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Blue Line (SacRT)

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The Blue Line is a light rail line in the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) system. It runs primarily north–south in Sacramento between Watt/I-80 and Cosumnes River College. Along the route, the Blue Line serves North Highlands, North Sacramento, Downtown and South Sacramento. Portions of the Blue Line run along the original initial alignment between Watt/I-80 and 16th Street stations.

Blue Line
Overview
OwnerSacramento Regional Transit District
LocaleSacramento, California
Termini
Stations28
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemSacRT light rail
Daily ridership18,435 (Q2 2018)[1]
History
OpenedMarch 12, 1987; 37 years ago (1987-03-12) (as Watt/I-80–Downtown–Butterfield line)
Technical
Number of tracksMostly 2, 1 track across the American River and in the median of Interstate 80
CharacterMostly at-grade
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 750 V DC
Operating speed55 mph (89 km/h)[2]
Route map
Map Blue Line highlighted in blue
Legend
 Watt/I-80
Bike locks Bus interchange Parking
 Watt/I-80 West
Parking
 Roseville Road
Parking
 I-80 (1961).svg I-80
single track
double track
 Amtrak
Marconi/Arcade
Bus interchange Parking
Maintenance Facility
 Swanston
Parking
 Royal Oaks
Bus interchange
 Arden/Del Paso
Bike locks Bus interchange Parking
 Globe
Bus interchange
 Old North Sacramento
(planned)
California 160.svg SR 160
American River
 Dos Rios
(planned)
 Amtrak
Alkali Flat/La Valentina
Bus interchange
 12th & I ( southbound)
Cathedral Square (10th & K│11th & K)
St. Rose of Lima Park (9th & K)
Bus interchange
Gold
Green
 7th & K
(closed 2016)
 7th & Capitol│8th & Capitol
8th & O
Bus interchange
 Archives Plaza
R Street Yard
 13th Street
16th Street
Bus interchange
  Gold 
Broadway
Bus interchange
 4th Avenue/Wayne Hultgren
Bus interchange
 City College
Bike locks Bus interchange
 Fruitridge
Bus interchange
 47th Avenue
Parking
 Florin
Bike locks Bus interchange Parking
 Meadowview
Bike locks Bus interchange Parking
 Morrison Creek
Morrison Creek
 Amtrak & ACE
(2023)
 Franklin
Parking
 Center Parkway
Cosumnes River College
Bus interchange Parking
Other service sharing
Blue Line tracks
Multiple services sharing
Blue Line tracks
Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible except for 12th & I southbound
= Flag stop
This diagram:

Line description

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The Blue Line begins at its northern terminus, the Watt/I-80 station. From there it initially travels southwest in the median of I-80, utilizing a bridge from an abandoned freeway project, then parallels Roseville Road before turning westward paralleling Arden Way in North Sacramento. (It passes up the Siemens plant nearby.) Then the line turns southwest again running in the median of Del Paso Boulevard, merges into a single track crossing the 12th Street viaduct (Highway 160) over the American River. Reaching downtown, the Blue Line goes back to two tracks going south on 12th, turns west on K Street, and splits into one-way tracks for 7th and 8th Streets where it joins the Gold and Green Lines. It then turns westward on O Street, southward on 12th, then eastward in an alley paralleling Q and R Streets. After passing the 16th Street station, the Blue Line splits from the Gold Line (the Green Line terminates at 13th Street station), crossing under the Bee Bridge before going south in its own right-of-way into South Sacramento. It then jogs eastward along Cosumnes River Boulevard before crossing it and reaching its southern terminus at Cosumnes River College station.

