Sacramento RTD light rail

[BCL]

In town and thought of just getting a day pass to get around and explore rather than drive. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I worked in the area for a few months but never used RT. I guess I could have downloaded their app instead of buying physical tickets.

I saw that they have some sort of NFC based fare card (Connect Transit Card) system, but the equipment (while working) all seems to be in bad shape and I found nothing about its operation. The ticket equipment is Scheidt & Bachmann, where the tickets/receipts look a lot like a certain era of BART tickets that they made, minus the magnetic strip.

The cars do seem rather old from the inside, but still looks modern on the outside.

Also, their “Ambassadors” are really fare inspectors. Noticed that when I saw someone getting a citation. So definitely pay the fare.

 

[BCL]

It is a bit odd how these are set up. I didn’t quite understand the doors may not open without a passenger pressing a button on the outside or inside, although sometimes it was open without any prompting. Some stations are on single tracks. I took one line to the end, where the operator said that I had to walk to the opposite platform where the train would have to go past the station and then cross over. I took another line to the end and couldn’t figure what it was doing, at least until I walked to the end and saw the operator was seated and the sign was up. But the electronic station signs were all saying that it was going to be on the other side.

The electronic station signs are hit or miss. Some need to be replaced while others are perfectly running. And a few stations with two tracks only had ticket machines on one side. As in two machines on one side and zero on the other.

The ride is fine but the equipment is clearly showing it’s age. I heard from someone during one ride that they’re cannibalizing equipment for parts since many are no longer made. I guess they hope to get a new equipment order from Siemens fulfilled. It is remarkable that they’ve lasted this long.

 

[Widfara]

Came in on the Coast Starlight, early morning arrival, and I rode the LR out to my hotel in Rancho Cordova last month, and I was able to early check-in for no fee (as a hotel group member).

I'll stay at that same place again if I overnight in Scaramento (not an error). Sad how hostile California is to pedestrians. No pedestrian access from the sidewalk. Even though my chosen restaurant was on a street with the LR line, still had to walk entirely around the place and walk in on a driveway.

I did appreciate the ramp up to a car-floor-level entrance at the front of the train. The driver will open that door if someone is standing there, or if someone wants to get off.

 

[BlackDiamond]

Sad how hostile California is to pedestrians. No pedestrian access from the sidewalk. Even though my chosen restaurant was on a street with the LR line, still had to walk entirely around the place and walk in on a driveway

Unfortunately a problem not just limited to California. Architects that design commercial properties must think that 100 percent of customers arrive by car.

 

[jis]

Unfortunately a problem not just limited to California. Architects that design commercial properties must think that 100 percent of customers arrive by car.

The problem persist because 98% do. It is a Catch 22 sort of situation.

 

[BCL]

Unfortunately a problem not just limited to California. Architects that design commercial properties must think that 100 percent of customers arrive by car.

I stayed at a hotel in Malvern, PA where a friend dropped us off and we got a taxi ride to the train station in the morning. However, I tried to walk to a supermarket maybe a block and a half away. They had zero crosswalks, zero sidewalks, and no pedestrian signals at intersection. I had to run across the street to avoid getting hit. I’m not even sure how legal it was.

 

[GDRRiley]

California is working on getting the design finalized on a universal fare card system.
Ideally given what LA metro and the Bay area use it would be some modern Cubic system. that everyone adopts with 1 card for throughout the state. There has been some talk about extending the same system into Arizona and Nevada.

the 80s era rolling stock is tired but the old U2 seem to just keep on going, not much can go wrong. I know SD gave most of theirs to a new tram line in South America. All U2 should be gone in the next 1-2 years.
S700 are coming, right now up to 76 are planned to replace the existing fleet which before the retirement of ALRV was 96.

The system really needs more grade separations in downtown. a tunnel from 16th street west through downtown coming up north of the rail station would be good. The existing above ground alimgnets can keep a looping system

 

[Widfara]

Unfortunately a problem not just limited to California. Architects that design commercial properties must think that 100 percent of customers arrive by car.

But you might think "Hey! it's right by a light rail station; maybe a path through the hedge?

 

[Willbridge]

But you might think "Hey! it's right by a light rail station; maybe a path through the hedge?

When I lived in Edmonton we beat down the landscaping in order to get into the neighborhood mall. So, in Colorado when I first visited the mall adjacent to our Littleton-Mineral Station and found no sidewalk connection I looked around for a couple of minutes and sure enough, there was a path beaten down by people trying to turn it into Transit Oriented Development.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

When I lived in Edmonton we beat down the landscaping in order to get into the neighborhood mall. So, in Colorado when I first visited the mall adjacent to our Littleton-Mineral Station and found no sidewalk connection I looked around for a couple of minutes and sure enough, there was a path beaten down by people trying to turn it into Transit Oriented Development.

At some point you have to cut a fence to access some transit station. The heavy metro station I access in Denver requires you to walk past the station and then under the tracks up to the station driveway, then thur the parking lot to access the station. It is mostly a bus and car parking location. Strange you have to walk across the tracks to access a platform. But the whole plant is protected by a fence.

40th Ave and Airport Blvd Gateway Park Aurora, Colorado. Is my heart ache and a poor design for pedestrians.