced traffic congestion, the line truly will be a "green" line, Cohn said.

A station will be added at the Railyards eventually, where 50,000 people are projected to one day live and work. The terminus will be at Township 9, being built by Steve Goodwin and other developers. His company reportedly will pay part of the cost of the station. When asked about the funding breakdown, RT spokesperson Alane Masui pointed only to board meeting documents on the agency's Web site.

"This really is a dream come true for a lot of us who've worked on this," Goodwin said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

K Street's mojo rising

2009-07-17T02:51:54Z

Despite temperatures that soared past 100 degrees, construction crews worked hard this week to help K Street get its groove back.

Sacramento Regional Transit supervisors have been on-site daily to inspect, while crews selected by general contractor Otto Construction dug trenches and laid electrical conduit for a new light rail stop and handicapped-accessible "mini-high" platform on Seventh Street.

The roughly $4.5 million first phase of the K Street makeover includes a facelift for St. Rose of Lima Park, a light rail platform relocation and a streetscape renovation for the 700 block of K Street Mall. The city and Sacramento Regional Transit are partnering on the project. The long-term goal is to renovate K Street up to 12th Street.

City officials want to cultivate the mall's aesthetics and ambiance. They also want to more easily connect the area's struggling retail mall, Westfield Downtown Plaza, with the convention center and points in between.

"The streetscape is kind of the first step in revitalizing K Street," said Denise Malvetti, a city senior project manager who is overseeing the first phase project. "We're trying to enhance the pedestrian experience. We're hoping to make it look more inviting and pleasant."

Portland-based Walker Macy is the design firm on the project. Most of the funding for the first phase comes from tax increment financing, which uses expected future increases in tax revenue to fund current projects. Park funds are also being used, she said.

Since starting work on the project in early May, crews have excavated St. Rose of Lima Park and built trenches for electrical and irrigation equipment there. They've also poured new curbs and gutters on Seventh Street.

On the south side of K Street, they've opened hollow sidewalks that reach down to the city's original ground level. The streets of Sacramento flooded so much in the 1800s that many streets of the old city's downtown were eventually raised as much as 12 feet. Crews are now cleaning and shoring up the hollow sidewalks, said Malvetti.

Crews also have removed concrete and done excavating work in St. Rose of Lima Park, which was named for the first person in the Americas to be designated a saint by the Catholic church.

The park's layout will remain the same. The centerpiece will be a new water feature for people to play in during scorching Sacramento summers or just relax near during lunch. In the winter, the interactive, in-ground fountain will be covered by the ice skating rink. A new restaurant with outdoor dining is expected to replace Three Monkeys on the east side of the park.

Next week, a new underground vault for the park is expected to arrive. Otto Construction is expected to continue excavation to install the vault, which will store fountain equipment. These and other improvements are hoped to make the park -- and the mall -- more of a "destination" for residents, downtown workers and visitors, Malvetti said.

Recently, city officials and developers also have been talking about another idea to bring more people to K Street Mall: reopening the mall to cars.

The St. Rose of Lima light rail stop and handicapped-accessible platform ramp will be moved from the 700 block of K Street to Seventh Street to open up that section of K Street, making it easier to walk there and creating more of a plaza feel. The existing stop/platform will continue to operate until the new one opens.

The streetscape will be upgraded with more trees, greenery and flowerpots; matching black "street furniture" including benches, light posts, bike posts and trash containers; colored concrete paving stones or pavers. Any unhealthy trees may be removed and tree beds will be enlarged to hold landscaping.

The park is expected to be finished in November in time for the holidays. Construction on the south side of K Street will continue into December, said Malvetti.

City officials and staff are currently seeking funds to renovate other sections of the mall. No other phases are funded or planned yet. This first phase is expected to be the most expensive due to the park rehab and light rail relocation, she said.

"We're really excited to have Seventh Street under construction," Malvetti said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. She can be reached at suzanne@sacramentopress.com or by calling 916-804-2856.

Brush fire delays south area Light Rail

2009-07-02T23:52:45Z

Sacramento, CA- Early Thursday after noon, a small blaze broke out off of Hing Avenue, near Franklin and 47th. The fire was contained to the dry field area between the homes and railroad tracks.