History

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The first light rail line of the RT opened March 12, 1987.[3] Initial service commenced between Watt/I-80 and 8th & O stations only for the first six months. It was extended to Butterfield that same year on September 5.[3] In all, it was an 18.3-mile (29.5 km) route between Watt/I-80 station in North Sacramento, through downtown, and continuing east on Folsom Boulevard to Butterfield Way station. It was built at a cost of $176 million ($472 million adjusted for inflation), which included the cost of vehicles and maintenance and storage facilities. Approximately $94 million of the funds needed for the project had been reallocated from a canceled plan to build a freeway to bypass I-80 Business.[4]

Much of the line, when it was first built, was single-tracked, though improvements over the 1990s allowed much of the original system to be double-tracked. The line was built mainly using portions of the Sacramento Northern Railroad and Sacramento Valley Railroad right-of-ways, coupled with use of structures of an abandoned freeway project.[citation needed] A limited portion of the route runs on streets, mainly in downtown Sacramento.

The line became more popular than anyone anticipated, necessitating further expansions and improvements to the system.

Sacramento RT has proposed extending the light rail system 11.2-mile (18.0 km) south to the town of Elk Grove in phases.

The first phase of the southern extension opened on September 26, 2003, with 6.3 miles (10.1 km) added from 16th Street station to Meadowview Road. The extension added seven new stations to the system and runs parallel to a railroad right-of-way. The light rail system was reconfigured in June 2005 with the South Line connected to the Watt I-80/Downtown Line and designated as the Blue Line.

 
A train bound for Watt/I-80 in Downtown Sacramento, July 2019

The second phase of the southern extension opened more than a decade later on August 24, 2015, with 4.3 miles (6.9 km) added from Meadowview Road to Cosumnes River College.[5] The extension added seven new stations to the system. An additional station, Morrison Creek, was put on hold to open as an infill station until the adjacent land was developed.[6] Eventually in 2021, despite the land around the station remaining undeveloped, Morrison Creek opened to the public as a station only accessible via pedestrian and bike paths. Sacramento RT added a large parking structure at Cosumnes River College to attract riders from southern Sacramento County and boost ridership.[7][8][9]

A third planned phase which would extend the line from its current southern terminus to Elk Grove about 2 miles along Bruceville Road is on hold indefinitely due to a lack of funding. Land use and station accessibility must be improved to qualify the extension for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant funding. Currently construction on this project is not expected to begin until after 2040.[10][7][9][11]

An additional infill station on the line called Dos Rios station is planned between the Globe and Alkali Flat/La Valentina stations in the Dos Rios Triangle neighborhood of North Sacramento. The station is planned as part of a new housing development project that is funded by California's cap and trade system, with an opening date set for around 2023.[12]

Station listing

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The following table lists the current stations of the Blue Line, from north to south.

