Sacramento transit agency adds light-rail service at night

Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) officials are planning “major service adjustments” — including an extension of nighttime light-rail service — to better serve riders.

Effective Sept. 2, light-rail service will be extended on the Blue and Gold lines on weekdays and Saturdays. The agency also plans to extend bus services, SacRT officials said in a prepared statement.

“Along with the Green Line to the River District light-rail extension, which opened in June 2012, these improvements represent the first time RT has added service since budget cuts forced major service reductions in June 2010,” they said. “Since that time, RT has rebounded from a 23 percent reduction in bus service and a 21 percent reduction in light-rail service to begin adding service.

During the past two years, the agency has reduced operating costs and cut expenses, while continuing to work on major capital projects, such as the opening of the Green Line. Work also is under way on a five-level parking structure and two light-rail bridges for the Blue Line-to-Cosumnes River College extension. The anticipated award of a Full Funding Grant Agreement in December 2012 will allow construction to begin on the entire project in early 2013, SacRT officials said.

In addition, the agency ended fiscal-year 2012 with $5.5 million in reserve and recently adopted a fiscal-year 2013 budget that forecasts an additional $4.5 million in reserve by July 2013, they said.

“[SacRT] remains focused on providing the most productive and efficient transit service within available funding and delivering services that our customers need,” said Mike Wiley, general manager and chief executive officer.