The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) 39th Street light-rail station is being renamed to the 39th Street/UC Davis Health Station according to an announcement from SacRT and the University of California (UC) Davis Health.
While UC Davis Health has been a SacRT partner for many years, including providing regular free shuttle service to and from the light-rail station to the UC Davis Medical Center and clinics in Sacramento, this station-naming collaboration is a first for SacRT and provides a clear indicator that the station is a gateway to UC Davis’ Sacramento campus.
“We are always looking for innovative mobility solutions to enhance connectivity to jobs, health care and education, and this collaboration represents another way we are achieving that goal,” said SacRT General Manager and CEO Henry Li. “On any given day, UC Davis’ Sacramento campus has more than 14,000 workers, students and faculty combined. An increase in transit ridership has the potential to greatly reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.”
UC Davis Health is the second-largest employer in Sacramento County (after the state of California), so SacRT and UC Davis Health are working together to ensure UC Davis employees and patients have convenient transportation options, consistent with the health system’s “Discover Health Close to Home” and sustainability initiatives.
“Naming this light-rail station reminds people just how easy it is to use public transportation to come to our medical center and health campus,” said David Lubarsky, CEO of UC Davis Health. “It is an important part of our commitment to caring for both our patients and our environment.”
SacRT has plans to provide additional service to the UC Davis Health community. A dedicated pick-up and drop-off location for a new SmaRT Ride on-demand microtransit service is set to arrive in early 2020, and a new electric zero-emission bus service from the UC Davis Sacramento campus to the main campus in Davis is set to begin in April 2020.
“This partnership is more than financial. It really reflects how much UC Davis Health values our shared commitment to health and sustainability,” said SacRT Board Chair and Sacramento County Supervisor Patrick Kennedy.
The 39th Street/UC Davis Health Station will be a key connection point for the future Aggie Square development, near Broadway and Stockton Blvd. The partnership between SacRT and UC Davis Health is another example of breaking down access and transportation barriers.
“First-class medicine is only one part of first-class health,” said Colleen McCormick, director of sustainability at UC Davis Health. “Our partnership with SacRT helps us encourage commuting options that are healthier for our team and our entire community.”
