RiderShip for the Masses
Sacramento's Public Transportation Riders' Organization
NEW UPDATED 12/11/09
RT AVOIDS SERVICE REDUCTIONS PROPOSED FOR JANUARY 2010 Additional Internal Savings Cover $2.4 Million Budget Shortfall At the conclusion of the Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) public hearing held on July 27, 2009, the RT Board of Directors instructed RT staff to seek additional internal cost-saving measures to avoid bus and light rail service reductions for January 2010. At the public hearing, RT staff proposed a number of options potentially affecting 36 bus routes and light rail service after RT Risk Management staff has since identified $2.2 million in additional carryover funds from the Fiscal Year 2009 reserve for Public Liability/Property Damage and Workers' Compensation. The savings are a result of successful resolution of claims at a lower rate than originally anticipated. Combined with further internal cost-cutting measures and additional revenue totaling $383,000, RT will close the gap on a $2.4 million budget shortfall and avoid further service reductions in January 2010. "RT staff - across all departments in the organization - has continued to be focused on controlling and cutting costs," Mike Wiley, General Manager/CEO, stated. "We are extremely pleased that we have been able to avoid another round of service reductions." Birth Control for BirdsNetting and SpikesCamera's Gates on Stairs Improvements have started on the clean up of the Watt and I80 light rail station.Dates for gates, netting etc has been pushed back to December/January time-frame.The station appears to be cleaner...if some has a problem with the cleaniness of the station please contact us. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Health and Safety Issue Paper on Watt and I-80 Light Rail Station
Many of you may have read in the Sacramento Bee there will be no Light Rail and Bus service cuts, and no elimination of bus routes for January 2010. It is true!
This is the official word from Regional Transit
9 p.m.
http://www.sacrt.com/documents/1561rules.pdf
or you can go to this link to see a flowchart of the process.
UPDATE ON WATT & I 80 ISSUES
Birth Control for Birds
Netting and Spikes
Camera's
Gates on Stairs
Improvements have started on the clean up of the Watt and I80 light rail station.
Dates for gates, netting etc has been pushed back to December/January time-frame.
The station appears to be cleaner...if some has a problem with the cleaniness of the station please contact us.
Please contact us for specifics
BACKGROUND
The North area segment of the Blue Line is the oldest. The Watt and I-80 station is at the north end of the Blue Line Light Rail System. The station is a major regional transfer point, hosting fourteen bus routes.
ISSUE
Health and physical safety issues are present at the station because pigeon droppings cover the stairs, handrails, and upper recesses of the station. (See attachment 1, pictures) Health and safety issues are especially relevant during the rainy season when the rain makes the stairs and hand railings slippery, and the pigeon droppings become liquid and drop on people. See attachment 2, letter from Lincoln Training Center). The other health issue is the elevator constantly smells of urine.
DISCUSSION
A long-standing issue discussed with RT staff on numerous occasions is the cleanliness of the elevator. While there is a clean porta-potty at the station for the use of riders, the elevator continues to be used as a toilet. (See attachment 3, email) As recent as 12/30/08, the urine smell in the elevator was so strong people had to cover their face in order to breathe. We know RT cleans the station at least three times a week and even more during the day when messy elevator situations brought to their attention yet the elevator situation continues to be a problem, to the point that members of RiderShip want us to call the health department.
The Pigeon problem is major issue. The pigeons nest and roost in the concrete rafters and while staff cleans the ground, it is apparent that the rafters are not cleaned. In talking with various riders on Jan 2 & 3rd 2009, they report the pigeon problem is disturbing and feel it is a health hazard.
Also, by observation on Jan 2 when it was raining, none of the twenty passengers going up and down the stairs used the hand rails because the rails were wet and had pigeon droppings on them. (See attachment 4, diseases)
POSITION
Increase steam and power washing at Watt and I-80 Light Rail Station including elevator. Pressure wash and steam the upper concrete beams of the station to remove pigeon droppings. (Again, See attachment 1 photos) Provide solutions to keep Pigeons from nesting and roosting. Pressure steam and power wash the elevator. Lock-down elevator, and gate both entrances to the stairs after all buses and light rails stop running.
RECOMMENDATIONS (In a timely manner)
1. Install Bird Spikes, Bird Netting or other means to deter and repel Pigeons from roosting, nesting, and leaving droppings all over the station. (See attachment 5 product descriptions)
2. Completely power wash and steam clean the whole station to remove all overhead pigeon droppings. RiderShip for the Masses Statement Regarding the Cal Expo/Arena Project The words “transit” did not come into play in the unveiling until the concept of the Transit Oriented Development phase somewhere near the end of the project. While we know that auto’s are a big money maker at the current Arena, it appears that this Arena will still cater to the auto, forgetting about multi-model use. We need Multi-modal transit on board the same time the arena is built. It is our hope that a ‘green’ developer who knows the importance of using alternatives to the Auto step forward to take on this project. As we said in testimony before the Cal Expo Board, while we like and support the concept of the project, however, will only continue to support it if there multi-modal transit in place by time the Arena is built in 2013 http://www.calexpo.com/Html/nba_arena.asp
3. Lock down the elevator after all trains and buses stop running.
4. Install gates at the top and the bottom of the stairs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RiderShip for the Masses was very disappointed when the presentation on the New Cal Expo and Arena project was unveiled. While the presenters said this was a 'green' project apparently they do not know what 'green' means. In California, Green means not only how the project is built, the materials used in the building of it, but also the inclusion multi-modal transit which is mix use of rail, bus, streetcar, Bike/Pedestrian lanes/paths, and autos.