Light Rail service was minimally impacted. Trains were briefly delayed during the high part of the blaze then permitted to move through at a reduced speed due to limited visibility resulting from heavy smoke, per on scene RT rail worker.

Several structure firefighting engines were in place to protect the homes along the field, while brush rigs and crews moved through the field to attack the fire and bring it under control. Per Captain Doucette, the cause of the fire is unknown.

A glimpse into Sacramento RT's current fiscal crisis, from an Operators perspective

2009-06-17T07:24:23Z

"When are the Operators going to get a furlough day?"

Hearing that question from one of Regional Transit's Admisistrative staffers who happens to be a close friend of mine, I had to pause and chuckle.

The powers that be at Regional Transit have taken on the arduous task of bridging a 9 Billion dollar budget defecit, and that ain't no easy fix.

Furloughs, hiring freezes, unfilled vacancies....the list goes on and on but makes nigh a dent......See, the problem lies with how Regional Transit recieves, and in turn allocates funds from the Fed's and the State.

Why are we facing service cuts and possibly layoffs? Simply put, our Operational bucket is almost empty while our Capital Bucket overfloweth....to a certain degree.

Operational expenditures are a world away from Capital expenditures, and one can't, by law be used for the other.

All the shiny new busses were a capital expenditure. The "Green Line" to Richards Blvd. is a capital expenditure. The South Line to Consumnes River College is a capital expenditure. The McClellan bus facility is a capital expenditure. The Lumberjack project is a capital expenditure........the list goes on and on and on.

What is the point in making all sorts of capitol improvements when the operations are not able to sustain the level of service planned for such improvements?

At the end of the day, Regional Transit is a Bus and Rail Company. Our job is to move people.

We are not a Real Estate Company, Law Firm, Social Service Outlet, or Soda Vending Machine Company.

As for my friend, I don't know what Regional Transit's Admin's would do without Operators.......No Operators means no Operator related paper to push.

Jaywalkers Beware!

2009-06-09T02:40:11Z

If it wasn't a serious situation, it would have been almost humorous today as a Sacramento Police Department motor officer stopped Jaywalkers left and right at the railroad crossing on Broadway between 19th and 20th Streets.

Some may say it's just revenue for the police department, while others contend that the Jaywalkers coming and going from the Broadway Light Rail station are a true traffic hazard as they weave in and out of vehicles.

According to the California Vehicle Code, "Between adjacent intersections controlled by traffic control signal devices or by police officers, pedestrians shall not cross the roadway at any place except in a crosswalk." The citing officer stated that fines vary depending on the individual's driving record, given that this falls under the Vehicle Code.

Given the location of the Light Rail station, it is easy and almost natural for people to want to cross the street right at the railroad crossing. However, signs plainly direct pedestrians to adjacent crosswalks at the intersection of Broadway and 19th Street.

The almost-humorous part was watching people cross right in front of the officer, who was already citing three people who were waiting their turn for their little yellow piece of paper. Pedestrians found themselves without excuse as the officer pointed to the clearly posted sign that even directs people to the crosswalk just a few feet away.

In the end, pedestrians have a choice: Cross at the railroad tracks and become part of the city revenue stream, or walk a few feet to the corner to cross safely and legally.

Preservation Commission Approves Depot Plan

2009-05-22T06:04:42Z

On Thursday night, Sacramento's Preservation Commission held a special meeting to review plans to expand and refurbish Sacramento's historic passenger depot. The depot's environmental impact report includes two alternatives: a "move the depot" option that would involve rolling the historic building 400 feet north to meet the new track alignment, or a "don't move the depot" option that would build an expanded station between the current depot and the new track alignment. The commission was asked to provide their recommendation to City Council as to whether the city should move the station or not.

Union Pacific's railroad tracks adjacent to the depot currently form a sharp S-curve that limits the length of passenger trains that can safely pull into the station, and limits the maximum speed of freight trains passing through the city. The tracks' current location also puts freight trains very close to waiting passengers, with no barriers or other protection between trains and people. Union Pacific wants to straighten out the S-curve into a single tangent. By smoothing the curve, freight trains could travel more quickly, eliminating a traffic bottleneck. By providing separate freight tracks and limiting access to them with a fence, passengers waiting on the platform would be safer.

