Comments from Mike Wiley: 

As the Sacramento region's population and economy continues to grow, the need for convenient, cost effective, and reliable public transit alternatives to already congested roads and highways becomes undeniable.

On August 24, RT took the latest step in connecting our communities with the grand opening of the Blue Line to Cosumnes River College (CRC). The highly anticipated new line extends light rail 4.3 miles from Meadowview Road to Cosumnes River College in south Sacramento and features 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.

The new line is expected to add approximately 2,800 daily boardings on the Blue Line, improving connections between the south Sacramento corridor and the downtown core. The construction of the line provided an additional 1,700 jobs to our local economy and will be a catalyst for additional job growth through improved transportation options and transit oriented development opportunities.

The light rail extension also seamlessly links two of the Los Rios Community College District campuses - Cosumnes River College with Sacramento City College - providing a new and vital link to higher education for aspiring students, who are the future of our region's economy.

RT and our partners worked diligently to complete the line ahead of schedule to open on the first day of class for the Los Rios Community College District. We were firm in our commitment to make the transition to the new school year as smooth as possible for students and faculty.

Not only did the $270 million project open ahead of schedule, but it was also completed under budget. This was only made possible by the hard work of RT staff and contractors who literally worked night and day to deliver. I'd also like to thank our community leaders and public officials for their vision and foresight in supporting the extension when it was just a dream, nearly 20 years ago. Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't thank the residents and businesses for their patience and support during construction.

I hope that everyone who attended the pre-opening community celebration on August 23 and the official grand opening ceremony on August 24 enjoyed the festivities. The celebratory train arrival and the Valley High Royal Blue Regiment Marching Band were two of the highlights. I also hope that everyone takes this opportunity to ride RT and help us carry this transit momentum into 2016 and light rail service to the new Golden 1 Center.
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Citrus Heights, CA:  What is your favorite part of being CEO for RT?

Reply:  I love coming to work every day. I love being part of an organization focused on providing quality service to our community. I am thrilled when I see the thousands of people that depend on us for transportation. I am excited every day that I get to work with the dedicated employees at RT. This is a group of almost 1,000 people focused on providing a great community service. Finally, I hope that every day I am helping to make Sacramento a better place to live.
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Sacramento, CA:  The new extension to CRC is a nightmare. Did any decision makers ride this route before deciding to dump another 500 people on an already crowded line? Really. The cars were always standing room only by the time they reached 16th. Now there aren't even any empty seats by the time it gets to 47th. I'm considering switching back to driving to work if it doesn't become less crowded and more comfortable soon. I'm not the only one. I hear many passengers complaining out loud. If RT wants this to work out as a success, RT needs to increase the frequency of trains to every 10 minutes. At least during commute hours. Please tell me this will happen--soon!

Reply:  The opening of the Blue Line to Cosumnes River College (CRC) provides a great transit option for residents of the south Sacramento area and we are excited to see more people choosing RT. We are doing our best to maximize the number of light rail cars on each train during peak commute hours to meet the additional demand required by the light rail extension. That effort includes introducing 13 additional refurbished light rail cars to the system soon that will alleviate much of the issue you’ve experienced. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to provide a full complement of light rail cars as soon as possible.
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Sacramento, CA:  I would like to express my displeasure with your new schedule for the Blue Line. I normally take the train at the Roseville Road station at 4:52 AM. At the present time it is the first train towards downtown. Your new schedule has it now leaving at 5:03 AM. I do not understand why this station the hours has been pushed later. As a daily commuter on the train I am not very happy with this change. Also we are one of the few stations that are paying for our parking. Why should we be affected with a later departure time? I have talked to other riders at the station and they have expressed my view also. It is not fair since we pay for our parking that we have to take a later train. Please consider reinstating the time at the Roseville Road station to its current time.

