Sacramento Regional Transit Board of Directors Meeting - August 29, 2018

The Sacramento Regional Transit Board of Directors met on August 29, 2018 (note: transcript indicates August 13, 2018, but the provided timestamp is used per instruction). The meeting covered a wide range of topics including public comments on service quality, a change to the placement of closed sessions, a fare reduction for Los Rios community college students, and a promotional program for microtransit. The board also received the General Manager's report and approved several consent calendar items.

Consent Calendar

• Items 1 through 7 were approved with a motion by Director Shanir and second by Director Miller. Director Detrick abstained on Item 1. The motion carried.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Coco Cozella requested increased frequency on Route 10 (every half hour) and urged the board not to use current ridership as the sole metric for determining service frequency. They also complained about jerky light rail driving techniques and suggested renewed training for conductors.
• Mike Barnbaum presented the 2018-2019 Sacramento Kings schedule, noting 43 home games (41 regular season, 2 pre-season) with 36 7:00 PM tip-offs. He provided last train times from 7th & Capitol for different game days.
• Helen O'Connell asked whether the board could reconsider reinstating a lifetime pass for seniors over 65, given that Los Rios students with fewer units were receiving a fare cut.
• Robert Coughlin echoed concerns about jerky light rail trains and reported that bus routes 67 and 68 are frequently 15 minutes late. He suggested route optimization should consider future growth in Sacramento County.
• Jeffrey Tartagia reported that farebox machines were not functioning on a 51 bus on a Saturday, causing lost revenue. He also urged board members to focus on protecting SB1 funds before considering a new measure A. He noted a lack of staff for RT's website and called for improved communication.
• Sarah Kerberg (with SacTransitRiders Union, SAC True) announced a "SAC RT Challenge" inviting elected officials and board members to ride public transit for one week (September 16-22) and post photos with the hashtag #SACRTChallenge.
• Art Ketterling asked about expanding Smart Ride to Watt/I-80 or at least to Roseville Road, noting it would help many people.
• Felix Huerta (Business Agent, Operating Engineers Local 3) provided copies of a recent communication with the state regarding unionization. He said the state had accepted the petition for a new unit called Management Professional Employee Group (MPEG), and the hearing would focus solely on whether the unit is appropriate. He urged the board to direct staff to let the unionization proceed without unnecessary legal costs.

Discussion Items

• General Manager's Report: GM Henry Lee reported that Smart Ride launched in mid-February in Central Highlands, growing from 30 to over 300 rides per day. A new Smart Ride zone launched in Franklin-South Sacramento on June 30. Work has begun on a mural at the customer service center on R Street. A new $1 million train wash system using 100% recycled water was unveiled. RT hosted a Federal Transit Administration triennial audit in July; preliminary results showed findings in three out of 20 areas (down from nine findings in the previous review), focused on program management and federal funding sub-recipient oversight. Staff expect to correct two of the three findings within a month.
• Item 9: Resolution on Closed Session Placement (Amending Title III of RT Administrative Code): Two options were presented – Option A (move closed session to beginning of meeting) and Option B (keep closed session at end but reorder other agenda items). Board members and public comment expressed concerns about indefinite start times and public access. Speakers from SAC True opposed moving closed session to the beginning. After discussion, a motion to approve Option B was made by Director Natoli, seconded by Director Miller. The motion passed on a roll call vote of 8-3 (recorded as 81 votes in favor). The new order will take effect with the August 27 meeting.
• Item 10: Los Rios Student Pass Fare Reduction: Staff presented a proposal to reduce fares for Los Rios students enrolled in three or fewer units. After a 2016 change, those students had to buy a monthly pass at $55, resulting in significant ridership losses (1.8 million rides lost, with Los Rios contributing to that decline). The proposal temporarily provides free semester passes for disabled services students (about 400) and reduces monthly passes to $5 for other students with three or fewer units. The projected revenue loss is minimal, and ridership gains are expected. Director Natoli questioned the impact given the 1.8 million ridership drop. The motion carried unanimously.
• Item 11: Free Group Rides on Smart Ride: A resolution to temporarily offer free rides for groups of five or more with a common origin and destination to promote the microtransit service. Staff noted that only 69 of 17,000 trips were group trips, so revenue impact is minimal. The cost is covered by existing STA revenue. The motion carried unanimously.
• Item 12: San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority Report: Mike Barnbaum reported on the July SJJPA meeting. Discussion included train delays due to crew rest periods and operational changes being considered. The next meeting is September 28 in Merced.

Key Outcomes

• The board adopted Option B for closed session placement (retaining closed session at the end of the meeting) with a vote of 8-3.
• Approved the Los Rios student fare reduction (Item 10) and the free group rides on Smart Ride (Item 11) unanimously.
• The General Manager's report was received; the board noted the FTA audit findings and improved performance.
• The board adjourned into closed session for labor negotiations and anticipated litigation.