The issue of the historic depot has been a contentious point since the original plans to relocate the tracks appeared in the late 1990s. Preservation advocates are concerned that if the depot is no longer adjacent to the tracks, it will be replaced by a new building and the historic building will fall into disuse or disrepair. The city's objective is to maintain the depot as an "intermodal" station, a station where passengers can move between many different transportation modes: car, city bus, intercity bus, light rail, commuter train or long-distance train. Sacramento's passenger station is one of the busiest in the country, serving over a million passengers a year, and rail transit providers expect dramatic increases in rail passenger traffic in the coming decades, so either plan must allow for growth.

In 2007, the Sacramento City Council selected a radical plan: rather than abandon the depot, the existing depot would be moved to a new site adjacent to the tracks on giant rollers. Once relocated, the new depot would be put back into service. Over the past two years, staff have examined the plan more closely but had concerns about the feasibility of moving the depot. In order to cover all of their options, the report on the depot plan included two alternatives: a "move the depot" plan and a "don't move the depot" plan.

Both plans involved three phases. In Phase 1, the tracks are to be relocated and a surface path built from the depot to the new location. In Phase 2, temporary landscaping improvements would be added, along with an underground concourse allowing access to passenger train platforms without crossing freight tracks. This phase would also include some cosmetic and seismic retrofit to the depot. Phase 3 is split into two options.

In the "move the depot" option, two city blocks would be freed up for residential development, and a triangular structure would be built behind the depot to provide shelter to embarking passengers. In the "don't move the depot" option, the historic building would still serve as an entrance but a large structure similar to an airport concourse would be built behind the depot. Access to the tracks would be via this elevated concourse or via the underground tunnel completed in Phase 2. This structure would also contain a Greyhound bus terminal and drop-off points for local buses, and be adjacent to a relocated RT Metro light rail line. The bus functions would also be present in a "move the depot" scenario, but located at different points around the depot. Both plans include provision to make space for future high-speed rail lines, and both plans include space on the existing lots for new development. Another feature of both plans is a secondary tunnel at the western edge of the tracks, where "red cap" operated vehicles can transport limited-mobility and disabled passengers to the tracks.

Sacramento's city staff support the "don't move the depot" alternative, on the basis that it would be cheaper, provides more space for expansion, and avoids risks to the historic structure associated with relocation. The "move the depot" would provide less space for expansion, and the walk from entrance to tracks would be shorter, but the relocation would cost more than would be saved by building a smaller station expansion.

Some members of the public voiced concerns about the "don't move the depot" alternative. Kay Knepprath of the "Save Our Rail Depot" (SORD) Coalition stated that the city has already agreed to move the depot, and reiterated concerns that if the depot loses its connection with the tracks, it will no longer be used as a passenger station. City attorney Cheryl Patterson addressed the latter issue by mentioning that federal transportation funds will be used to pay for restoration of the station, and those funds require that the building continue to serve a transportation function. In other words, if it stops being a train station, the money must be returned. The operator of the local Yellow Cab franchise asked that, regardless of which option was selected, sufficient parking space for cabs be provided in the plan.

The Preservation Commission voted 5-2 to support staff's recommendation to select the "don't move the depot" option. Their recommendation will be passed along to the Sacramento City Council for a final decision on Tuesday, June 2.

A copy of the Preservation Commission agenda, including PDF copies of the environmental documents regarding the proposed track relocation and depot move, can be found here:

http://www.cityofsacramento.org/dsd/meetings/commissions/preservation/2008/PC_Agenda_5-21-09.cfm

Surveillance: RT stations possible terrorism targets, police say

2009-04-24T06:59:29Z

The $615,000 the Sacramento Police Department will spend to purchase security cameras and related surveillance equipment comes from a pot of federal Homeland Security funds.

Mayor Kevin Johnson said earlier this week the surveillance equipment may be used at K Street and at Regional Transit stations.

But what is the connection between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Sacramento sites such as K Street and the local light rail stations?

Sgt. Norm Leong of the Sacramento Police Department said terrorism is a Homeland Security concern, but other threats fall under the definition of “Homeland Security,” as well.