Reply:  There are a lot of constraints when building a rail schedule including single track sections, and consideration for the timing at crossing gates at over 100 intersections. This can make it very challenging for the schedule to work great for everyone, but we do our best. Unfortunately, any time the system is expanded, there are going to be some changes that will be inconvenient for some of our riders, but that's part of the process of growing the system. One thing we are happy about with the new schedule is that connection times between the Blue Line and Gold Line at 16th Street on weeknights will improve significantly from about 20 minute wait times to 5-8 minute wait times. I will pass your issue on to our Light Rail and Scheduling departments so they are aware of it.
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Sacramento, CA:  I want to know who is in charge of changing the new seats on light rail?

Reply:  The new vinyl seat coverings are being installed by our Light Rail Maintenance department. The new material will be easier to clean when compared to our current cloth seats and help RT provide an improved passenger experience. If you would like to contact someone to discuss the seats, please call our Customer Advocacy department at 916-557-4545.
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Sacramento, CA:  A car crashed into fence on 12th St. at end North C St. about 3 or 4 months ago, it separates a walkway and light rail train passing by, it is located on RT property, when will you fix the fence?

Reply:  Thank you for the report. We will notify the City of Sacramento. At that location the trains operate in the Right-of-Way owned by the City of Sacramento.
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Citrus Heights, CA:  Are there going to be any express buses going down Madison and SanJuan again? Will bus 10 be restored back to Mercey SanJuan down Madison to Watt/I-80?

Reply:  Under our current funding environment, these are not slated to happen anytime soon. Under a sales tax increase scenario, these types of services might be more feasible. These services were, unfortunately, among our more lightly used routes when state funding was cut in 2010, and RT's priority for restoration has been more on routes that were more heavily used or later evening service on our core routes. RT's TransitRenewal Plan provides a more near-term set of priority service changes and RT's TransitAction Plan provides a more long-term perspective. RT's TransitAction Plan does show long-term plans to provide high frequency service along portions of Madison Ave and San Juan Ave. You can find more information about these plans and planned service expansion using the links provided below. RT's TransitRenewal Plan: http://www.sacrt.com/trenewinfo.stm RT's TransitAction Plan: http://www.sacrt.com/tmpinfo.stm
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Sacramento, CA:  Recently I've experienced delays on light rail, since the expansion to Consumes College. Will there be more trains added to continue the timely service the public is used to receiving ? Also, does RT give drivers customer service training, in addition to driving? Some are very rude and inconsiderate. Thank you

Reply:  RT has been experiencing some growing pains as we ramp up service after the opening of the Blue Line to CRC. We are finishing up the refurbishment of 13 additional light rail vehicles that will allow for longer trains during peak commute service and provide a larger inventory of vehicles when mechanical issues arise. RT is also implementing service and major schedule adjustments on Sunday, September 6th. These adjustments will help to improve our schedule reliability. Customer service training is mandatory for all of our operators. RT is focused on becoming a more customer service focused company and rude treatment of riders cannot be tolerated. I apologize for your experience and encourage you to report inappropriate behavior of any RT employee to our Customer Advocacy department at 916-557-4545 or online at http://iportal.sacrt.com/webapps/csfeedback/default.asp.
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South Sacramento, CA:  I've noticed the new stations on the Blue line are a different design with a barrier between the tracks and limited crossover sections like Amtrak stations. Will older stations be retrofitted to this new design if possible and at a time when major renovation is called for? Looks like a great new design for safety!

Reply:  Over time they will all be modified to support low floor vehicles. The transition will take quite a whiles, but what you are seeing at the new stations is the look of the future stations and eventually what all stations will look like.
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Citrus Heights, CA:  When can we expect to see new low level stair-less trains?

