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RT Press Release
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RT Celebrates Grand Opening of Blue Line to Cosumnes River College Light Rail Extension
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CONTACT:
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Alane Masui
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Saturday, August 22, 2015
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PHONE:
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916-556-0121
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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The Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) will celebrate the grand opening of the new Blue Line to Cosumnes River College (CRC) light rail extension with a pre-opening community celebration on Sunday, August 23, 2015, and the official grand opening ceremony on Monday, August 24, 2015.
The new line will open earlier than the original September 2015 date to coincide with the start of the fall semester for Cosumnes River College and the Los Rios Community College District campuses.
The Blue Line to CRC will extend light rail 4.3 miles from the current terminus at Meadowview Road to Cosumnes River College in south Sacramento, and will feature four new stations (Morrison Creek, Franklin, Center Parkway and Cosumnes River College); over 2,700 park-and-ride spaces; two pedestrian bridges connecting neighborhoods to light rail; and a bus/light rail transit center at CRC. The Morrison Creek light rail station will open in 2017 when future development occurs in the area.
With the opening of the Blue Line extension, RT will now operate 43 miles of light rail serving Sacramento, Rancho Cordova and Folsom. The light rail system – Blue Line, Gold Line and Green Line – includes 54 stations and 22 park-and-ride lots.
“The completion of RT’s Blue Line to Cosumnes River College is a major milestone in growing Sacramento’s transportation system,” says Congresswoman Doris Matsui. “This extension links Cosumnes River College and will provide much-needed congestion relief along Highway 99.”
Service on the new line will begin on Monday morning with the first train arriving at the new Cosumnes River College Station at 5:07 a.m. and the first train departing from the Cosumnes River College Station at 5:13 a.m. The new extension is projected to add 2,880 additional daily boardings on the Blue Line.
Once the Blue Line extension opens, trains will continue south from the Meadowview Station to the new Franklin Station, located on Franklin Boulevard at Cosumnes River Boulevard (4625 Cosumnes River Boulevard). The Franklin Station features a pathway to a new pedestrian bridge over Union House Creek to connect to the southern end of Deer Lake Drive.
The Franklin Station is a park-pay-and-ride lot, which offers 668 parking spaces. The daily parking fee is $1. Daily parking passes can be purchased (cash, credit and debit card) at the parking payment kiosk located near the station platform. The payment process requires input of the parking stall number. RT monthly parking passes are available for $15 and can be purchased online and at select retail outlets.
The new Center Parkway Station, located west of Center Parkway on Cosumnes River Boulevard (6349 Cosumnes River Boulevard), is a walk-on station with a passenger drop-off area. The Center Parkway Station features a pathway to a new pedestrian bridge over Union House Creek to connect to the southern end of Valley Green Drive.
The new Cosumnes River College Station, located at the east entrance of Cosumnes River College (8370 Bruceville Road), features a four-story parking garage with 2,016 spaces. The CRC daily parking fee is $2. CRC daily parking permits can be purchased (cash, credit or debit card) at parking kiosks located on each floor of the parking garage and must be placed on the dashboard of the car.
Current August 2015 RT monthly parking passes will be accepted at the CRC parking garage. RT monthly parking passes are available for $15 and can be purchased online and at select retail outlets. Continued acceptance of RT monthly parking passes beyond August is anticipated upon approval by the RT Board of Directors and the Los Rios Community College District.
To commemorate the grand opening, RT has planned two public celebrations. On Sunday, August 23, RT will host a pre-opening community celebration at Cosumnes River College (Parking Lot F, east entrance at Bruceville Road) from noon to 5 p.m. Attendees can enjoy live entertainment, food trucks, community booths, kids’ activities, prize drawings and giveaways. RT will offer attendees preview train rides to tour the new light rail stations.
On Monday, August 24, RT will host the official grand opening ceremony at Cosumnes River College (Parking Lot F, east entrance at Bruceville Road) to welcome the arrival of the celebratory train at approximately 9:50 a.m. Remarks will be made by Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Acting Administrator Therese McMillan of the Federal Transit Administration, and elected officials.
For more information about the Blue Line to CRC, visit the project website at blueline2crc.com. For updated route and schedule information, visit sacrt.com.
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