According to RT’s northwest route map, Natomas currently receives weekday service on Routes 11 (Truxel Road) and 89 (Gateway Oaks), with service 7 days a week on Routes 13 (Northgate), 14 (Norwood), 86 (San Juan – Silver Eagle), and 88 (West El Camino). Based on service reductions described in RT’s published summary, bus routes 13 and 14 are losing their weekend service, and bus route 89 is being eliminated altogether.
Considering where all of the city’s low income housing was constructed in the past several years (much of which is concentrated near Del Paso and Truxel Roads) and the economically challenged Northgate corridor, it appears Natomas residents with the least amount of resources were disproportionately impacted by these transit service cuts. These are our neighbors who are more likely to depend on public transit, many of whom have varying work schedules and are more likely to rely on weekend bus service to get to their jobs.
Candidates for the June 8 city council election responded to constituents’ concerns about these service cuts at a debate hosted by the Natomas Community Association Wednesday night, moderated by the League of Women Voters of Sacramento County.
Angelique Ashby responded with concern that Tretheway did not advocate for Natomas residents with the greatest need. “RT has been cut, and this week we took another huge disproportionate hit,” Ashby said. “I don’t understand — and Ray is on that board.”
Tretheway claimed that the bus service cuts would not have much of an impact on Natomas. “I’ll assure you that no [bus] lines in Natomas, South or North, were cut, with one exception, for weekends at all,” Tretheway said. “One goes through North Sacramento, ends up to Natomas Marketplace and out, so it’s got, the last leg is Natomas. That one was cut on weekends. All the rest I fought to restore. They were on the cutting block a week ago Monday — every one was restored.”
However, upon carefully reviewing RT route maps, RT’s Issue Paper, and the bulletin posted on RT’s home page, the only Natomas route that was restored from the original proposal was Route 13 (Northgate), and that restoration only applies to weekdays, not weekends. All of the other proposed Natomas service reductions were voted into effect, in spite of Tretheway’s assurances to the contrary.
Either Tretheway is quite confused and does not know what he voted for this week in his capacity as an RT Board member, or he is being dishonest to his constituents. Neither is acceptable.
Residents throughout Natomas are tired of paying for services and not receiving their fair share. Many in North Natomas are sharing the same frustrations of broken promises that residents in South Natomas have been feeling for decades. In just two months, voters will have the opportunity to elect an intelligent and articulate leader who is willing to work together, build partnerships, listen to the community, and advocate for the region – someone who will fight for the people of Natomas and help our region and Sacramento as a whole meet its potential.
Thank you, Keith. That was a very good summation of the issue and of the candidate’s responses. It is clear that District One is in need of an articulate advocate who will present our issues in a cogent and organized manner, who will be tireless and who will NEVER GIVE UP! From everything I have seen in Natomas for the past four years, that person is Angelique Ashby.
I live in the Robla section of North Sac and rarely see anyone waiting for buses on weekends except along Norwood. While full RT service is nice, something had to go – what is the actual number of riders affected by the cuts? And what ONE weekend route do numbers support reinstating, if any?
Or is this piece really just a political attack? BAS
Norwood is one of the routes that was cut. One end is in North Natomas and the other end is downtown.
The main point of the article is that Tretheway did not state the truth during last week’s debate. He said only one route had its weekend service eliminated, when in fact it was two routes, leaving North Natomas without any weekend bus service whatsoever.
Tretheway needs to be honest about the cuts he voted for and not mislead his constituents when questioned about them.
I am sad to see the Buzz post an editorial like this. Consider yourself one reader fewer.
You want to attack Tretheway’s political record, fine. But calling him a liar? That’s spiteful and simply untrue. He’s been a dedicated public servant and served his country by VOLUNTEERING for the army as an infrantryman in Vietnam. For shame Keith!
Anonymous @ 5:46p — I disagree — I think it’s fine that the Buzz is taking editorials/statements from community activists who support various candidates. BUT — I hope they would/will be accepting similar pieces from Tretheway supporters (and more generally, from folks on all sides various issues in the community).
Thank you Buzz for being the ONLY quality, frequently-updated news source for Natomas.
I did not call Tretheway a “liar.” What I wrote was: “Either Tretheway is quite confused and does not know what he voted for this week in his capacity as an RT Board member, or he is being dishonest to his constituents. Neither is acceptable.”
I have no way of knowing whether he said incorrect information intentionally or by accident, and neither do you. Only he knows that. While lying is obviously worse than being grossly confused and mistaken, I stand by my words that neither of those traits are acceptable and that we deserve better leadership than that.
Dale Carnegie’s famous relationship building principles: always tell the truth; do not mislead anyone; make sure you have your facts straight before making a statement; if you make a mistake, admit it immediately and emphatically; and do not tolerate anything less than the truth from anyone else. I chose my words carefully — much more carefully than Tretheway did. What Tretheway said was not true and I proved it. People need to be held accountable to their words and Tretheway is no exception.
I include myself in that — if I ever make mistake in my writings, particularly when criticizing an elected official, I will retract and apologize for the error — “immediately and emphatically.”