San Joaquin Regional Transit District

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San Joaquin Regional Transit District
Overview
Locale	Stockton, California
Transit type	Paratransit Commuter
Number of stations	Downtown Transit Center Mall Transfer Center Hammer Lane Transfer Station
Daily ridership	Total Annual Ridership (FY16)4,047,559 trips
Operation
Operator(s)	San Joaquin Regional Transit District Official website
Technical
System length	San Joaquin County / 1,426 square miles mile2 (3,854 km²)

BRT Express, formerly known as the Metro Express

San Joaquin Regional Transit District (known as "San Joaquin RTD" or simply as RTD) is a transit district that provides bus service to the city of Stockton, California and the surrounding communities of Lodi, Ripon, Thornton, French Camp, Lathrop, Manteca, and Tracy. San Joaquin RTD operates 30 local fixed routes to the Stockton metropolitan area, including 4 Metro Express routes, RTD’s Bus Rapid Transit service. San Joaquin Regional Transit also operates seven Metro Hopper routes that provide fixed route and complimentary deviations for ADA certified passengers, five County Hopper routes that travel to neighboring cities in San Joaquin County. County Hoppers, like Metro Hoppers are fixed routes with complimentary deviations for ADA certified passengers. Finally they operate Commuter services includes two routes that serve Sacramento and the East Bay (Dublin/Pleasanton’s BART station), with subscription service available for commuters.

History[]

In 1963, legislative groundwork began for the establishment of a public transit special district in Stockton, and in 1965, the Stockton Metropolitan Transit District (SMTD) began providing service for the residents of Stockton. In late 1979, SMTD moved operations from Grant and Channel Streets to its current Lindsay Street facility. In 1985, SMTD adopted the nickname “SMART.” In 1990, SMART began providing fully accessible fixed route and Dial-A-Ride services for the elderly and persons with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. In 1994, enabling legislation expanded SMART’s service area to the San Joaquin County border, bringing with it a name change to reflect its expansion - San Joaquin Regional Transit District, or SJRTD for short. That same year, SJRTD expanded its Interregional Commuter service to offer additional routes to commuters traveling to the Bay Area and Sacramento. In 2004, SJRTD adopted “San Joaquin RTD” as its new corporate identity and developed a new logo. That same year, RTD introduced low-emission diesel-electric hybrid buses via its “Flower Bus,” with a full-wrap sunflower display designed to complement the slogan “A Breath of Fresh Air.” At the end of 2006, RTD opened the Downtown Transit Center for the public, with a floor for employee offices. In 2017, by converting its route 44 to electric buses, RTD became the first transit agency in the United States to operate a fully electric BRT route.

Access San Joaquin[]

A consolidated transportation agency that was formed by local transit agencies and the San Joaquin Council of Governments in San Joaquin County, RTD was designated to be the CTSA for San Joaquin County. The local agencies that make up the board of the CTSA are:

• Escalon eTrans
• Ripon Blossom Express
• City of Lathrop
• City of Lodi Grapeline
• Manteca Transit
• Tracy Tracer
• RTD

Programs that are currently offered include:

• Centralized location for ADA Assessment for Paratransit (Dial-a-Ride) services for all transit agencies in the county.

Centralized location for Discount Fare Card assessment for senior citizens, people with disabilities and Medicare Card holders in the county.

• Access Pass (Formerly the FREEdom Program): Allows all ADA Paratransit qualified passengers to ride most fixed route services offered by transit agencies in the San Joaquin County. All passengers who have been certified through Access San Joaquin will receive a Photo ID card. Passengers will show this card to bus operators to board as paid fare.

• Discount Fare Cards: Available to those with disabilities and Senior Citizens (60 or older for residents those living in Stockton, Lodi or Ripon; 62 or older for residents of Manteca, 65 or older for residents living in Tracy and Escalon.

• Travel Training: Someone with extensive knowledge of the transportation agencies will work together with senior citizens and passengers with disabilities to learn how to use the fixed route systems.

• RTD Van Go! : RTD's own Ride Share or Mobility on Demand service, similar to RTD Go! Difference is that multiple passengers may ride in the same vehicle to different destinations. Currently serves the entire San Joaquin County^[1] The service hours are from:
  • 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Weekdays and weekends

• My Ride: A fuel reimbursement program for ADA certified passengers, for traveling to medical appointments in the San Joaquin County. ADA certified passengers can use this service option to choose their family and or friends to take them to their medical appointments. Passenger and Driver complete waiver forms, once forms are turned in, they are enrolled in the program.

For more information visit the Access San Joaquin Web Page

RTD's active rolling stock[]

SMA Routes

Year	Manufacturer	Model	Length (feet)	Fleet series	Quantity	Fuel	Image
2006	Gillig	Low floor	31		10	Diesel hybrid
2009	Gillig	Low floor	40		3	Diesel hybrid
2010	Gillig	Low floor	40		2	Diesel hybrid
2012	Proterra	EcoRide	33		2	Electric
2013	Gillig	Low Floor	40		20	Diesel hybrid
2016	Proterra	Catalyst	40		3	Electric

BRT Express[]

BRT Express is RTD's express bus service, and uses uniquely branded, low-emission diesel–electric hybrid buses that arrive at their stops every 15 minutes during weekday peak hours and every 30 minutes on weeknights, weekends, and holidays. BRT Express passengers are required to have a valid, pre-paid RTD bus pass or ticket to ride. Fare vending machines, located at BRT Express stops and the Downtown Transit Center (DTC), are available for passengers to purchase single ride, day, and 31-day passes. BRT Express uses the same fare structure and passes as RTD’s regular fixed routes, and passes issued by the Fare Vending Machines can be used on any of RTD's regular fixed routes.

