Roseville Transit's new Rapid Link express bus started service on Thursday, Oct. 1. It runs from the Galleria to the Watt/I-80 light rail station with stops at both Roseville hospitals, it uses all-electric buses, and for now it is free. It also runs Monday through Friday only, with one bus an hour, and the last northbound trip leaves Watt/I-80 at 6:48 p.m.
Those hours decide what the bus is good for. Rapid Link won't get you home from an evening downtown or carry you on a Saturday. On a weekday between late morning and dinnertime, though, it connects Roseville to SacRT's Blue Line and downtown Sacramento, and this fall's downtown calendar has a good amount happening during exactly those hours.
The Timetable Sets the Limits
The full route has five stops: Lincoln Park & Ride at Industrial Avenue and Highway 65, the Galleria Transfer Point, Sutter Roseville Medical Center, Kaiser Roseville Medical Center, and the Watt Avenue/I-80 light rail station. For Roseville riders, the Galleria Transfer Point at Galleria Circle and West Drive is the easiest place to start. The City lists it as a park-and-ride lot with 50 parking spaces.
Here are the trips that matter for a day out, from the City's posted schedule. The City marks the times at intermediate stops as approximate.
| Direction | First trip | Last trip | Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galleria to Watt/I-80 | Leaves 7:10 a.m., arrives 7:42 a.m. | Leaves 6:10 p.m., arrives 6:42 p.m. | Hourly, leaving at 10 past the hour |
| Watt/I-80 to Galleria | Leaves 6:48 a.m., arrives 7:14 a.m. | Leaves 6:48 p.m., arrives 7:14 p.m. | Hourly, leaving at 48 past the hour |
The schedule has one misprint to watch for. In the 11:42 a.m. southbound trip from Lincoln, the Galleria arrival is printed as "11:55 p.m." even though every other time in that stretch is a midday time. The City points riders to the TripShot app to plan trips, track buses in real time and get service alerts. That's the most reliable way to check the current timing before you leave home.
The posted schedule says Monday through Friday and doesn't address weekday holidays. Before planning around Veterans Day or the Friday after Thanksgiving, call Roseville Transit's trip-planning line at (916) 745-7560.
A Weekday Downtown, Planned Around the Bus
At Watt/I-80, Rapid Link meets SacRT's Blue Line. Heading south, the Blue Line runs through the downtown stations at 12th & I, Cathedral Square, 7th & Capitol and 8th & O. Hourly buses at fixed times make it easy to plan a day backward from the ride home. Here's a Wednesday in November built on the published schedules:
- 11:10 a.m. Board Rapid Link at the Galleria Transfer Point. It's scheduled to reach Watt/I-80 at 11:42.
- Late morning Take the Blue Line south to 8th & O and walk to the Crocker Art Museum at 216 O Street. It's open Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Early afternoon Head to the State Capitol for a free tour. Tours run on weekdays every hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a limit of 35 people per tour on a first-come, first-served basis. From November through March, the free Capitol Park tour moves to Wednesdays at 1 p.m.
- 2 p.m. or later Skate at the Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink in Ali Youssefi Square at 7th & K Streets. It opens at 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.
- Late afternoon Take the Blue Line back north and catch the 5:48 or 6:48 p.m. Rapid Link from Watt/I-80. Those buses reach the Galleria around 6:14 and 7:14 p.m.
The 6:48 p.m. bus is the one that limits the day. Leave enough time for the light rail ride back to Watt/I-80, because missing that bus means finding another way home to Roseville.
Downtown's Fall Calendar Lines Up With the Bus
The reason a weekday trip is worth planning this season is that three downtown venues have daytime schedules that fall inside Rapid Link's hours.
