Correction May 25, 2026: A source’s name was spelled incorrectly in this story’s initial publication. This has since been corrected.

At the back of the Sacramento State campus, Sacramento’s light rail train leaves and arrives every 15 minutes on weekdays. Despite it being so close to campus, not all students  know about or use this resource.

Jeff Dierking, the director of university transportation, parking, print and mail services at Sac State said about 7,000 students received a commuter sleeve from UTAPS or the Bursar’s Office during the Spring 2026 semester, out of 31,000 enrolled students.

Dierking said Regional Transit provides wider commute choices for no additional cost, since the commuter sleeve is covered through student fees. re

“These resources can help reduce travel cost, limit greenhouse gas emissions, reduce congestion on our roadways and provide alternatives when personal vehicle travel may not be an option,” Dierking said.

Jessica Gonzalez, a spokesperson for Sacramento Regional Transit, said SacRT is a 440 square mile service area from Folsom to Elk Grove and to the Yolo County line. Students with the commuter sleeve on their OneCard have access to the Gold and Blue Line light rail trains, city buses and the Yolobus to Davis.

“There’s many cities our size that do not have a light rail system,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a really big deal that we have light rail, [are] able to utilize it and that more students are doing it. It means that way if you move to a bigger city that has transit or it means if you get a job downtown after graduating, then light rail and transit can just be part of your lifestyle.”

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Joseph Kannathumadam, a junior political science major,said he started taking the light rail in September 2025 when he moved to Sacramento and uses it 2-3 times a week.

“I was really surprised by how accessible and useful it’s been to me,” Kannathumadam said. “I thought without a car, my transportation in Sac would be limited, but with the light rail, it’s really allowed me to navigate pretty easily.”

Gonzalez said the two best transit options for students are the University 65th Street Station and the CSUS transit center near the Welcome Center. Students can catch the Gold Line light rail from the 65th Street Station or the 26, 38, 65, 81, 82 or 87 bus from the transit center. 

“I know parking can be a real challenge for many students,” Gonzalez said. “Knowing that SacRT can get you to and from your classes without having that headache of finding parking and dealing with traffic, I think the convenience is really great.”

Ryan Thrailkill, a junior political science major, said he uses light rail at least twice a week for grocery shopping or  getting food.

“[It is a] fast, free way to get downtown,” Thrailkill said. “I like the light rail a lot. I hope it gets better. I heard there’s a proposal to fund public transportation through sales taxes, and I hope it passes.”

The proposal, known as the Sacramento Safe Streets and Affordable Transit Measure, seeks to implement a half cent sales tax within the city to fund road repair, transit and transit-oriented housing.

Gonzalez said everyone wants transit expansion, but the challenge is funding.  

“SacRT only receives ⅕ of a penny in local sales tax, which is a fraction of what our peer transit agencies get which means it’s very challenging for us to do expansion projects,” Gonzalez said.

Kannathumadam said extended service beyond the Blue and Gold Lines, frequently running trains and late-night service would make light rail more convenient. 

SacRT provides service to many people who may not have the option of driving. Gonzalez said they perform a Title VI analysis every year which looks at low-income areas.

“From our 2025 survey, it looks like 70.5% of SacRT passengers are a minority and 58.9% are low-income,” Gonzalez said. “That’s compared to the census data for our service area where 60% is minority and 14% are low income.”

Gonzalez said next year SacRT plans to move students’ commuter passes to their Transit Connect app. This will allow students to ride for free without a  OneCard or commuter sleeve.

“I am really grateful that my tuition and fees cover the cost of transportation,” Kannathumadam said. “When I moved to Sacramento, I was concerned to move to a more car-centric city, rather than the bay, but I was pleasantly surprised.”

Additional reporting by Vanessa Gomez