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COA/SRTP

Comprehensive Operational Analysis/Short-Range Transit Plan

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Our Service Plan for Auburn Transit and Placer County Transit

On September 25, 2024, the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA) completed a Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) with recommended service changes and improvements to Auburn Transit and Placer County Transit (PCT) services in western Placer County. The plan recommends ways to better connect communities and make transit more useful to the public. It was created using insights from research, surveys, expert advice, and stakeholder feedback to ensure the changes are practical, financially feasible, and align with riders’ overall needs for improved service. The final COA document can be accessed by selecting the image, below:

A cover page for a Placer County Transportation Planning Agency report on transit operational analysis, dated September 25, 2024.

The following information provides context to how this COA document was drafted and what was considered in the recommended service changes.

August 1st Virtual Community Meeting

If you were not able to join us for either of the two August 1st virtual public meetings, we recorded the presentation and have provided a link, below, for you to access and watch it here:

Recommended Service Plan Overview

We have provided key information about the recommended service plan for your review on this webpage. The following plan elements have been linked below to help you navigate:

  • How We Got Here
  • What We Learned
  • Overview of the Recommended Service Plan
  • Changes Recommended for Each Fixed Route and On-Demand Service
  • Next Steps
  • More Information

How We Got Here

Thank you for sharing your insights and suggestions during the COA engagement period, as shown in the figure below. Your input was essential in developing our recommended service plan. Research and analysis only tells us half the story. To fully consider the most beneficial changes, we needed to hear your first-hand experience using transit services in western Placer County and the reasons why you may not use transit.  

Between the Fall of 2023 and Spring of 2024, we received public input through surveys of transit riders and non-riders, focus groups, and PCTPA staff hosting pop-up booths at many community events. In addition, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), composed of members from local jurisdictions, community advocates, and other transit stakeholders, reviewed our findings and advised us as we developed our recommendations. We also met with staff from local jurisdictions and coordinated with Roseville Transit’s COA process.

A 3-phase project plan: Existing Conditions Survey, Transit Service Recommendations, and Strategic Funding & Directions.

What We Learned

We learned that there are many opportunities to make the existing transit network better, especially given the new travel patterns occurring after the pandemic. Key findings regarding service needs expressed by both riders and non-riders in surveys, focus groups, and discussions with staff include:

  • Operate buses on routes more often
  • Extend routes to serve areas without nearby transit services
  • Improve connections among cities within Placer County and between Placer County and Sacramento County
  • Offer more app-based on-demand service

Overview of the Recommended Service Plan

The findings from the research, surveys, and analysis were combined with advice from our TAC members and consultation with transit operators, local jurisdictions, and community advocates to develop the recommended service plan.   

Annual costs to operate the service in the plan are projected to increase by just over $811,000.

Highlights of the recommended service plan are summarized below.

  • Add more service on Route 10, Route 20, and Route 40, and Lincoln Dial-A-Ride
  • Add on-street stops on Route 10 at the Taylor Road Park-and-Ride, split Route 20 into two routes to serve more areas in west Rocklin, extend Route 30 in Auburn and Route 70 in Lincoln to serve more areas, and extend on-demand service to the Bowman area
  • Reduce lower-ridership services to match ridership demand by converting Route 50 to a Dial-A-Ride service with a reduced span of service, remove one trip in the morning and one in the afternoon on Route 60 and discontinue Route 60 between Auburn and Colfax
  • Provide continuous weekday midday service on the Granite Bay Dial-A-Ride

Changes Recommended for Each Fixed Route and On-Demand Service

A map showing various colored transit routes with a key for route identification.

Above is a map of the proposed changes across south Placer. A listing of recommended service changes by fixed route and on-demand service area is available by clicking on the links below for each service:

Route 10 | Auburn to Light Rail (Watt/I-80) 
A map showing proposed and existing transit routes (purple lines) with key locations and landmarks in a city.

Route 10 has three stops in each way along its 29-mile-long route between Auburn Station and the Watt/I-80 Light Rail Station: Sierra College, Roseville Galleria, and the Louis and Orlando Transit Center. Buses operate every 60 minutes connecting with other PCT fixed routes and Dial-A-Ride services, Auburn OnDemand, Roseville Transit fixed routes, Sacramento Regional Transit District fixed routes and Blue Line, and the Amtrak Capital Corridor/San Joaquins Thruway buses. 