“Transit hubs are naturally potential targets for terrorism,” Leong said.

Leong emphasized that the “homeland security” definition includes threats such as natural disasters, threats to public transit, and threats to high-traffic areas where mass incidents can occur.

He noted that the term “terrorism” isn’t limited to violence from other countries, adding that the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing case was an example of domestic terrorism.

Major events and crowds can potentially draw terrorists, including in Sacramento, Leong said.

Federal funds will pay for the city’s new surveillance equipment, but the funds were awarded to Sacramento by the state. The California Emergency Management Agency receives federal Homeland Security funds, which it doles out to local governments.

The surveillance equipment system Sacramento will buy with the funds includes 32 cameras and four mobile surveillance trailers, according to a copy of the Sacramento Police Department’s request to the state.

Precise locations for the equipment have not yet been selected, but Johnson said Monday that K Street and Regional Transit stations were the kinds of high -traffic and high -crime sites suitable for the new cameras.

The police department will work with the City Council and the public to choose sites, Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel said earlier this week.

Jay Alan, communications director for the California Emergency Management Agency, said the Homeland Security funds are used for multiple hazards that include terrorism prevention. He cited earthquake prevention and mitigation, and port security as some of the programs that are part of the Homeland Security program.

Asked about Sacramento’s light rail stations, Alan pointed out past terrorist events involving transit, such as the 2004 attacks on trains in Madrid, and the 2005 attacks on the London Metro.

Alan also echoed Leong’s comments, saying that if the city used surveillance equipment along the city’s Regional Transit stations, the equipment could possibly prevent terrorism.

The state gave the money to the city of Sacramento because the city’s project fit the Homeland Security guidelines, which apply to counterterrorism as well as to other security events, Alan said.

The surveillance equipment the city will purchase will also be used as a deterrent for crime and as an investigative tool, Alan said.

The city will hold a procurement process for the cameras and the other surveillance equipment, said Konrad VonSchoech, a spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for the Sacramento Press.

Suspicious object found on light rail

2009-04-03T19:28:58Z

At 9:40 this morning, a suspicious object was spotted on the light rail and called in by a citizen at the Amtrak station on 4th and I Streets, causing a flurry of emergency vehicles to come to the scene.

The Sacramento Police Department responded, and the Sacramento Fire Department, HAZMAT team, Federal Protective Services, District Attorney's Investigator and the FBI were all on the scene.

Cars were not allowed into the Amtrak parking lot to allow for emergency vehicle access, however, people on foot were allowed into the station. According to Sergeant Norm Leong of the Sacramento Police Department Public Information Office, Amtrak and light rail will still be running.

"First thing they’re going to do is send the robot in and that’ll allow us to determine if it’s a non-explosive or explosive and then we’ll go from there," Leong said. "The idea is to use the robot to kind of take a look at the item and decide what they want to do with it."

Jim Doucette, of the Fire Department PIO, said that the robot is a fairly new device, but that it's been used in drills and training.

"Our robot has the ability to go in and not only videotape broadcast a TV picture back to the command post, but it also has the ability to take air samples or take a sample of liquid," Doucette said. "It’s a good tool for us. It's totally remote control. Somebody will be operating it from a joystick from far away. It puts the robot into a situation that could be hazardous instead of putting a body in there."

At 11:50 a.m., the object was being x-rayed and all lines were running but not making stops at the Sacramento Valley Station.

Light Rail Suspicious Activity

2009-04-03T18:11:32Z

Free Webcam Chat at Ustream

This is a live feed from our office window, which is the epicenter of the hazardous materials threat ongoing at the Sacramento Valley Station Light Rail stop.

The feed captures a small fraction of the law enforcement officers involved, but shows the ones at the center of the problem

UPDATE: Live feed was discontinued at approximately 12:45p.m. as all the law enforcement had left the scene.

R.T. Train Collides With Sedan

2009-02-11T01:46:44Z

A downtown bound Sacramento Regional Transit train collided with a sedan at the Stockton Blvd. crossing this afternoon.

The green sedan, carrying only the driver, somehow ended up in the path of the on-coming train when it was struck.

No injuries were sustained by the single occupant of the sedan or by any light-rail passengers on board.

