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Sacramento Regional Transit


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My next visit was to the state capitol of California, namely Sacramento and their bus system, Regional Transit. Despite a overcast day with a rainy start, there was plenty to have in regard to equipment. However, with a few exceptions, Sacramento’s Regional Transit is basically a Orion town. Their fleet mostly consist of Orion V CNGs, Orion VII First Generation CNGs & Orion VII Next Generation CNGs in three year sets (2300s, 2400s, 2800s).

 

Arriving via Amtrak, I first come upon Orion VII CNG #2361 at the Route 31 layover which sits between the tracks and the terminal:

WCT3423.jpg

 

Pictured at the Watts/I-80 Blue Line Station is Orion VII NG #2888 laying over while its driver seek refuge from the rain:

WCT3440.jpg

 

Regional Transit also observes the no idle policy as #2348 sits with signs on as its operator takes a break while wind and rain surrounds the coach:

WCT3447.jpg

 

Orion VII #2402 is one of five buses painted in a mostly blue RT scheme, seen at Watt/Manlove Light Rail Station:

WCT3453.jpg

 

Orion VII NG #2877 is among a pack of three RT Buses as two operators shoot the breeze while waiting for passengers at Florin Mall.

WCT3469.jpg

 

Once the dominant model in Regional Transit’s fleet, Orion Vs are now used in mostly rush hour service. Here is Orion V #2003 at the beginning of Route 34 in Downtown Sacramento:

WCT3481.jpg

 

Regional Transit Light Rail has two lines: Gold & Blue. The Gold Line starts at Sacramento Valley Station where it connects with Amtrak through Downtown and towards Folsom. The Blue line Starts in North Sacramento, heads through Downtown and ends in South Sacramento. The fleet consists of Siemens Duewags & CAF cars numbered in the 100 & 200 series.

 

Seeing is not believing. CAF car #226 leads a four car pack at 8th & O Station. The train is so long, boarding happens out of the operator’s sight and around the corner:

WCT3429.jpg

 

During off peak hours, Trains are two cars long. Pictured at Watts/I-80 Station is Siemens Duewag #119 while the operator switches ends:

WCT3438.jpg

 

Videos:

 

Regional Transit Orion VII #2389: Cummins C Gas/ZF Transmission:

 

 

Orion VII #2404 on Route 50E Limited (More speed stretches):

 

 

Regional Transit Orion VII Next Generation #2832: Cummins ISL-G/ZF Transmission

 

 

Regional Transit Blue Line (Exterior):

 

 

RT Light Rail Four Car Train:

 

 

RT University/65th Street Light Rail Crossing:

 

 

Regional Transit Light Rail Video:

 

 

Regional Transit Bus Video:

 

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  • 2 months later...

I was most interested in your take on Sacramento's transit system. As an avid opponent of LR as the preferred method of public transit, seeing and hearing the LR video was about as clear a message as possible for being against it. Right now RT is trying to ram through The Green Line, formerly the DNA. That is a rail line of about 12.5 miles from downtown through the residential neighborhoods of both South Natomas and North Natomas. The interior roadway between the Garden Highway (it's really just a frontage road and the I-80 overpass has approximately 82 mostly single family homes directly facing Truxel Road or with their sides along this road. RT denies any problems with excess noise, vibrations, claiming those homes will be most desirable(!), though they are already within about 150 ft from the middle of the road. About 20 have garages in front as well with trash pick-up on the street.

 

It's now estimated to cost 1 BILLION dollars which includes having to build tracks at least 2 stories above the existing heavily trafficked shopping centers on both sides of on the north side of Truxel. So far, only 1 regular transit bus has been needed to meet the needs of commuters to/from North and South Natomas.

 

Keep up the good work. Any way to get a copy of that video? It would be worth it's weight in gold if we could simply take it to an RT Board meeting and play it!!!

 

Joanie T

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  • 2 weeks later...

Joanie, i'd urge you to take a look at the HBLR videos on this forum. That system has single handedly tied together a very large area very efficiently, kids use it to go to/from school, people use it to go to and from home and work and out to eat & shop & movies.... It has also spurred economic growth unprecedented elsewhere in the region.

 

Maybe if you actually rode the train, gave it a try, you'd like it. I know i'd want a light rail line running down my street, i'd use it every day!!!

 

And, as someone who rides light rail very, very frequently, i can tell you that having it is way better than not having it, and if you maybe had some idea about how public transportation works you'd be for the project, which looks really nice, and not trying to discredit it because of noise, street running only produces noise on sharp turns, otherwise you can barely hear the vehicles running most of the time. Hope that clears some things up that i think you may have been confused about! :tup:

 

- A

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