Our recommendations: 

  • Operate Route 10 every 30 minutes instead of every 60 minutes on weekdays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM to make the service more convenient and provide more opportunities to connect with other transit services. If the RapidLink pilot service (estimated to operate from 2025 to 2028) becomes permanent between the Roseville Galleria and Watt/I-80 Light Rail Station, then Route 10 could only operate between the Roseville Galleria and Auburn every 30 minutes from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.  
  • Realign the westbound routing and add on-street stops in both directions at Taylor Road Park-and-Ride for connections with Roseville Transit routes.
Route 20 | Lincoln/Sierra College 
Map with bus routes near Sierra College in Rocklin, California, including current and proposed routes.

Route 20 operates between Lincoln (Twelve Bridges Library and a few trips to 3rd Street and F Street) and Sierra College on Rocklin Road. It serves the Thunder Valley Casino Resort, Roseville Galleria, and the Quarry District in central Rocklin. Buses operate every 60 minutes, connecting with PCT fixed routes and Dial-A-Ride services, Roseville Transit fixed routes, and Amtrak Capital Corridor/San Joaquins Thruway buses. 

Our recommendations: 

  • Split Route 20 into two routes (between Lincoln and the Roseville Galleria and between the Roseville Galleria and Sierra College). Change the western route to serve Rocklin High School via Park Drive and Stanford Ranch Road and end the route in Lincoln at the park-and-ride lot on Industrial Avenue just south of SR-65 instead of the Twelve Bridges Library. The route would also no longer serve central Lincoln at 3rd and F streets due to terminating at the park-and-ride lot (Route 70 that serves central Lincoln is still maintained and would connect to re-aligned Route 20 at the park-and-ride lot). Change the eastern route to operate as a one-way loop with the Sierra College direction following the current Route 20 routing from the Roseville Galleria to S. Whitney Blvd, followed by Springview Drive back to the current routing along Sunset Blvd to Pacific Drive to Sierra College. The Roseville Galleria direction would follow the current routing from Sierra COllege along Sunset Blvd, then continue to Park Drive followed by Roseville Parkway before ending at the Roseville Galleria.
    • These changes will add transit services to new areas of Rocklin including apartment complexes, assisted living facilities, and various businesses. Additionally, creating two shorter routes will ensure buses arrive at stops closer to their scheduled times.
  • Operate both routes every 30 minutes instead of every 60 minutes on weekdays from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM to make the service more convenient and provide more opportunities to connect with other transit services.
Route 30 | Highway 49 
A map showing the current Highway 49 and a proposed extension route.

Route 30 operates between Nevada Street, Grass Valley Highway, and several local route segments on both sides of SR 49 in North Auburn. Buses operate every 60 minutes, connecting with PCT routes, Nevada County Connects routes, and Amtrak Capital Corridor/San Joaquins Thruway buses at Auburn Station, as well as with the Auburn/Highway 49 Dial-A-Ride and Auburn OnDemand services.  

Our recommendation: 

  • Extend Route 30 from Auburn Station to downtown Auburn to serve commercial areas, schools, and other trip generators.
Route 40 | Alta/Colfax 
A map showing a red line (possibly a route) from Auburn to Nevada City, passing through various towns and terrain.

Route 40 operates between Auburn Station and Alta Store along Interstate (I-) 80 with four intermediate stops (Bowman, Meadow Vista, Weimar, and Colfax Depot). Two trips are provided in each direction, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Buses can deviate off route by calling PCT ahead of time for a reservation. Connections at Auburn Station include other PCT routes, Nevada County Connects routes, and Amtrak Capital Corridor/San Joaquins Thruway buses, as well as the Auburn/Highway 49 Dial-A-Ride and Auburn OnDemand services.  

