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IN THIS EDITION:
- Johanna Masiclat Retires from the STA after 23 Years of Service
- Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority Provides STA Board with Update on I-80 Express Lanes
- State Route 37 Fairgrounds Drive Stage 5 Construction Update
- Braxton Winchester and Alexi Sinclair are Solano County's 2026 Bike Champions of the Year
- Solano County Bicyclists Participate in Bike to Wherever Days Activities During the Month of May
- STA Allocates Funding for Wayfinding & Mapping Signage of Regional Transit Services
- Safe Routes to School Program Celebrates May Outreach Activities
- STA Board Releases Draft Overall Work Plan for FY 2026-27 and 2027-28
- Get Involved with STA Advisory Committees
- STA Staff Updates
| | Johanna Masiclat Retires from the STA after 23 Years of Service | | On May 13, 2026, Johanna Masiclat had her final day at the STA. Johanna started her career at the STA on May 20, 2023, as a valued staff member of the Solano Transportation Authority, and was promoted to the STA Clerk of the Board/Office Manager in 2006 and will be missed greatly! The STA thanks Johanna Masiclat for all her efforts and wish her a long, happy, and enjoyable retirement. | | Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority Provides STA Board with Update on I-80 Express Lanes | | |
Opened in December 2025 through a partnership between STA, Caltrans, and the Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority (BAIFA), the project was designed to improve traffic reliability, reduce bottlenecks, and provide travelers with a faster and more dependable commute option along one of the region’s busiest corridors. The project added a new express lane between Air Base Parkway and Interstate 505 while converting an existing HOV lane into an express lane between Red Top Road and Air Base Parkway. Early operational data indicates improved traffic speeds in both the express lanes and general-purpose lanes compared to conditions observed in 2023.
BAIFA highlighted the launch of a three-year weekend pilot program for the I-80 Express Lanes, which operates Saturdays and Sundays from 5:00 AM to 8:00 PM Officials noted that weekend traffic volumes on I-80 often mirror weekday congestion levels, making the pilot an opportunity to provide more reliable travel times for commuters, carpools, and transit users throughout the week. Preliminary data collected between December 2025 and March 2026 showed express lane speeds averaging approximately 10 miles per hour faster than general-purpose lanes, while eastbound and westbound congestion levels improved during both weekday and weekend peak periods. The corridor recorded more than 1.9 million express lane trips during the first quarter of 2026, including over 634,000 weekend trips.
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The presentation also included an update on the Express Lanes START program, which provides income-eligible Bay Area residents with a 50 percent discount on express lane tolls. Since expanding to the I-80 corridor, the program has continued outreach efforts throughout Solano County through partnerships with local organizations, community events, and targeted advertising campaigns.
To learn more about the Solano I-80 Express Lanes, please click here.
| | State Route 37 Fairgrounds Drive Stage 5 Construction Update | | |
The Solano Transportation Authority, in close coordination with its transportation partner, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), is continuing construction work on the new State Route 37 (SR 37)/Fairgrounds Drive Interchange Project in Vallejo. The interchange improvement project will enhance motorist safety and improve bicycle and pedestrian access with construction of a new Diverging Diamond Interchange. This is the first-ever Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) constructed in the Bay Area and only the second-ever constructed on a major highway in California.
The Diverging Diamond Interchange will provide a safer, easier entrance to Vallejo while improving accessibility for residents and businesses near the SR 37 and Fairgrounds Drive corridor. The new interchange will improve traffic flow in the area, increasing connectivity to regional transit, the greater Vallejo area, and employment and recreation centers, including Six Flags/Discovery Kingdom. The project will allow bicyclists and pedestrians a more direct bike path to Vallejo from surrounding communities, such as American Canyon and Napa, and low-cost transportation options to local attractions.
Construction is scheduled to be finalized in late June/early July 2026.
To learn more about this project, please watch any of the videos listed below:
KRON 4 News Report
Caltrans/STA/City of Vallejo Facebook Live
KTVU News Report
| | Braxton Winchester and Alexi Sinclair are Solano County’s 2026 Bike Champions of the Year | | In celebration of Bike to Wherever Days in May, two bike champions from Solano County were recognized as the “Bike Champion of the Year” for their commitment to biking for everyday transportation. Congratulations to Braxton Winchester and Alexi Sinclair for being the 2026 Bike Champion(s) of the Year! | | Solano County Bicyclists Participate in Bike to Wherever Days Activities During the Month of May | | The STA and Solano County joined the Bay Area in celebrating Bike to Wherever Days this May. On May 6, 2026, STA staff and Board members hosted 14 pop-up energizer stations through the county in support of Bike to Wherever Day. There were 348 bikers and scooter riders who participated in this event within Solano County this year. | | |
Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days is presented by MTC (the transportation planning, financing, and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area), 511 (the region’s traveler information system), and Amazon, with regional sponsorship from Spare the Air, Google, and BARTable.
The Bay Area Bike to Wherever Day (BTWD) began in 1994 as a celebration of bicycles as a fun and healthy way to get to work, as well as an opportunity for those who don’t usually bike commute to try it out.