Reply:  When we begin replacing the older vehicles (Siemens' Cars), it will be with low floor vehicles. The schedule is to replace them in the next 10 years.
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Sacramento, CA:  I understand it is RT policy that strollers are only allowed on light rail cars if they are folded. But is this only true if the ramp is used to board the first car? Can strollers remain open if boarded via stairs on other cars, and if they remain at the ends of the cars where bicycles are allowed? In an email exchange I had with your Customer Advocacy Representative, he indicated that there were past problems with open strollers in the wheelchair area, but not necessarily elsewhere. Could strollers board on the ramp and move to the center or rear of the car? I am a mother of twin babies, and it would be impossible for me to unload my babies, fold up my stroller, and carry and hold onto all of these things on the train by myself, not to mention if I have other items (like a diaper bag). If strollers cannot be allowed open because of space issues, then I request that you please start to enforce your other policy regarding carts, which also requires that they be unloaded and folded while on the train. I ride the train daily and notice people with carts in the wheelchair area almost every day, and most of these are the same side as my stroller. There are other transit agencies that have made accommodations for open strollers due to the hardship it places on parents, and I would hope that RT could help figure out a way to solve this problem. I have witnessed many mothers struggling to unload their babies, fold their strollers, and carry and hold everything on board, all without any assistance from the driver. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Shannon Lucas

Reply:  For safety purposes, hold your child’s hand while boarding and exiting. Remember, light rail train doors and back doors on buses are timed and close automatically. Strollers must be folded and placed out of the aisle. Whenever space is needed for seniors and individuals with disabilities, the designated area must be vacated.
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Sacramento, CA:  My question is on State Legislation that could benefit RT. I read today that AB 422 (McCarty) is on the Governor's Desk regarding "Line of Credit" for your district. Could you please describe this legislation and how it would add or improve service in any way, shape, or form? Thank you.

Reply:  AB 422 is designed to allow RT's Line of Credit to be for a period of more than one year which is the current requirement based on RT's enabling act. This would allow more flexibility for RT's cash flow needs from year to year. This would have no impact on service, it would allow RT more flexibility in managing cash flow from year to year.
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Sacramento, CA:  My question is regarding the mobile web app of yours. Will you have staff in the office this weekend, when they normally are not, but in this case to update all the route and schedule information on the mobile web app? Specifically, when looking for schedule and stops for the Blue Line, the four stops past Meadowview are omitted from the mobile web app when a person looks up this specific route. Thank you.

Reply:  Our team has staff performing the system updates late Saturday night (this weekend) so that they take effect on Sunday.
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Roseville, CA:  Can you please update us on the connect card? Do you have a solid date when the system will work?

Reply:  We are beginning the final system testing on the Connect Card. If the vendor passes the system testing, we plan on going into operations a few months after the successful testing. We also plan to roll out a smart phone application soon for purchasing and using transit fares on our system. This application could be available for single ride tickets and day passes in November of this year.
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Midtown Sac, Th:  Thank for doing these transit talks! I par-take every month! Keep up the great work!

Reply:  Thanks for comment. I see this as an opportunity for riders and our community to give me direct feedback and suggestions. I appreciate everyone's participation.
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Rosemont, CA:  Who was the brain surgeon that came up with the new system at Watt Manlove Light Rail? It is confusing to say the least! No one knows where to go to catch the bus!

Reply:  We're sorry to learn that you find the upcoming boarding location change for Route 80 at the Watt/Manlove station to be confusing. RT will have staff on-site to assist passengers on the morning of the implementation of these changes. We will continue to evaluate operations and pursue means by which to simplify boarding activities. Please note that on weekdays, starting on Tuesday, September 8th, passengers will need to board Route 80 at the bus stop located near the disabled parking spaces instead of in the bus loop at the Watt/Manlove light rail station. On weekends and holidays, passengers will continue to board Route 80 in the bus loop.
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Foothill Farms, CA:  Isn't it time to eliminate the single track bottlenecks on the watt Avenue portion of the blue line before expanding the system? Thank you

Reply:  We have a project in our Capital program to add additional double track in the vicinity of the Roseville Road station. Funding for this project may be available in the next 12 months. The remaining section of double track is the bridge over the American River. At this point we have no plans to build another bridge to accommodate a second track.
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Sacramento, CA:  I want to know what happened to the cars we were using before the CRC extension opened? There were enough cars to run a four-car train before. How come suddenly there were fewer cars after the line was extended?

