Report Grades Sacramento's Rail Transit Stations

A new scorecard grading California transit rail stations on how well they encourage rider-ship gives Sacramento a "C."

The grading is based on how well station areas connect to amenities and create walk-able areas. UC Berkeley researcher Ethan Elkind says downtown stations scored well. 

"The best-performing station area was at 7th and K Street," says Elkind.

He says that station received an "A" for its accessibility to amenities and walk-ability.

The station that got an "F" was at Longview Drive and I-80 because of its location in a car dependent area. Elkind says the point of the report is not to force people out of their cars or require them to live in dense environments.

"It's more about just accommodating that segment of the market that would like to have a more convenient lifestyle," says Elkind. "And since we have this rail transit system already in place, we should take advantage of that."

Noel Perry is with Next 10, the non-partisan think-tank that commissioned the report. He says the study is not a critique of Sacramento Regional Transit. 

"These problems are complex having to do with land use around these different stations," says Elkind. "This is all about trying to show where the successes are and where the challenges can be met for the other stations."

The report urges policy makers to build more walk-able neighborhoods that transit can eventually serve. SF Muni got the highest grade of a B. BART received a B-minus.