Yolo Transportation District proposes Route 38 and 30‑minute service for parts of West Sacramento under short-range plan

Yolo Transportation District officials presented a draft short‑range transit plan (SRTP) to the West Sacramento commission that would shift the agency’s local strategy from coverage-focused hourly routes toward more frequent service in parts of the city.

Lola Torni, senior planner at YoloTD, described proposed changes that would consolidate routes 40, 41 and 240 into a new Route 38 linking north and south West Sacramento, keep Route 37 serving Downtown Sacramento during peak hours, and increase weekday headways for selected routes from hourly to every 30 minutes under a base‑funding scenario. “We’re proposing that these routes would come every 30 minutes instead of hourly,” Torni said.

Torni said the SRTP reflects public engagement in 2024 and later outreach: nearly two‑thirds of survey respondents preferred frequency over geographic coverage, and riders expressed a preference for fixed routes over microtransit. YoloTD outlined four funding scenarios—reductions to 90% or 80% of current service, a base case (100% of current miles/hours), and an aspirational expansion—explaining that the 30‑minute headways for Routes 37 and 38 depend on sustaining base or higher funding levels.

Commissioners raised questions about coordination with VIA (on-demand coverage) and with Sacramento Regional Transit (SACRT) for transfers. Torni said YoloTD will work with SACRT and the city to time transfer points and is planning fare‑policy changes, including ZipPass and a tap‑to‑ride system to reduce double fares on transfers: “You won’t be charged multiple times for a transfer,” she said.

The presentation also covered route adjustments in Davis and Woodland intended to reduce confusing detours, and noted that proposed Route 42 would keep countywide service while consolidating some transfer points into Downtown Woodland.

No vote was taken; YoloTD will continue analysis of paratransit needs, develop an implementation plan and identify which funding scenario(s) are feasible before rolling out changes on a community‑by‑community basis.