Officer Schumacher with the Sacramento Police Department confirmed the lack of injury in the incident saying only that the vehicle was on the wrong side of the crossing arm.

Richard Williams was working across the busy street and heard the accident but said that he did not see it happen.

“It looks like the arms came down before we heard the crash,” said Williams.

The vehicle sustained mostly front end damage, the train appeared to continue its normal route after inspection.

Chatting with Mike

2009-02-05T16:32:30Z

Got a question about the operation of Sacramento's bus and light rail system? You can take your question right to the top Friday and ask Sacramento Regional Transit General Manager Mike Wiley directly.

Wiley will be answering questions in a live online web chat between noon and 1 p.m. at iportal.sacrt.com/WebApps/Onlinechat/

What was the thinking behind raising the monthly pass from $85 to $100? How is it determined where and when security personnel are assigned to the light rail? Can you make the 80 and the 84 every 30mins? Why doesn't RT offer free rides on Spare the Air days? Do you ride transit to work?

Questioners are anonymous. There's no registration requirements. To participate, you fill out a form that includes your hometown and the question. The web chat site opens for question submissions two hours before Wiley is scheduled to start answering at noon. You don't have to stick around to see the answer. Each session is archived on the site.

But this is not strictly a chat. There's no back and forth and no guarantee you'll get the answer you're looking for, as this exchange from last month illustrates:

Sacramento, CA: Why did you call this Chat? It is not chat! And you haven't answered my question. I understand if you are swamped. A chat room would be better as riders could share knowledge.

Reply: We created a tool similar to what Washington DC's Transit system uses that allow the community to ask their GM questions. The goal of this tool is to allow me to respond to questions from the public in an easy forum that is informative. In a traditional blog or chat the dialog is between the people logged in. So in keeping with our goal, please let me know if you have any questions about RT.

The chat sessions began last year in October and generally occur on the first Friday of the month. With the exception of a session back in November that focused on the district's Transit Master Plan, the chat sessions are open to any question about the operation of the district.

Light Rail at Night

2008-12-16T00:58:25Z

Is it safe for individuals to ride the light rail alone at night? In a word, no.

I ride the light rail on a regular basis, and have had considerable time to evaluate both the strengths and weaknesses of the system as a whole. The major problems are a lack of security, a lack of reliability, and a lack of destinations.

The system suffers from a lack of sufficient/effective security on trains and especially in stations. There are no security guards at most station stops, though the busy stations such as 16th street typically do have 1-3 guards during peak hours.

The trains are equally destitute of security/authority; I have never seen a train with more than one security guard, and most trains have none. Since the train cars don't connect to each other, the security guards will switch cars at the stops, but this means that even trains with security guards have unmanned cars.

The result of this situation is that basic rules like no food or drink are never enforced. Individuals frequently use the trains to transport drugs, and it's not uncommon to be in a car that reeks of marijuana. Individuals can also drink alcohol, engage in verbal and physical fights or harass other passengers without consequence.

There is also a more intrinsic security problem: The light rail system does not require a ticket or proof of payment to enter. Systems like Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) or the New York subways require you to have a card to enter the stations and board the trains, ensuring that almost everyone in the system paid the required fare.

The Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) uses an honor-based system. Riders buy a ticket, which is occasionally checked by an attendant. The ticket checkers are very rare. I see one maybe once out of every four or five times I ride.

Ticket checkers themselves are fairly slow, and individuals riding without a ticket can easily move to the far end of a train car and exit the train before the ticket checker reaches them. I've seen it more times than I can count — a ticket checker boards the train and the loudest, smelliest or sketchiest dudes quickly get off at the next stop. If someone is caught without a ticket, the fine is relatively small — the initial fine is as low as $85.00

Even if an individual is repeatedly caught evading fares or causing trouble, RT also has no legal right to ban people from the trains. The result is that the light rail system is perennially crowded with transients, exacerbating the problems with anti-social behavior, harassment, body odor, and more.

The system also suffers from a lack of basic reliability, both in terms of late trains and the occasional system-wide mechanical failure. The trains don't adhere to the posted schedule, and while the variance is usually only a few minutes, sometimes an entire train run can disappear.