- Crocker Art Museum. "Gleefully Askew: A Gladys Nilsson Retrospective" is on view through Nov. 29, 2026. Since Nov. 29 is a Sunday, Thanksgiving week is the last weekday stretch to see it by bus. "Hot Takes: New Acquisitions in Glass" runs through Feb. 14, 2027. Two exhibitions open Nov. 1: "Between Earth and Sky: Contemporary Maya Paintings from Guatemala" and "A Fine Feast: The Japanese Art of Dining." "Samurai: Armor from the Collection of Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller" opens Dec. 23, which is a Wednesday.
- Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink. The season runs Nov. 4, 2026, through Jan. 18, 2027. Opening day is a Wednesday. Regular hours are 2 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The rink is closed on Mondays except holidays. On Veterans Day, which falls on Wednesday, Nov. 11 this year, it's open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- California State Capitol. The Capitol Museum is open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's closed on weekends and most holidays, and it's currently running at limited capacity. Since the building is closed on weekends, its open days line up with Rapid Link's.
Several things on the same calendar don't fit. The Crocker stays open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays, and the rink's evening sessions run late, but both go well past the last bus. SacRT says its light rail stops are one block from Golden 1 Center, yet evening events there end long after 6:48 p.m. Old Sacramento's Third Thursdays run from 4 to 8 p.m. each month, and the next one is Oct. 15. That start time leaves very little time before the last bus. Downtown's holiday tree lightings are also evening events. As of mid-October, the organizers haven't posted 2026 dates for the Old Sacramento or Capitol ceremonies, so check their pages before you plan.
The Free Rapid Link Ride Covers Only Part of the Trip
Rapid Link costs nothing for now, but the Blue Line doesn't. SacRT's basic single fare is $2.50. A light rail single ticket is good for 90 minutes on light rail. A single ticket bought in the Transit Connect app is good for 90 minutes on both buses and light rail. Once Rapid Link starts charging, keep in mind that SacRT accepts Roseville Transit fares only at the Louis/Orlando Transit Center, not at Watt/I-80.
SacRT has temporarily replaced trains with a bus bridge between City College and Florin from Oct. 8 through Oct. 17. Trains are running normally between Watt/I-80 and City College, which covers the downtown stations, and regular Blue Line service is scheduled to return Oct. 18.
The City hasn't announced when the free period ends. Its route page says only "Free fares for a limited time." The Sacramento Bee reported in its preview that officials hadn't specified the eventual fare. Abridged by PBS KVIE reported that full service is expected to phase in by March 2027, with buses every 30 minutes and a $2 fare. Treat that as a reported expectation, not a posted fare. If it holds, a round trip on Rapid Link would cost $4 on top of SacRT's fare, and the free ride runs only through the winter.
What Happens After the Free Period Depends on Riders
According to Abridged, Rapid Link launched as a three-year pilot, and its future depends on performance and ridership. In the same story, Roseville alternative transportation manager Ed Scofield said a successful line could stay in service or possibly expand to weekends:
"We'd have to secure additional regional operating funds, but there's all kinds of things we could do, especially if we show there's a demand," Scofield told Abridged. "That's exciting."
Abridged reported that the October debut is a soft launch with a limited number of buses running at 60-minute intervals. Roseville transit operations manager Rich Frost explained the approach at a city transportation commission meeting: "This phased approach allows us to introduce the service in a controlled, reliable manner." Scofield also told Abridged the project "started just before COVID," and that the goal is to connect people traveling between Sacramento and destinations such as the hospitals, the Galleria and Lincoln. Roseville Transit bought five new electric buses for the line and installed chargers at its corporate yard and at the Galleria. Roseville Today and Gold Country Media covered the weekday hourly service and free introductory rides ahead of launch.
The free period also covers downtown's holiday calendar, from the ice rink's opening on Nov. 4 through the Crocker's "Samurai" opening on Dec. 23. Weekday rides between now and the expected March 2027 changeover count toward the ridership the pilot will be judged on. The City's Rapid Link page has the current schedule and a link for email updates.
Changes like a new express line from the Galleria to light rail are part of how Olani Properties follows what's happening across Roseville. If you'd like to know where your home stands as the area around it changes, get your free home valuation from our team.