Reply:  RT is currently using every light rail vehicle at our disposal to implement service. With the opening of the CRC extension we added 2 additional trains to the operation of the Blue Line. The opening of the Blue Line to CRC has strained our ability to provide light rail trains consisting of four cars during peak commute hours. Refurbishment of additional light rail vehicles is nearly complete, and when they are put into service will alleviate some of the issues that we are experiencing. We will begin to operate newly refurbished light rail cars starting on Tuesday, September 8th.
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Sacramento, CA:  When will the refurbished train cars be ready for service

Reply:  Tuesday September 8th the first new light rail car will be commissioned at Cosumnes River College at 11:00 am. Over the course of September, we will commission 8 more cars. These will be the rebuilt UTDC cars. They are larger than the other cars in our fleet, so 3 car trains carry about the same number of passengers as our 4 car trains do now. The 9 new cars will be a great addition to the fleet and should relieve much of the problem people are experiencing since we opened the new extension.
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Citrus Heights, CA:  Please explain why the Street Car Project is more viable than extending the Gold Line over the I Street Bridge into West Sac and down to Raley Field?

Reply:  You're probably aware that the I Street Bridge is a very old bridge that is planned for replacement. It's also owned by Union Pacific, and although it is the same gauge, putting light rail trains on the same track is no simple matter. Among many other technical obstacles, operating light rail on freight right-of-way requires very rigid schedule constraints and in a lot of cases requires an entirely different vehicle type (e.g., much heavier vehicles built to better withstand collisions with trains).
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South Sacramento, CA:  Great grand opening for the Blue Line to CRC! So much needed and greatly appreciated! Any updates on the other proposed extensions? Blue to Elk Grove Blue to ARC Green to Airport Street Car Thanks again!

Reply:  Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the event! For an update on our other projects. please visit RT's website.
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Folsom , CA:  Is it possible to extent the Gold Line the 5 miles to Folsom Lake College?

Reply:  As you are aware, RT provides light rail service to three locations in Folsom, Iron Point, Glenn, and Historic Folsom. The current expansion plans for Folsom is to offer additional late night week day service and additional late night weekend service. This service is contingent on working with the City of Folsom through contract negotiations. In addition, RT plans to provide limited stop express service, however this is contingent on funding. As for plans to add additional track into Folsom, future plans that are being discussed would be to determine demand for future housing developments south of highway 50. It would also be great to increase the connections between the rail line and Folsom Lake Community College.
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Rancho Cordova , CA:  Has there been discussions about changing the Schedule times during heavy commuter hours. The idea is to have shorter trains with 2-3 cars. But the trains run every 7 minutes rather 15 minutes during commuter hours.

Reply:  We certainly have had discussions about alternative schedules. Like you're saying, it's certainly possible to run shorter trains more frequently and have the same capacity. The basic problem with that is that even though it uses the same number of vehicles, it does require more operators, and operator labor costs are the main factor that drive our overall cost. The other problem is the capacity of downtown streets. In Portland, where they famously have smaller-than-normal city blocks, this actually prevents them from running 4-car trains like we do in Sacramento. For a street-running railroad that can be a major liability, because the downtown streets can only handle so many trains per hour. To have the same passenger carrying capacity per hour, they have to run their trains more frequently. This puts a lot of the intersections in their downtown at or near capacity. And it can cause delays to the trains as well as they get closer and closer to one another and end up having to wait for one another.
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Citrus Heights, CA:  My question is about State Legislation. Beth Gaines authored a bill, I believe the bill is AB-837. As I was reading it, it was about the Sacramento Regional Transit District. How would her RT Bill add or improve service?

Reply:  It provides for a negotiated annexation to join The Regional Transit District possible and makes the process of joining the district less onerous for cities. The goal is to allow cities to join the district with a bit more flexibility.
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carmichael, CA:  First,is a new edition of the the timetable book forthcoming.Second,the recently voted down streetcar plans had a provision to move light rail from K to H street.Would RT even consider moving the Blue Line off of K Street?