For example, during commuting hours there should be a train every 15 minutes but sometimes it can be as long as 30 minutes before a train actually arrives. There is no way to let passengers know when the next train will arrive, so it is always a bit of a mystery when the train will leave the station and when you will arrive at your destination.

Finally, there is a limit in where the light rail can take you. The system is primarily designed to take people to and from downtown Sacramento, and works fine for those purposes. Anything beyond this basic route will require one or more transfers, and oftentimes will significantly lengthen the time of your trip. If you have to take a bus, a trip that would take only 15 minutes by car could take 1.5 to 2 hours via RT.

A good example is traveling from my neighborhood to the Arden Fair mall. By car, it's an easy trip — just take the 50 to the 80, and exit off of Arden Way. By transit, on the other hand, it requires two trains and a bus for a total trip time of at least an hour and 15 minutes.

Because of the lack of security at the stations and in the cars, and the lack of reliability in general, I wouldn't recommend anyone ride light rail alone at night.

If you're interested in reading more about safety and public transportation, here are some great articles to check out:

Women only busses in Mexico:
The importance of "Attractive Young Female Transit Riders":

Light Rail Crime Statistics

2008-12-12T04:26:54Z

As of October 2008, there were 182 crimes reported for the year.

These statistics are for the transit system, which also includes bus travel. Crimes include everything from assault, robbery, auto theft and vandalism to petty theft and trespassing.

In an average month, there is far less crime reported for someone riding the light rail than reported crime in Downtown Sacramento. The Sacramento PD offers a crime mapping tool where you can obtain a detailed report of all crimes during a specified period for either a particular neighborhood or intersection.

In the month of October, 2008, 100 incidents were reported in the downtown area. With 17,000 residents in the downtown area, this makes for 5.8 crimes per 1,000 people.

Compare this rate to reported transit crimes during the same month: 41 crimes for the 1,627,000 transit passengers, which means only .012 crimes per thousand passengers.

However, it's difficult to compare crime in the downtown area with crime related to the transit system. For example, riding in the actual light rail cars would naturally be safer than walking around certain parts of Downtown Sacramento. The light rail cars are heavily monitored by RT officers, while there aren't necessarily going to be officers paroling every street.

Once a person steps off the light rail car, though, safety will depend heavily on the location of the station. Again using the Sacramento PD crime mapping tool, I was able to map all crime that occurred from August through October, 2008, within a one-mile radius surrounding various light rail stations.

Crime varied drastically, even within the downtown stations. At the Marconi and Arcade station there were 222 reported incidents. At the 8th and O street station there were over four times this amount, with 948 incidents. Riders should choose their routes carefully, especially if traveling alone or at night.

How does the Sacramento RT system compare to public transportation in other cities?

Current Bay Area Rapid Transit System crime statistics were difficult to obtain, but in the year 2003 the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency reported .79 crimes per 1,000 patrons, per year. Overall, 17,770 crimes were reported in the year 2003 for the estimated 22,387,072 patrons who rode the BART system that year.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported .0047 incidents on the trolley cars per 1,000 riders in the year 2007.

Light Rail Crime

2008-12-04T00:51:43Z

In researching light rail station crimes, it's been difficult to find a conclusive study regarding overall safety.

There appear to be several isolated incidents that could easily cause uneasiness about riding the light rail. It should be noted that the majority of these incidents took place at the light rail stations rather than on the trains themselves.

Toward the end of November, a woman was robbed at gunpoint at a light rail station between Folsom Blvd and 65th Street.

A little over a month ago, 28-year-old Ricky Bufford was shot while sitting in his car at the Watt Avenue light-rail station, Sgt. Tim Curran reports to the Sacramento Bee.

An entry on Sacramento Bee's Crime Blog dated September 25th reports that a body was found near the 47th Avenue light rail station and is suspected to be a homicide victim. It was reported that this was the second victim found at that location within 24 hours.

And earlier this year, four armed men were arrested near R and 13th street for disruptive behavior. All were found to be carrying loaded handguns. Two were known gang members, and Sacramento Police Sgt. Matt Young reported to News 10 that the other two are believed to be gang members as well.

