The STATUS Newsletter is published every month after the STA Board meeting to inform the public and our stakeholders of what’s happening with transportation in Solano County.
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- Consolidated Transportation Services Agency (CTSA) Advisory Committee via Zoom on 4/28/22 at 9:30am
- Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) via Zoom on 5/5/22 at 6pm
- STA Board Meeting in Suisun and via Zoom on 5/11/22 at 6pm
- Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Advisory Committee via Zoom on 5/18/22 at 1:30pm
- Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC) via Zoom on 5/19/22 at 1pm
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IN THIS EDITION:
- Caltrans presents 2022 SHOPP Projects
- State Budget Update and Legislation
- City of Dixon presents Priority Production Area (PPA) to the STA Board
- STA’s Housing Collaborative supports Solano County’s Housing Element Updates
- STA adopts One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) 3 Criteria and Public Outreach Plan
- Alma Hernandez, Suisun Mayor Pro Tem, joins STA Board & SolTrans Board
- Solano Express Transition Update
- Get Active in May for Bike Month
- Solano Mobility Call Center Updates
- Solano Residents Complete Survey for Connected Mobility Implementation Plan
- Suisun City Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP) Survey
- Get Involved with STA Advisory Committees
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Caltrans presents 2022 SHOPP Projects
Caltrans provided an update of Caltrans’ State Highway Operations and Protection Program (SHOPP) funded projects programmed for Solano County at the April STA Board Meeting. SHOPP projects are programmed in 4 year cycles, with Solano County’s current list of projects totaling $235 million. These projects include three SR-12 pavement rehabilitation projects, SR-29 pavement rehabilitation and complete streets projects, the I-80 Capital Preventative Maintenance Project (CAPM), and multiple Route 113 projects.
For more information about the SHOPP program, please click here.
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State Budget Update and Legislation
Governor Newsom and the State Legislature have begun debating the State Budget for FY 2022-23 which includes various proposals for transportation. State Legislation has also begun to wind through the various policy committees. The STA Board approved the adoption of their recommended positions on nine state bills that have been introduced this session:
State Bills to Watch:
- AB 1938: Transit and Intercity Rail Recovery Task Force
- AB 2237: Regional transportation plans: active transportation
- AB 2438: Transportation projects: alignment with state plans
- SB 917: Seamless Transit Transformation Act
- SB 942: Low Carbon Transit Operations Program: Free or Reduced Fare Transit Program
State Bills to Support:
- AB 2622: Sales and Use Taxes: Exemptions: California Hybrid and Zero-Emission and
- Bus Voucher Incentive Project: Transit Buses
- SB 922: California Environmental Quality Act: exemptions: transportation-related projects
- SB 1049: Transportation Resilience Program
- SB 1050: the State Route 37 Toll Bridge Act
A more detailed State Budget update is scheduled for the May Board meeting when the Governor’s May report is released.
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City of Dixon presents Priority Production Area (PPA) to the STA Board
The City of Dixon presented their Priority Production Area (PPA), located in the Northeast Corner of the City of Dixon, to the STA Board at the April 13 Board meeting. Their efforts are in coordination with Solano Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) update to the "Moving Solano Forward" economic strategy for Solano County, which is being funded by an Economic Development Agency (EDA) grant with matching funds provided by STA, the County, and all seven cities. Of the City of Dixon’s 632-acre PPA area, 258.4 acres have been designated for industrial land use. This underdeveloped area will be able to support as many as 14,587 jobs.
Click here to see the City of Dixon’s PPA presentation.
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STA’s Housing Collaborative supports Solano County’s Housing Element Updates
The STA Board established the Solano Housing Investment Partnership (SolHIP) in 2019 between the STA, Solano County, and all seven Cities to develop local and countywide planning resources to plan for, pursue funding for, and to expedite the production of housing (particularly affordable housing adjacent to regional transit services located in priority development areas) to meet the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) and Priority Development Area (PDA) implementation. The STA was designated by the Solano County Board of Supervisors as the County Collaborative on Housing, allowing the STA to continue coordinating with the seven cities and County and provide Regional Early Action Planning (REAP 1.0) funding resources for Housing Element Updates in partnership with the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).
The next housing workshop will focus on the Fair Housing Assessment and is scheduled for June 2022. All seven cities and the County are working on implementing their housing elements through this collaborative process. The deadline for each of the jurisdictions to complete the housing element is January 2023.
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STA adopts One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) 3 Criteria and Public Outreach Plan
The STA Board approved the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) 3 evaluation criteria and public outreach process for the allocation of $15.11 million in OBAG 3 grant funds at the April Board meeting. The evaluation criteria reflects the regional criteria developed by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for the OBAG 3 process, along with the additional criteria to add Priority Conservation Areas (PCAs); to add both statewide Area Median Income (AMI) and CalEnviroScreen 4.0/Disadvantaged Communities to the Equity Criteria; and to add a weighing scale to the Equity Criteria scoring that awards higher points to projects/programs that are located or benefit areas with more equity factors. The public outreach process includes a comprehensive list of community-based organizations and STA’s various citizen and technical advisory committees. The Call for Projects will be issued at the May 11th STA Board meeting.