Reply:  A new edition of the Bus and Light Rail Timetable Book is being finalized now and will be available to the public likely in early October. RT will publicize when the book will be available prior to its release. The plan to raise the additional funds needed for the Downtown Riverfront Streetcar through an assessment district on land owners in the service area was recently voted down. Alternative plans to fund the project are currently being developed. When/if the streetcar is built, RT plans to discontinue light rail service on K Street and relocate it to H street using new track that would be installed between 8th and 12th streets. The street car would use the current tracks for service on K Street.
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Midtown, CA:  Thank you for the noticeable increases to station and train security. As security is needed, some sensitivity can be used. Its not what you say, but how you say it. Yelling and demanding passes and fares like we are criminals shouldn't be the norm. Innocent until proven guilty. Most officers ask nicely for passes, but some demand them like a drill sergeant. Please minimize this as much as possible. Thank you for the great work!

Reply:  I'll forward your comments to my Chief of Police Services. I appreciate the balance needed between enforcement and treating our customers well.
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sacramento, CA:  Is there any demand forcevening weekend service line 2

Reply:  RT does not currently have near-term plans to expand service offerings on Route 2, or anywhere in RT's service area. RT's current resource constraints do not allow for expanded bus service. As such, recent bus service changes have been designed to be cost-neutral. RT does, however, have plans to expand service as resources allow. RT's TransitRenewal Plan provides a more near-term set of priority service changes and RT's TransitAction Plan provides a more long-term perspective. RT's TransitRenewal Plan does not include plans for increasing the service span on Route 2 or adding weekend service and Route 2's current productivity does not indicate that later evening or weekend service would (currently) be well utilized. RT is, however, regularly updating plans and reevaluating service priorities. You can find more information about these plans and planned service expansion using the links provided below. RT's TransitRenewal Plan: http://www.sacrt.com/trenewinfo.stm RT's TransitAction Plan: http://www.sacrt.com/tmpinfo.stm
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Sacramento , CA:  With the new schedule will trains no longer have to wait long at Meadowview station and when will the UTDC cars be running for service.

Reply:  You should see a big reduction in the delay. The new schedule eliminates the dwell.
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Sacramento, CA:  I asked a question earlier about strollers, but the response did not address my concerns in any meaningful way. Should I bring this question to the next Board meeting?

Reply:  Please contact our Customer Advocacy Department at 916.557.4545 to address your concerns.
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Sacramento, CA:  Will RT be considering any service changes over the course of the next twelve months, especially as it relates to TransitRenewal. I recognize that you are constrained with funding at the present time, but hopefully entities like the State Legislature and Governor could provide transit agencies with some much needed funding during both their regular session as well as the special transportation session, which I understand ends next Friday. I surely hope for some good news here on funding for TransitRenewal Service Improvements.

Reply:  As sustainable funding sources are identified for service operation, RT will consider expanding service offerings such as those identified in RT's TransitRenewal Plan. We appreciate your support and desire for expanded transit offerings in the Sacramento Region.
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Sacramento, CA:  Congratulations on the opening of the blue line, but I have to ask why it seems you are placing a lare emphasis on attracting new riders, while basically ignoring the existing riders. My bus trip has been missed due to operator shortages two times in the past two weeks, forcing me to drive to work at the last minute.

Reply:  Most of our focus is on existing system improvements, reliability improvements, security improvements and cleanliness. Our board and staff are working on quite a few initiatives to make improvements. You should be seeing the impacts on security and cleaning. We are very focused on working to improve reliability and on time performance. You should see a significant improvement in bus operator availability. In preparation for the opening of the Blue line to CRC we had a significant number of new operators in training. That is now complete.
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Elk Grove, CA:  It is very disappointing when two of the past three days the CRC train passing Archives Plaza at 5:04 pm simply never arrives, and the next train that shows up is only 3 cars and beyond standing room only. And at least yesterday's had no alerts. Please consider improving communication to riders when disruptions are occurring (perhaps via email distribution lists). That way we can try to beg rides from co-workers. Even e-Tran tries that, with specific bus route lists.

