In this edition
  • San Francisco Bay Ferry/Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) Update
  • Regional Transportation Impact Fee (RTIF) Annual Report for FY 2020-21
  • Solano County Electrification Projects to receive California Energy Commission Grant
  • Benicia and Vallejo present Priority Development Areas (PDAs) to the STA Board
  • STA releases Draft Legislative Platform and Priorities for 2022 for Public Comment
  • STA seeking public input for Connected Mobility Plan Survey
  • Solano Express 2 For 1 and Ride Amigos Incentive Programs
  • Join the STA Citizen Advisory Committees for Bicycle and Pedestrian Issues
  • STA Office & Staff Updates
STATUS Newsletter

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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  • STA Board Meeting in Suisun 1/12/22 at 6:00pm
San Francisco Bay Ferry/Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) Update

Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) Board Director and former STA Board member Anthony Intintoli and WETA’s new Executive Director Seamus Murphy attended the Dec. 8 STA Board meeting and provided an update on the San Francisco Bay Ferry service, which connects the City of Vallejo and Solano County to San Francisco. WETA presented the impacts of COVID-19 on its ridership, the success of its recent Pandemic Recovery Program (PRP) plan, Vallejo Ferry ridership, and findings of its October passenger survey. Click here to view WETA's presentation.
Regional Transportation Impact Fee (RTIF) Annual Report for FY 2020-21

STA's Projects Department has completed the 8th annual Regional Transportation Impact Fee (RTIF) annual report for FY 2020-21. A total of $4.6 million was collected in FY 2020-21 and total of $14.2 million has been collected since the inception of the RTIF program in 2013. At the December 8 Board Meeting, the STA Board approved STA entering RTIF funding agreements for the following projects, recommended by Working groups #1, #4, #5 and #7:

Working Group 1
  1. Canon Road Rail Crossing PS&E ($30K) (Fairfield)
  2. Jepson Parkway Fairfield Phases ($3.5M) (Fairfield)

Working Group 4
  1. Rockville Rd Ped Safety Crossing ($100K) (Solano County)
  2. West Texas Complete Street ($411K) (Fairfield)

Working Group 5
  1. Parkway Blvd Overcrossing Western Embankment ($3.5M) (Dixon)

Working Group 7
  1. Safety Striping and Signage at County Intersections ($250K)

Prior projects funded by the RTIF Program include: Jepson Parkway Phase 1A (Vacaville), Midway Rd Safety Improvements (Dixon), Benicia Bus Hub (Benicia), Green Valley Overcrossing (Fairfield), and the new Solano Express Bus stops at Solano Community College and Fairgrounds Drive.  

For additional information about the RTIF program, please click here.
Solano County Electrification Projects to receive California Energy Commission Grant

Solano Transportation Authority is partnering with Momentum Dynamics Corporation (Momentum) to deploy a first-of-its-kind interagency charging network, utilizing seven strategic transit centers in the region between San Francisco and Sacramento. With the support of the California Energy Commission (CEC)'s BESTFIT Innovative Charging Solutions program, the project will establish a model for shared electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Northern California. The charging network will power STA's Solano Express service, operated by Solano County Transit (Soltrans). In addition, this network will encourage the electric bus adoption by also being open to other transit agencies operating at these transit centers.

The seven transit centers are located at:
  1. El Cerrito Del Norte Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Station
  2. Walnut Creek BART Station
  3. Fairfield Transportation Center (FTC)
  4. Suisun-Fairfield Amtrak Station
  5. The Vacaville Transportation Center
  6. Vallejo Transit Center (VTC)
  7. York St. Extension at VTC
Benicia and Vallejo present Priority Development Areas (PDAs) to the STA Board

In preparation for STA’s allocation of federal One Bay Area Grant (OBAG 3) funds in 2022, the STA has invited cities to provide short presentations on the status of their Priority Development Areas (PDAs) planning and implementation. A key focus for OBAG 3 is the investment in PDAs identified by cities and designated by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). The cities of Benicia and Vallejo presented their PDAs to the STA Board at the December 8 Board meeting. This follows previous presentations by the cities of Vacaville, Fairfield and Suisun City, with presentations forthcoming from the cities of Dixon and Rio Vista regarding their Priority Production Areas (PPAs).

STA releases Draft Legislative Platform and Priorities for 2022 for Public Comment

The STA Board has released the 2022 DRAFT Legislative Platform and Priorities for 30-day public review and comment. STA’s main priorities in 2022 include advancing projects such as the SR37/Fairgrounds Interchange Improvement Project, the I-505/Vaca Valley Multi-Modal Interchange Project, Jepson Parkway Segment C – Vanden Road Travis Air Force Base North Access, the I-80 Westbound Truck Scales Project, and additional sections of the I-80 Managed Lanes Project. Written comments may be submitted prior to the STA Board meeting on January 12, 2022. To view STA’s Draft 2022 Legislative Platform and Priorities, please click click here.
STA seeking public input for Connected Mobility Plan Survey

To improve your traveling experience, 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 your home and destinations. The STA wants to know how we can improve your travel experience within and outside of Solano County. We believe YOU are the expert on your travel needs, and we need your input! 
 
The first 1,000 respondents will receive a $10 Clipper Card for participating. Learn more about the Solano Connected Mobility Implementation Plan and take the Connected Mobility survey. For more information, visit the Connected Mobility page here, and take the Connected Mobility survey by clicking here.
Dixon Mayfair US Capitol Tree Tour: Nov. 3, 2021
Fairfield Veterans Day Parade Nov. 11, 2021
Christmas on the Suisun Waterfront Dec. 4, 2021
Solano Express 2 For 1 and Ride Amigos Incentive Programs

To welcome back existing riders and to encourage new riders to try one or more of the four Solano Express routes, the STA launched its 2 For 1 incentive through its Solano Mobility Program Call Center. Anyone working or living in Solano County is eligible and the 2 For 1 deal is available for all four Solano Express Lines (Blue, Green Express, Red, and Yellow). Just buy 1 monthly or daily pass, and your 2nd pass is FREE. This is a limited-time offer and some restrictions apply. This Solano Express 2 For 1 incentive was launched in November, and 17 Solano Express riders have registered to date.

The Ride Amigos incentive platform was launched in May of 2018. Currently, there are 3,007 registered participants and 215 active participants.

Please visit solanomobility.org or call 800-535-6683 for more information or to sign up.
Join the STA Citizen Advisory Committees for Bicycle and Pedestrian Issues

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)

For more information on the BAC Open Positions, click here, and click here for more information on the PAC Open Positions. To apply, please fill out an online application and email to the staff lead for the BAC - Planning Assistant, Brent Rosenwald, at [email protected] or the staff lead for the PAC – Kathrina Gregana at [email protected].
STA Office & Staff Updates

Janelle Gregorio joined the STA team on December 6 as the newest Program Coordinator for STA's Safe Routes 2 School (SR2S) Program. She is the mother of three daughters and one son and is an active school volunteer., Janelle joins the SR2S team with insight on the parent-side of some of STA's programs and she will report to STA Program Services Division Manager, Lloyd Nadal.
Katelyn Costa, Program Coordinator II for Solano Mobility’s Employer Program, has accepted a position with the town of Danville. Her last day with STA was November 24, 2021.  
On Saturday, December 4th, the STA partnered with the City of Suisun City to unveil two pieces of public art work located on the pedestrian corridor immediately in front of the STA’s new office building located at 423 Main Street in Suisun City. STA is scheduled to move into the new office building during the month of December and open the building to the public on January 12 in the new year.
2021 STA Board Members