SmaRT Ride

About the city. Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) has launched a 42-vehicle on-demand transit system in partnership with mobility solutions company Via. The partners claim it is the largest on-demand public transit system deployed in America to date.

Goal

SmaRT Ride, the on-demand shared transit network, serves nine zones throughout Sacramento, California, and aims to increase access to convenient, comfortable public transportation, as well as acting as a link to existing transit hubs.

Implementation period. The SmaRT Ride program first launched in February 2018. Nowadays program is still being updated by bringing new functionality for riders.

Fact

A Department of General Services survey of Sacramento County state workers in 2016 found 56% of them drive alone to work, one of the least efficient modes of travel.

63% of likely Sacramento voters say freeway congestion is a very serious problem.

A study by the Boston Consulting Group concluded that on-demand microtransit could cut city traffic by up to 30 per cent, based on studying services operated by Via.

Solutions

Riders can hail a vehicle directly from the new SmaRT Ride app or by calling. Via’s algorithms match up multiple riders to share the vehicle and direct passengers to a nearby virtual bus stop within a short walking distance for pick-up and drop-off. This means fixed routes and schedules for the vehicles are not required.

The service relies on small, neighborhood-friendly shuttle buses to easily manoeuvre on residential streets, and the vehicles are equipped to accommodate people with disabilities.

SmaRT Ride now services zones in Citrus Heights, Franklin-South Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Arden, Carmichael, Downtown-Midtown-East Sacramento, Gerber-Calvine, Folsom, and North Sacramento.

The cost to ride is $2.50 per trip, $1.25 for those eligible for discount fare (seniors and persons with disabilities), or free for youth with the RydeFreeRT sticker or pass.

Riders can also use their SacRT monthly pass. Groups of five or more are free; all riders must travel in a group of five or more from the same pick-up location to the same destination.

As part of the SmaRT Ride expansion, SacRT also rolled out six electric SmaRT Ride shuttles in the Downtown-Midtown-East Sacramento service area.

Team

Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) and Via Mobile Solutions

Timeline

Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) launched its microtransit pilot project, SmaRT Ride, in Citrus Heights in February 2018. Due to its success, SacRT expanded into the Antelope, Orangevale and Folsom areas and a new route in the South Sacramento area began in July 2018

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