Reply:  Communication with our riders is actually an area where we have had a lot of scrutiny lately, and a lot of people and groups stepping forward to offer their advice or assistance. For example the FixMyRide916 campaign on Twitter is actually a creation of a group of interested business leaders who want to make some big changes in the way RT presents itself publicly. Related more to some of the basic rider info you're talking about, we have been adding a lot of capabilities over the last several years, such as real-time bus info on our mobile web app, electronic signs at stations, etc. We are expanding into real-time info on light rail. We are also considering augmenting our Marketing department with an additional staff person to focus on a lot of these types of things, to help handle the growing number of technical systems we have to manage.
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Elk Grove, CA:  My Assemblyman is Jim Cooper of Elk Grove. He has been the subject recently of AB-906 regarding the Sacramento Regional Transit District. How would his bill add service and/or improve relations between RT and the City of Elk Grove? Could Elk Grove become a city once again served by RT within the next two to four years? Elk Grove really needs service, and quite badly, I must admit. Thank you.

Reply:  AB-906 was revised significantly following its assessment introduction. AB-906 is currently designed to eliminate a currently unnecessary reference in the legislative language that provided for the city of Elk Grove's withdraw from RT's service area. This bill will not result in any direct impact to service levels and it will not return Elk Grove to RT's activated service boundaries. RT and the city of Elk Grove did, however, recently enter into a collaborative agreement that provides for continued and expanded efforts to ease travel on and between RT's and e-tran's systems.
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Sacramento, CA:  In June of 2010, RT cut some 20% of all bus and rail services. As the economy continues to improve, albeit slowly, will RT add trips to existing routes that still cut off their operating hours prior to 9pm. My hope is that Route 93 and Route 15 can have trips reinstated that were cut in June of 2010. On Route 15 in particular, with a New Wal-Mart so close to Watt/I-80 Station, my hope is that this route could operate past Grand and Marysville past 6:47pm. At 6:47pm is the last opportunity to use Route 15 at Watt/I-80 to stops like Grand and Astoria. We have no later trip options. Once it is dark, walking from Grand and Marysville back to Grand and Astoria is not recommended due to safety concerns in this area of Sacramento.

Reply:  RT will consider expanding service offerings as sustainable funding sources are identified for service operation. RT's TransitRenewal (http://www.sacrt.com/trenewinfo.stm) and TransitAction (http://www.sacrt.com/tmpinfo.stm) plans identify RT's near-term and long-term plans for service expansion. We are, however, regularly evaluating and reassessing service priorities.
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Citrus Heights, CA:  In using the RT Mobile Web App, I have recently noticed a rash of trip cancellations on weekday mornings. What is causing this of late? As a result, I have been called into my manager's office and as a result, been formally written up due to not being at work on time. This has to stop. Please explain to me what process is taking place to avoid trip cancellations in the future. Thank you.

Reply:  First, let me apologize for the missed service and the inconvenience that you experienced as a result. There are two reasons that we did not have enough drivers. The first reason is that we experienced a significantly higher level of absenteeism in the month of August then we normally experience in a month. When we look at the reasons for the increased absenteeism, nothing specific stands out, there was just a very high and unexpected level of absence. The second reason for the missed service is that we have had a difficult time fully staffing our bus driver ranks. The good news in this area is that we do have a full class of 16 drivers currently in training, and another class of a least 12 scheduled to start in September. When they have completed their training we will be in a better position to address unanticipated spikes in absenteeism as we experienced last month.
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Sacramento, CA:  You want people to get out of their cars, but the only way I can use the system is to get in my car and drive 3.5 miles to the nearest park and ride station. These short trips are hard on the car and produce more pollution per mile. Any plans to put transit back in the neighborhoods?

