The city of Elk Grove and the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) formalized an annexation agreement that officially brings the city’s transit services into SacRT as a member entity effective July 1, 2021.
“By expanding the district to include Elk Grove’s transit services, SacRT will link more people to resources and opportunities region-wide,” said SacRT General Manager/CEO Henry Li. “The integration of e-tran and e-van services is another step toward making the system truly regional.”
SacRT has been operating e-tran and e-van services under a service contract since July 2019. Under the annexation agreement, SacRT will provide fixed-route local, commuter and paratransit services and maintenance operations for Elk Grove.
“This change allows the city to expand greater opportunities for regional collaboration, and hopefully a smoother experience for riders. In particular, it will offer a more convenient one-seat ride to our paratransit users, eliminating the need to change buses when leaving the city for any of their transit needs. We are optimistic that this consolidation of services will be more efficiently administered under one roof,” said Elk Grove City Council Member and SacRT Board Director Pat Hume.
SacRT Board Chair and Citrus Heights Mayor Steve Miller added, “In 2018, the city of Citrus Heights agreed to the annexation of our transit services into SacRT’s system, and we have been extremely pleased by the decision. The action taken by the Elk Grove City Council is a testament to the dramatic turnaround that has taken place at SacRT over the last couple of years and will improve mobility for all residents of Sacramento County.”
By annexing into the SacRT District, Elk Grove will benefit from SacRT’s transit expertise as the largest public transit provider in the region. Mutual goals for annexation include enhanced competitiveness for regional, state and federal funding to achieve regionally beneficial projects such as zero emission vehicle replacement, increased transit service frequency and coverage, including express bus and microtransit service, and progression of the Blue Line from Consumnes River College into Elk Grove.
As part of the agreement, SacRT says it is committed to a seamless transition with no impact to current riders. Service levels will be maintained or improved, and there are no immediate plans to make changes to the existing bus service or fares. SacRT employees operating e-tran service have been employed since the service contract in July 2019 and will continue with the service.
SacRT and Elk Grove will now work to develop an integration plan to enable SacRT to assume full operations of Elk Grove transit services by July 1, 2021. SacRT and Elk Grove will also form a group of current riders and transit stakeholders to assist with providing input on transit service performance matters, addressing customer service complaints, and conducting public outreach during the transition.
