SacTRU Supports $20 million in SB1 Funding from SACOG for SacRT
Are you passionate about Regional Transit light rail (specifically, keeping the trains modern, up-to-date and serviceable)? Do you have time for a public meeting tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.?
There's an important public meeting at SACOG (Sacramento Area Council Of Governments) to discuss this matter. And yes, we just found out. SACOG Transportation Committee Thursday, April 4, 2019 at 10:00 AM SACOG Board Room, 1415 L Street, Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95814 Here's some background on the request: The SacRT funding request is $20 million additional funding of SACOG’s $54 million SB1 money to use as matching funds for light rail modernization project to buy 20 light rail cars. The light rail car project has been vetted and is shovel ready.
The MTP/SCS is a planning document that outlines the investments needed to achieve the regions goals. While SacRT did receive $10 million in the 2018 round, this is not adequate to fully fund the transit needs of the region. For example, each modern, reliable, low-floor light rail vehicle that is part of the project will cost $5.7 million. $10 million would not even be sufficient to buy two. SacRT actually needs at least $410 million to replace all the light rail vehicles that are over the FTA useful life guideline (25 years), build track sidings to ensure that our entire system is equitably served by 15-minute service, and convert all of our stations to accommodate accessible, low-floor Boarding (currently, passengers must climb steps to enter/exit our light rail vehicles, which presents a safety hazard. Currently, ADA passengers have only one door to enter by a ramp. Join us to tell the SACOG transportation committee tomorrow to follow through with $20M grant to RT for low-floor train purchases. SACOG wants to redirect this money to a lot of small projects and spread it around, with no real gains for transportation needs. Please come tell SACOG to make a BIG impact on access to regional mass transportation and make a difference to thousands of daily riders. Board documents can be found here.