Reply:  I'm happy to report that on Tuesday, September 8th, we will actually be doing this very thing, when we restructure Route 65 to run through the Glen Elder neighborhood. This is a neighborhood that used to be served by Route 8, but that route was unfortunately cut in 2010 when we had major state funding cuts. This neighborhood has needed service for five years. On Tuesday, the bus will be coming back to this neighborhood, and RT was able to pull this off on a cost-neutral basis. There are still many areas that are in need of basic bus service, but this was one that was near the top of our list in terms of both need and ridership potential, so we're happy to be able to make this improvement.
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Folsom, CA:  As a follow-up to another participants question, how are contract negotiations going with Folsom City Officials? Could riders possibly realize later night and weekend service effective on Friday, July 1, 2016, or with the September 2016 service changes taking place around Sunday, September 4th? Either way, if one or both dates can be realized, it would be perfect timing as it relates to the Grand Opening of the Golden 1 Center. If that is the case, then less and less would the respective parties not need to rely upon event days for late night service, as it would exist everyday by coincidence.

Reply:  RT and Folsom representatives communicate regularly. As you seem to know, the city of Folsom is not within RT's service area. As such, Folsom pays RT for light rail service to and within Folsom's boundaries. Should Folsom identify and commit funding to expanded service offerings that include later night and more frequent weekend service at some point in the near future, it would be possible to RT to implement this expanded service by Fall of 2016.
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Elk Grove, CA:  I saw Old Blue driving down Highway 99 last weekend. Where was it headed? Surprised it can go that far! Good Job to your maintenance people!

Reply:  Thank you for noticing Old Blue, which was taking part in an historical event in Galt, and for the compliment of our Bus Maintenance staff. They are always working hard to keep all of our buses running smoothly and regularly exceed industry standards for service calls.
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Laguna, CA:  " For safety purposes, hold your child’s hand while boarding and exiting." This only works if your child can walk. I think the OPs issue is that she is riding with infants who can't walk and it is extremely burdensome to take her babies in and out of the stroller just to fold the thing. As a parent myself, I can completely relate to her issue. Even if they can walk, children have a mind of their own and can wander off while you're busy wrestling with the stroller. It is extremely hard and stressful to manage a cranky stroller AND a cranky child!

Reply:  We understand the hardship this rule causes, in the future, RT will move to a low floor fleet of light rail vehicles at which point our current restrictive policy will no longer be necessary.
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Arden/Arcade, CA:  As commercial corridors, will Arden Way (22) be getting weekend service, and will Marconi (25) be getting Sunday/Holiday service at any time in the next couple of years? Hopefully, the improving economy would help to justify this recommendation, but I do not know for sure.

Reply:  Both of these areas need weekend service. Sunday/Holiday service on Route 25 especially has been an area where we have received numerous requests on a very consistent basis. We happen to agree that there's a lot of ridership potential there as well. There are not really any funds for adding the service right now, but we are looking at creative ways to make it happen.
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Folsom, CA:  The State Legislature is in a special extraordinary session on healt care as well as transportation, what can you tell me today as far as the transportation part of it is going, and are there any bills I should particularly watch for that are RT Bills, or bills in general that could impact RT and/or Intercity Rail like the Capitol Corridor to Oakland and San Jose, or the San Joaquin to Fresno and Bakersfield? Thank you.

Reply:  There are a number of proposals that will significantly increase funding for transportation. Those that directly effect transit would increase the sales tax on diesel and would allocate more Cap and trade funding to transit. On Thursday the assessment announced his plan to enhance transportation/transit funding as well. We can use all of the support we can get.
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South Sacramento, CA:  When could we expect express trains into downtown? and which stations might be bypassed? This is a great idea similar to what Cal Train does with their Baby bullets. Thank you

Reply:  The two factors that we have to consider is available funding and ridership demand. We do have plans to operate limited stop express trains on the Blue Line and the Gold line once we have sufficient funds to implement the capital improvements.
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Comments from Mike Wiley: 

Thank you for your questions today. The next session of Transit Talk with the General Manager will be held on Friday, October 2. Have a nice Labor Day weekend.
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