However, there are certainly people who ride the light rail station on a daily basis and feel perfectly safe and comfortable doing so. It's hard to say whether these incidents occur because light rail stations themselves are unsafe, or whether these isolated incidents are merely reflections of the community at large. Are light rail stations more or less safe than a parking lot or a public park in the general vicinity?

The Sacramento Police Department and the Regional Transit Department were both contacted, but did not respond in time to include comments in this story. Future updates will include these comments.

How safe is the light rail?

2008-12-02T00:07:41Z

I live in Rancho Cordova in an area where I question the safety of stopping to pump gas after dark. The light rail station in my neighborhood, which is near Mather Field and Folsom Blvd., is not the most friendly-looking location. I've never ventured to give the light rail a try.

But this system has many perks. It's convenient, you can catch a train either every 15 minutes or every half hour. There are 47 stations throughout the Sacramento area, 25 of these stations are connected with the bus system and 18 are park-and-ride stations where you can leave a vehicle.

The price can't be beat, with standard fare only $2.00 for a single trip and $5.00 per day. Discounts are available when you purchase tickets in bulk, as well as for certain individuals.

The question, however, still remains: Just how safe is it to ride the light rail?

The Regional Transit Police Services were designed to address safety concerns. Interested parties can read about them here.

I'm interested in hearing from community members about their own experiences on the light rail station. Do you ride the light rail often? How safe do you feel when riding the light rail after dark? Are there any stations that you intentionally avoid due to safety concerns? Do you feel that the risks are equal for males and females?

Light Rail is a success

2008-11-15T06:52:52Z

50,000 people a day on average ride light rail. That to me is a success. Of course it can always improve.

Gas prices are coming down, but that's no reason not to still take light rail.

While light rail may not be the ideal choice for everyone, if you live outside the City of Sacramento and need to get to the center of town, there is hardly a better way to go

I take light rail to work often. There is a station about 3 blocks from my home at 23rd and R St. and it lets off right at my office. This makes it an inexpensive and convenient choice of transportation.

I often hear people making excuses s to why they shouldn't take light rail. One of the excuses I hear often is that Light Rail isn't safe. In my experience it has been exceptionally safe. But for those who are concerned with its safety here is a quote from the RT website about their system policing:

"Police Services current staffing consists of one lieutenant, three sergeants, 22 officers/deputies, 17 transit officers and 50 security guards. Police Services personnel patrol the system by car, bicycle and foot, as well as riding the light rail trains and buses."

Beyond just feeling safe many people who right light rail are very polite and out going. Just today I had a very nice conversation with a fellow rider. This is a frequent occurrence on light rail, pleasant people engaging in conversation.

What are your experiences riding light rail? What do you like about light rail as it exists today? What about it deters you? Please comment below with your thoughts and experiences with light rail.

Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com

Off track, Amtrak parking

2008-11-03T10:22:29Z

Our office, The Sacramento Press office, is located at 431 I Street right next to the Sacramento Valley Station. We share a parking lot with the train station.

Parking at this location is not a pleasant experience. The lot serves as parking for our building, the train station and often times the Sacramento Federal Court house.

Most days I choose not to drive to work, firstly because I prefer to use the very convenient light rail option, but secondly because the parking situation is so terrible.

By 10 a.m., the lot is almost certainly full and the few remaining spots are almost always 2 hour spots, not suitable for those hoping to park and ride the train.

After finally finding a spot most travelers are unaware that the most difficult aspect of parking still lies ahead, the parking kiosks. While there are small black signs sprinkled throughout the lot that inform people to remember their space number, that fact often goes overlooked.

Many times I will assist parking lot patrons who have not remembered their space number. Then there are those who remember their space but assume that the letter 'C' on each spot is a part of the number. 'C' in this case stands for "Compact" but try and tell that to a frustrated motorist who can't locate the letter 'C' on the keypad of the kiosk.

And last but not least is the question that almost every person has but is mentioned nowhere in the parking lot; do you need to put your parking slip in your car?

The answer seems to be no, but I will consult the City of Sacramento and find out all the facts.

Until then, share your troubles parking in the Amtrak parking lot in the conversation below. Do you have different problems than the ones mentioned above? Do you have any suggestions for how the lot might be improved?

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