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Alma Hernandez, Suisun Mayor Pro Tem, joins STA Board & SolTrans Board
Suisun City Mayor Pro Tem Alma Hernandez has been appointed to represent the city of Suisun City on the STA Board. She attended her first meeting at the April 13th meeting, where she was also appointed to represent the Solano Transportation Authority as a member of the SolTrans Board. Welcome to the STA Board, Suisun City Mayor Pro Tem Alma Hernandez.
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Solano Express Transition Update
STA transit and marketing staff continue to work with Solano County Transit (SolTrans) and the City of Fairfield, which staffs Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST), to transition the two routes of the Solano Express service operated by FAST through a contract with STA, the Green Express and Blue Line, to SolTrans. SolTrans successfully began operating the Green Line (formerly Green Express) on April 4, 2022. The Green Line schedule remains virtually the same, with only minor time adjustments to improve coordination with El Cerrito del Norte BART stops and to incorporate a bus operator break.
During the April 13 Board meeting, SolTrans presented a summary of the transition and remaining issues to be addressed to facilitate the transition of the Blue Line service from FAST to SolTrans in August 2022. This transition is anticipated to be more intricate, as the operation of the Blue Line requires more buses; nine of the remaining 14 buses are old (2003) and in need of replacement. At the April 13 meeting, the STA Board authorized STA to negotiate a purchase or lease agreement for additional express buses for the Blue Line and Solano Express service until new buses are delivered. The Board also approved for STA to negotiate a lease for an interim north county bus operations facility for SolTrans buses and their drivers. STA’s priority continues to focus on minimizing any impact on the Solano Express riders or to the recently revised schedule approved by the STA Board in February, while working with both SolTrans and FAST to successfully transition the service.
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Get Active in May for Bike Month
This year, Solano Mobility will host events throughout May to celebrate Bike Month, starting with Solano Mobility's #BikeMonth challenge. Sign up on the Commute Solano platform, log 5 trips, and get rewarded with a $25 gift card of your choice. On May 20th, celebrate Bike To Work Day. Volunteers will pass out free bags at the Suisun Amtrak station, Vallejo Ferry building, and on the Benicia Bike path. The public is invited to come by and learn more about Bucks for Bikes and other Solano Mobility commuter incentive programs. Lastly, celebrate with community bike rides throughout Solano County.
Let this be the year to start a new and healthy lifestyle and help reduce heavy traffic congestion and unnecessary delays. You can be a part of reducing air pollution while getting in some exercise by participating in #BikeMonth. For more information on #BikeMonth or #BikeMonth events, visit Solanomobility.org or call (800) 535-6883.
Solano Transportation Authority and Solano Land Trust partnered with cities and local agencies to create Xplore Solano, one convenient place for Solano residents to find events, activities, trails, parks, and destinations in Solano County using their mobile device. Visit the Xplore Solano app website for more information, and download the Outerspatial app at the Apple Store or on Google Play to access the Xplore Solano Community account and make plans to celebrate Bike Month!
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Solano Mobility Call Center Updates
During March 2022, the Solano Mobility Call Center took 709 customer calls, an increase due to more inquiries on Solano Express, RTC/Clipper cards, Commuter incentives, and website views. Additionally, there were 205 Pex card transactions, 6 RTC applications processed, and 5,087 Solano Mobility website views.
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Solano Residents Complete Survey for Connected Mobility Implementation Plan
The Solano Transportation Authority (STA) is developing the Connected Mobility Implementation Plan to identify and improve mobility options (e.g. bus, ferry, train, bike) between Solano County residents’ homes and destinations. STA conducted a Connected Mobility Survey between October 2021 and March 2022 to gather valuable data on how STA can improve residents’ travel experience within and outside of Solano County. The data from the 602 surveys collected will be used to help inform the Solano Connected Mobility Implementation Plan.
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Suisun City Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP) Survey
The Solano Transportation Authority (STA) and the City of Suisun City are inviting Suisun residents to complete a short survey here as part of Phase I of its Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP). The STA has partnered with the City of Suisun City to implement a CBTP to help the City and STA better understand current transit conditions, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and opportunities to make mobility services more accessible and efficient for older adults, youth, low-income, individuals with disabilities, and all residents across the community. By providing their feedback, community members will help Suisun City design transportation system improvements that work for them. STA has collected 421 surveys to date from Suisun City residents.
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Get involved with STA Advisory Committees
STA is asking for your help to build a more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly Solano County. The STA currently has open positions on our Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC). The BAC and PAC advise the STA on the development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities as an active mode of transportation in Solano County. Committee members also help STA develop countywide transportation plans and projects and provide funding recommendations for active transportation projects.
We are looking for the following representatives:
Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC)
- City of Fairfield
- City of Suisun
Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC)
- City of Dixon
- City of Vacaville
- Member-at-Large
- Member-at-Large (Solano Community College)
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