Key
† Closed station
Station Opened Transfers[13]
Watt/I-80 March 12, 1987
Watt/I-80 West
Roseville Road
Marconi/Arcade   Sacramento Regional Transit: 25, 86, 87, SmaRT Ride Natomas-North Sacramento
Swanston
Royal Oaks   Sacramento Regional Transit: 13, 23
Arden/Del Paso   Sacramento Regional Transit: 13, 15, 19, 23, 88, 113
Globe
Alkali Flat/La Valentina   Sacramento Regional Transit: 33, 129
12th & I
  •   Sacramento Regional Transit: 129, E10, E11, E12, E13, E14, E15, E16, E17, E18
  •   Roseville Transit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10[14]
Cathedral Square
(westbound: 10th & K, eastbound: 11th & K)
  •   Sacramento Regional Transit: 30, 38, 62
  •   North Natomas Jibe
  •   Yolobus: 42A, 42B, 43, 43R, 230
St. Rose of Lima Park
(eastbound: 9th & K)
  •   Sacramento Regional Transit: 30, 38, 62, 86, 88, 142 (Airport Express)
  •   North Natomas Jibe
  •   Yolobus: 42A, 42B, 43, 43R, 230
St. Rose of Lima Park †
(southbound: 7th & K) 		Closed September 30, 2016
7th & Capitol (southbound)
8th & Capitol (northbound)
  •   Gold Line
  •   Green Line
  •   Sacramento Regional Transit: 11, 30, 38, 51, 62, 86, 88, 102, 103, 106, 107, 109, 129, 134, 142 (Airport Express), E10, E11, E12, E13, E14, E15, E16, E17, E18
  •   North Natomas Jibe
  •   Roseville Transit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
  •   Yolobus: 42A, 42B, 43, 43R, 230
8th & O
  •   Gold Line
  •   Green Line
  •   Sacramento Regional Transit: 11, 51, 102, 103, 106, 107, 109, E10, E11, E12, E13, E14, E15, E16, E17, E18
  •   North Natomas Jibe
  •   Yolobus: 42A, 42B, 43, 43R, 230
Archives Plaza
  Gold Line
  Green Line
13th Street
16th Street September 5, 1987
  •   Gold Line
  •   Sacramento Regional Transit: 106, 109, E10, E11, E12, E13, E14, E15, E16, E17, E18
Broadway September 26, 2003   Sacramento Regional Transit: 51, 62
4th Avenue/Wayne Hultgren   Sacramento Regional Transit: 62
City College   Sacramento Regional Transit: 11, SmaRT Ride Franklin−South Sacramento
Fruitridge   Sacramento Regional Transit: 61, SmaRT Ride Franklin−South Sacramento
47th Avenue   Sacramento Regional Transit: SmaRT Ride Franklin−South Sacramento
Florin   Sacramento Regional Transit: 81, SmaRT Ride Franklin−South Sacramento
Meadowview   Sacramento Regional Transit: 56, 105, SmaRT Ride Franklin−South Sacramento
Morrison Creek August 29, 2021
Franklin August 24, 2015   Sacramento Regional Transit: SmaRT Ride Franklin−South Sacramento
Center Parkway   Sacramento Regional Transit: SmaRT Ride Franklin−South Sacramento
Cosumnes River College   Sacramento Regional Transit: 56, 67, 68, E110, E114, E115, E116, SmaRT Ride Franklin−South Sacramento

References

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  1. ^ RT Quarterly Ridership Report (PDF) (Report). Sacramento RT. June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  2. ^ "Sacramento Regional Transit Light Rail Fact Sheet" (PDF). Sacramento Regional Transit District. April 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Sebree, Mac (February 1988). "Sacramento Light Rail" Archived February 14, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. Pacific RailNews, pp. 16–17. Glendale: Interurban Press.
  4. ^ Bernstein, Dan; Lewis, Dan (February 15, 1987). "Getting there getting tougher". Sacramento Bee. pp. A1, A28. Retrieved June 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Bizjack, Tony (August 24, 2015). "Transit advocates, riders celebrate opening of light rail's south line". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  6. ^ Masui, Alane (August 22, 2015). "RT Celebrates Grand Opening of Blue Line to Cosumnes River College Light Rail Extension" (Press release). Sacramento Regional Transit District. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Information Center - Blue Line". Sacramento Regional Transit District. Archived from the original on August 20, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  8. ^ Official Blue Line extension website: "In order to compete for Federal funding, terminus stations (such as the one proposed at Cosumnes River College) need to provide sufficient parking to claim ridership. A computer model generates the anticipated demand for spaces required at each of the stations. The model calculated a demand of 2,000 spaces for the College." Archived August 20, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed April 14, 2013
  9. ^ a b South Sacramento Corridor Phase 2 Project
  10. ^ "2020 MTP/SCS". Sacramento Area Council of Governments. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  11. ^ "SacRT Initiatives – Sacramento Regional Transit District". Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  12. ^ Moffitt, Bob (December 21, 2018). "New Light Rail Station Coming To North Sacramento". Capital Public Radio. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  13. ^ "SacRT System Map" (PDF) (Map). Sacramento Regional Transit District. August 29, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  14. ^ "Roseville Transit Commuter Bus Services Guide" (PDF). Roseville Transit. April 1, 2020.
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