Our recommendation: 

  • Add a round trip in the afternoon on Route 40 to allow riders from Auburn on the morning trip to have shorter wait times for their return trip.
Route 50 | Taylor Road Shuttle 

Route 50 operates on Ophir Road and Taylor Road between Auburn Station and Sierra College via Ophir, Newcastle, Penryn, and Loomis. It includes a “Campus Shopping Loop” that operates along Rocklin Road, Granite Drive, and Sierra College Boulevard. Buses operate every 120 minutes. Route 50 can deviate up to three-quarters of a mile off its fixed route alignment to serve riders. Riders can call PCT to arrange a pickup or tell the driver where they need to be dropped off.  

Our recommendations: 

  • Convert Route 50 to Dial-A-Ride service. 
  • Reduce early morning and evening service and discontinue Saturday service due to low ridership.
Route 60 | Placer Commuter Express 
A map showing a current route in solid green and a proposed route in dashed green.

Route 60 provides two trips in each direction between Colfax and downtown Sacramento with seven stops in Placer County. The first trip in the morning and the last trip in the afternoon have much lower ridership than the other trips. Even with more employees returning to their offices in the future, ridership on these two trips would still be low and options such as Roseville Transit’s fixed routes would be available. Ridership on the segment of the route between Auburn and Colfax is very low. 

Our recommendations: 

  • Discontinue the trips that arrive at J Street and 4th Street in Sacramento at 6:50 AM and depart at 5:15 PM due to low ridership. 
  • Discontinue the route segment between Auburn and Colfax due to low ridership.
Route 70 | Lincoln Circulator and Route 80 | Lincoln Circulator Overflow 
A map showing current and proposed bus routes in a town, including a park-and-ride lot.

Route 70 provides local service within the City of Lincoln with buses operating every 60 minutes. Connections with Route 20 are provided at the Twelve Bridges Library. Route 80 has a similar route path to Route 70 but has only one trip in the morning and one in the afternoon to handle students who would otherwise overload Route 70.  

Our recommendation: 

  • Extend Route 70 to serve 1st Street and 3rd Street between R Street and Joiner Parkway and end the route at the park-and-ride on Industrial Avenue. 
Auburn/Highway 49 Dial-A-Ride and Auburn OnDemand 

Both services operate in the Auburn and North Auburn areas including the SR 49 corridor. Auburn/Highway 49 Dial-A-Ride operates on weekdays from 6:00 AM to 7:30 PM and Saturdays from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Auburn OnDemand runs Monday to Saturday from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM. 

Our recommendations: 

  • Expand service to the area east of the existing on-demand zones and south of Bell Road (including the Raley’s on Lincoln Way and the Auburn Interfaith Food Closet on Auburn Ravine Road). 
  • Coordinate the apps used by each service so that riders are aware of the availability of each service and to clearly define which service is available in an area. 
  • Reduce service span for Auburn OnDemand to be 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday to Friday and 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday.
Granite Bay Dial-A-Ride 

Service is available weekdays from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM from the area south of Olive Ranch Road to the Sacramento County line, east of Sierra College Boulevard to Folsom Lake, and along Douglas Boulevard between Sierra College Boulevard and the I-80 interchange in Roseville. Granite Bay has the lowest ridership of all the on-demand areas in western Placer County. 

Our recommendations: 

  • Provide service for four hours weekday middays rather than the current two peak service periods. 
  • Consider an agreement with Roseville Transit for Roseville’s Arrow service to provide service to this area.  
Lincoln Dial-A-Ride 

Service is available in the City of Lincoln on weekdays from 6:30 AM to 6:35 PM and Saturdays from 8:20 AM to 4:20 PM. New developments are increasing demand for the service and resulting in longer trips.  

Our recommendation: 

  • Add more weekday service during times of heaviest ridership.
Rocklin/Loomis Dial-A-Ride 

Service is available on weekdays from 6:30 AM to 7:55 PM and Saturdays from 8:00 AM to 3:55 PM. 

Our recommendation: 

  • No change to current service. 

Next Steps Prior to September 2024 PCTPA Board Meeting 

The recommended service plan will be refined based on public comments received for the draft service plan prior to August 16th and further coordination with transit providers and local jurisdictions. The final COA is then anticipated to be presented to the PCTPA Board of Directors at their meeting on September 25, 2024.

More Information 

The following documents have been produced in collaboration with the TAC: