IN THIS EDITION:

• STA hosts Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) Board Meeting
• I-80 Express Lanes Update
• STA Board Approves Regional Measure 3 (RM3) Allocation For Solano County Projects
• STA prioritizes 2024 SHOPP Funding for SR113 and Mare Island Interchange
• STA Board Approves Updated Capital Plan for Solano Express Bus Replacement 
• Get Active in May for Bike Month
• STA’s Employer Commuter Program Updates
• SolTrans hosts Benicia Senior Transit Summit with Solano Mobility
• SR2S and Safe Moves host Bike Rodeo events in Vallejo and Fairfield
• Board Approves STA Advisory Committees Member Appointments, Openings Available
• STA Staff Update

STA hosts Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) Board Meeting

On Wednesday, April 19, the Solano Transportation Authority (STA) hosted the quarterly Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) Board Meeting in downtown Suisun City. The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Board consists of two representatives from each of the eight counties in the Capitol Corridor: Placer, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Alameda and Santa Clara, represented by Placer County Transportation Planning Agency, Sacramento Regional Transit District, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, Solano Transportation Authority (STA), and the Yolo County Transportation District. STA is represented on the CCJPA Board by Dixon Mayor Steve Bird and Suisun City Mayor Alma Hernandez.

The Capitol Corridor provides inter-city rail service connecting the Bay Area and Sacramento regions at stations located at the Hannigan Train Station in Fairfield/Vacaville and the Suisun/Fairfield Amtrak Station (Solano Rail Hub) located in Suisun City.

For more information on the CCJPA Board, please visit their website.

I-80 Express Lanes Update

The Solano I-80 Express Lanes Project is in Solano County and begins just west of Red Top Road in Fairfield and ends east of Leisure Town Road in Vacaville. The 19.8-mile-long project consists of two major components. The first is constructing 10 miles of express lanes and the second part is converting the existing carpool lane into an express lane. The planned work for this project includes 10 miles of highway widening, widening of four bridges, constructing five retaining walls, installing overhead sign structures, and installing the toll system integrator for single occupancy commuters who wish to use the express lanes; transit buses and high occupancy vehicles (HOV) will continue to have access to the express lanes without paying a fee.

The project started construction in April of 2022 and to date, roughly 25% of the contract work has been completed that includes road structural sections, paving, retaining walls in the median and bridge widening. To address safety for Interstate 80 traffic traveling alongside the construction site, both east and westbound lanes were restriped to improve lane delineation. Construction is anticipated to be completed, and open to the public, during the summer of 2025.

STA Board Approves Regional Measure 3 (RM3) Allocation For Solano County Projects

At the April 12th Board meeting, the STA Board approved STA's initial list of RM3 allocation requests for eligible projects of which STA is the project sponsor. STA will submit the following projects to MTC for RM3 funding allocation:

1. I-80/I-680/SR 12 Interchange (Right of Way): $1 million
2. I-80 Westbound Truck Scales Project (Right of Way): $25.47 million
3. SR 37 at Fairgrounds Drive Improvements Project (Construction): $15 million
4. Solano Rail Hub (Environmental and Initial Design): $2 million

STA prioritizes 2024 SHOPP Funding for SR113 and Mare Island Interchange Projects

At the April 12th STA Board meeting, the Board approved STA staff's recommendation to submit two priority projects for consideration in the upcoming 2024 State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP).

The Tier 1 priority project is SR 113 from SR 12 to Creed Road in Solano County. This four-mile road segment is currently included as a planned SHOPP road rehabilitation project scheduled for construction in 2030/31. Over the last few years, the structural section has been failing, exacerbated by increased truck traffic and above average precipitation totals, which required emergency repairs this winter with additional repairs being scheduled. A SHOPP project on this segment will rehabilitate the road and increase the structural section to accommodate the climate change and increased heavy truck traffic.

The Tier 2 priority projects consist of SR 37 at the Mare Island Interchange in Vallejo and SR 113 culvert and road rehabilitation improvements from Creed Road to Interstate 80 (I-80) in Solano County. The Mare Island Interchange is currently being discussed as part of the SR 37 Sears Point to Mare Island Interim Project and is being considered for expansion of a second toll lane and increasing the elevation of the road surface to protect against flooding and near-term sea-level rise. The SR 113 culvert and road rehabilitation improvements from Creed Road to I-80 are already identified in the 2022 SHOPP as separate projects with the construction of the last phase beginning fiscal year 2031/32.

STA Board Approves Updated Capital Plan for Solano Express Bus Replacement

The STA Board has approved the final Solano Express Capital Funding Plan for the replacement of Solano Express buses, updated to include the SolTrans previous and planned procurements for 21 Clean Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles and 5 electric vehicles. 

Get Active in May for Bike Month

Bike to Wherever Days (BTWD) is a celebration of bicycles to encourage riders to get out and pedal to do errands, meet friends outdoors, and for some to get to their places of work safely and easily in the nine Bay Area counties. Check out a calendar of Bike Month events happening in Solano County, including Bike To School Day and Bike To Work Day. Bike commuters, stop by one of our Energizer Stations to pick up your commemorative bike tote on Bike to Work Day (while supplies last). Be sure to Pledge to Ride during May and earn entry to win one of our contests. Visit solanomobility.org/bikemonth2023 for information on all events, our photo challenges, and more. If you have a smartphone, you can also download our new Xplore Solano app which has a list of biking and hiking trails. Visit STA’s Active Transportation page for more information on the Xplore Solano app, and download the OuterSpatial app at the Apple Store or on Google Play to access the Xplore Solano Community account and get outside today!

STA's Employer Commuter Program Updates 

STA's Employer Commuter Program offers incentives and subsidies for residents and employees of Solano County who use alternative transportation (walking, biking, rideshare, and transit) for commuting to and from work. During the first and second quarters of FY 2022/2023, participation in the program continued to increase.

Commuters can participate up to three times in the $20 Amtrak + Lyft Pilot Program, which provides participants with a 10-ride Amtrak pass plus free Solano County train station Lyft connections (up to $25). Participants must be residents of or employed in Fairfield, Suisun City, or Vacaville, and new to Amtrak for commuting. Twelve passes were provided during the second quarter, and total enrollment increased to 88 participants since the inception of the program in 2019. 

Approved participants in the Bucks for Bikes program can receive reimbursement for 60% of the cost of a new commuter bike and helmet up to $300. During the second quarter of 2023, five new people signed up for the program.

The Commute Solano (Ride Amigos) Online Platform provides access to STA’s commuter programs, rideshare matching, trip planning, and e-incentives for alternative commutes. During the second quarter, a total of 217 new users joined during the quarter and 67 commuters logged 2,651 alternative commute trips, for an estimated savings of 16.4 tons of CO2. The Commute Solano Platform also hosted a joint Marin, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano County SR 37 carpool incentive project during the quarter.

The First/Last Mile program provides 80% subsidized Lyft rides (up to a maximum of $25 per ride) to and from twelve Solano County transit hubs (Amtrak stations and Solano Express fixed stops) for Solano County employees and residents who have trouble connecting with the first/last leg of their transit trip. During the second quarter of this fiscal year, 188 commuters registered for the First/Last Mile program, increasing program participation to 1,051 commuters. 

The Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) Program supports Solano County residents and employees who commute by reimbursing the cost of a ride home (up to $100) if an unexpected emergency arises. Nine commuters received a GRH reimbursement during the second quarter of this year. 

STA expanded the GRH program to provide a Guaranteed Ride option for Solano Express (SE) riders whose route is canceled or missed. Riders who register for their Solano Express line at commuterinfo.net receive an Uber Voucher valid for four rides during the month. During the second quarter of this fiscal year, 134 Solano Express Riders received Uber Vouchers, and 609 rides were taken.

Anyone working or living in Solano County was eligible to receive a Solano Express pass for free after purchasing a monthly or daily pass during the month of November. There were nine Solano Express 2-for-1 incentives redeemed by SE riders during the second quarter. Mid-November, Solano Mobility updated the program incentive from a free SE pass to a Clipper Card valued at $125 for each Solano Express monthly pass purchased. Ten Clipper cards valued at $125 were provided during the second quarter. 

STA’s Solano Mobility provides a $200 per month subsidy for two years to new, qualifying vanpools through Commute with Enterprise. This subsidy adds to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC’s) $400 subsidy, for a total of $600 per month to help offset the cost of new vanpools. STA subsidized 20 vanpools in October and 19 vanpools in November and December. 

For more information and to sign up for our programs, visit: solanomobility.org/commuter-programs or call the Solano Mobility Call Center at 800-535-6883. The Call Center can also help you plan your commute.

SolTrans hosts Benicia Senior Transit Summit with Solano Mobility

On March 24, 2023, at the request of the Benicia Mayor and STA Board Chair Steve Young, STA was invited to participate in a Transit Summit hosted by SolTrans to discuss transportation options within and around Benicia, predominantly directed to Benicia seniors and older adults, but was open to the general public. Solano Mobility presented all mobility programs and services available to Benicia residents. Approximately 28 residents attended, along with the Mayor, Vice-Mayor Terry Scott, and County Supervisor Monica Brown. 

SR2S and Safe Moves host Bike Rodeo events in Vallejo and Fairfield

The STA’s Safe Routes to School Program (SR2S) in partnership with Safe Moves started the Spring season hosting two school-centered Bike Rodeo events: one at Lincoln Elementary in Vallejo and one at Nelda Mundy in Fairfield. Bike Rodeos are interactive, educational events that teach youth how to be safer pedestrians, bicyclists, and scooter riders. Participating students walk, ride, and roll through a mock city, complete with intersections, crosswalks, bike lanes, traffic signs and signals, railroad tracks, railroad signs, cars, houses, and stores. In the following months, SR2S will host Bike Rodeos in the cities of Vacaville, Dixon, and Benicia.

Board Approves STA Advisory Committees Member Appointments, Openings Available

At the April 12th meeting, the STA Board approved the following STA Advisory Committees member appointments for the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC):

• Pedestrian Advisory Committee: Michael Hayes (City of Rio Vista)
• Bicycle Advisory Committee: Jason Gray (Member-At-Large)

STA is asking for your help to plan and build a more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly Solano County. The STA currently has open positions on our BAC and PAC. We are currently looking for the following representatives:

Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC)

• City of Fairfield 

Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC)

• City of Vacaville
• City of Suisun City
• Member-at-Large
• Member-at-Large (Solano Community College)

For more information on the BAC Open Positions, click here, and click here for more information on the PAC Open Positions. 

STA Staff Update

On March 20, 2023, Kevin Gordon joined STA’s Programs Department as a full-time Program Coordinator. He is a resident of the City of Vallejo and will be supporting the micro-transit and transit programs. He is supervised by Ron Grassi, Director of Programs. 

On March 27, Cindy Hayes was hired as a full-time Mobility Program Coordinator in the Programs Department. She is a resident of the City of Fairfield and recently served as a travel trainer for the Independent Living Resources Center, one of STA’s non-profit partners. She will be supervised by Debbie McQuilkin, Senior Mobility Program Coordinator.