The Downtown Transit Center (DTC)[]

Completed December 2006, the DTC has three off-street bus lanes, two passenger boarding platforms, and a two-story building. Nearly all RTD routes connect at the DTC, which has 20 sheltered, off-street bus stops as well as additional streetside stops on the north and south sides. The DTC building incorporates the façades of three historic buildings (Hart & Thrift, Bower, and Delta) on its front elevation. The first floor of the DTC has a waiting area, public restrooms, and a customer service center where riders can get maps and schedules, purchase fares, and make customer comments. RTD leases 2,100 square feet (200 m²) of retail space for a restaurant on the east end, and a police satellite station provides the DTC with two RTD-contracted police officers. A boardroom available for public meetings occupies the west end of the first floor and RTD administrative offices occupy the rest of the building. As of April 2, 2018, in partnership with RTD, Greyhound now uses the DTC as its Stockton, California stop.

On average, 6,000 people use the DTC each weekday.

All Electric Fleet arriving 2025[]

In 2018 RTD introduced their first all-electric bus route. RTD plans to have a fleet of all electric buses by 2025. The current fleet of all-electric buses as of today, are manufactured by Proterra Inc.

Route List[]

On March 11, 2018 RTD introduced a system wide change to their SMA routes, which included map, scheduling and numerical changes. RTD has also rebranded their Metro Express Service to BRT Express.

Stockton Metropolitan Area Service
40 - BRT Express - Pacific Corridor: DTC - Hammer Triangle
43 - BRT Express - Hammer Corridor: Mariners – Hammer Triangle – Holman
44 - BRT Express - Airport Corridor: DTC – Stockton Metro Airport
47 - BRT Express - Midtown Corridor: DMV – DTC – Eastland Plaza – Fremont – Franklin HS
49 - BRT Express - MLK Corridor: Edison High - SJ Fairgrounds - Rancho San Miguel - Walgreens
510 - DTC - Amtrak - County Hospital - Honor Farm
515 - DTC - Boggs Tract - Lincoln - 8th - Pajaro
520 - DTC - California - West Lane - Kaiser
525 - DTC- Main - Oro - Gertrude School
545 - MTS - Country Club - Fontana
555 - DTC - Stanislaus - MLK - Weston Ranch
566 - HTS - Thornton - Trinity Parkway
576 - DTC - Wilson Way - Alpine Sanguinetti
578 - DTC - Pershing - MTS
580 - DTC - Wilson Way - B Street - Farmington - Section - Oro

Stockton Metropolitan Area (Limited Weekday Service) All 300 series routes currently suspended due to COVID 19
315 - MLK – San Joaquin – DTC Argonaut – 8th – Houston
335 - MTS - March Lane - Holman
340 - Morada – Holman – Alpine – Myrtle
345 - Malls – Kermit – Hammer – Kaiser
360 - Alpine – March – Holman – West Lane – Sanguinetti – Cherokee
365 - Kelly – Don – Otto
371 - Malls - Claremont - Holman - Auto Center
375 - CalWorks – Cherokee – Holman – Morada
378 - Mall – Pershing – DTC – B St. – Section – Oro
380 - 10th St. – Airport – Nightingale – Franklin HS
385 - Farm – Togninali – Boeing – Frontage 99
390 - Pock – Oro – Myrtle – Cardinal – Togninali – Frontage 99

Metro Hopper Service (Weekdays Only)

1 NORTHWEST STOCKTON
2 NORTHWEST STOCKTON
3 NORTH STOCKTON
4 CENTRAL STOCKTON
5 CENTRAL STOCKTON
6 NORTHEAST STOCKTON
9 SOUTHEAST STOCKTON

Weekend Service
710 - DTC – San Joaquin – Manthey – County Hospital
715 - 8th – MLK Blvd – Airport – Mariposa
720 - DTC – Cherokee
725 - Acacia – DTC – Fremont – Main
745 - Malls – Pershing – Country Club

County Hopper Service (Weekdays Only)
90 - Tracy – Lathrop - Stockton
91 - Stockton – Manteca – Ripon
93 - Stockton – Lodi
95 - Stockton - Manteca - Escalon
97 - Tracy – Lathrop – Manteca

Interregional Commuter Service (Weekdays only, excluding route 150)
150 - RTD - BART - Commuter: Stockton, Lathrop, Tracy, to Dublin/Pleasanton BART
152 - Stockton/Lathrop to Livermore Labs (Suspended during COVID 19)
163 - Sacramento Via Highway 99

References[]

External links[]

• Access San Joaquin
• RTD Welcomes Greyhound to DTC
• National Express Transit to operate San Joaquin RTD services
• RTD Main Site
• RTD fired employees for Grand Jury testimony
• RTD Wins APTA Grand Award for Electronic Media
• Stockton Record, October 6, 2009 RTD Introduces Metro Hopper Service
• Grand Opening of RTD's Mall Transfer Station, April 23, 2009
• RTD's Response to the grand jury report
• Official Grand Jury Report
• Stockton Record, June 21, 2008 article detailing the grand jury report
• News 10, June 20, 2008 Interview
• Stockton Record, July 7, 2008 article about RTD's plans to increase fares across the board
• List of San Joaquin RTD routes and descriptions