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After 2020, as fewer people were biking to work during the pandemic, the event expanded into Bike to Wherever Days for the whole month of May, encouraging riders to choose their bicycle for more of their transportation needs. Now, Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days and Bike to Work Day reflect the new hybrid model of work and life. May is also a time to advocate for improved bicycle infrastructure and safety across the region.
During the month of May, no matter where you need to go, you’re encouraged to bike to run errands, visit friends and family, ride recreationally, and commute to work or school. Commit to riding by signing the Pledge and show off your pride by taking the Bay Area Bike Challenge. Everyone on two wheels is welcome.
Visit https://www.bayareabiketowork.com/ for more information.
| | STA Allocates Funding for Wayfinding & Mapping Signage of Regional Transit Services | | |
Originally launched in 2021, the regional initiative aims to create a consistent and user-friendly transit wayfinding system across the Bay Area, making it easier for residents and visitors to navigate transit services regardless of location. The project also supports broader goals identified in Plan Bay Area 2050 by improving transit visibility, accessibility, and overall ridership throughout the region.
As part of the effort, two pilot locations in Solano County—the Solano Rail Hub at the Suisun-Fairfield Train Station and the Vallejo Transit Center and Ferry Terminal—are moving forward with new signage and mapping concepts funded directly by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). Site audits, circulation reviews, and preliminary signage placement concepts have already been completed, with installation anticipated between 2026 and 2027. STA will continue coordinating with MTC as detailed signage designs are finalized and implemented.
Additionally, the STA Board approved up to $500,000 in funding to expand regional wayfinding and mapping signage along key transit corridors and regional services throughout Solano County. The funding will prioritize signage improvements for Solano Express routes, Vine Route 21, Rio Vista Delta Breeze Route 50, the Fairfield-Vacaville Train Station, and the Solano Mobility Express program, with any remaining funds supporting local transit sign updates. The Board also authorized route naming updates for the Solano Express network, transitioning from color-based route names back to numerical designations in alignment with new regional transit wayfinding standards intended to create clearer distinctions between rail and bus services for riders across the Bay Area.
| | Safe Routes to School Program Celebrates May Outreach Activities | | John Knight Middle School | | Green Valley Middle School | | To celebrate Bike Month, the Solano Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Program hosted multiple community bike events throughout April and May in Benicia, Fairfield, Vallejo, Vacaville, and Dixon. These Bike Fairs provided no cost helmet fittings, bicycle and pedestrian safety education, and featured a variety of local food vendors and community partners. Collectively, the events attracted more than 750 attendees countywide. In addition, SR2S coordinated Music Notes Hip Hop Educational Assemblies at schools in Vacaville and Fairfield, using an engaging urban-style performance to reinforce safe biking and walking practices for students in a fun and memorable way. | | | | Green Valley Middle School | | STA Board Releases Draft Overall Work Plan for FY 2026-27 and 2027-28 | | |
The STA has released the agency’s Draft Overall Work Plan (OWP) for Fiscal Years (FY) 2026-27 and 2027-28, outlining the organization’s priorities for transportation planning, project delivery, and mobility programs throughout Solano County. Over the past two decades, the agency has evolved from focusing primarily on corridor studies and project identification to leading major infrastructure delivery efforts, coordinating regional transit services, and administering a growing portfolio of mobility programs that support older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, students, and low-income residents.
The draft OWP highlights several significant transportation projects currently underway or moving toward construction, including the Interstate 80 Managed Lanes Project, the I-80 Westbound Truck Scales Project, the SR 37/Fairgrounds Drive Interchange Improvements, and future phases of the I-80/I-680/SR 12 Interchange Project. The work plan also includes long-range planning efforts such as the Solano Transportation Resiliency Plan, the North Bay Passenger Rail Feasibility Study, and the Solano Connected Mobility Implementation Plan.
The agency’s mobility and transit programs also remain a major focus within the new work plan. STA reported continued growth in countywide services such as the Solano Mobility Call Center, First and Last Mile transportation partnerships, vanpool programs, travel training, and mobility assistance programs for seniors and people with disabilities. Upcoming initiatives include the launch of Solano Express Route 30 service connecting Vacaville, Dixon, UC Davis, and Sacramento, expansion of the Falcon Flyer Vanpool Program for Solano Community College students, and continued implementation of Safe Routes to School and community-based transportation planning efforts.
The Draft OWP will now enter a 30-day public comment period before returning to the STA Board for anticipated adoption alongside the agency’s updated two-year budget.
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Get Involved with STA Advisory Committees
The STA has positions on our Bicycle Advisory Committee, Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC), and Paratransit Coordinating Council (PCC).
The BAC and PAC advise the STA on the development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities as an active mode of transportation in Solano County. To accomplish this, committee members assist the STA to develop countywide transportation plans and projects and provide funding recommendations for active transportation projects.
The PCC works on countywide senior and disabled transit issues as required by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and makes recommendations on transit and paratransit funding, claims, and coordination.
We are currently looking for the following representatives:
Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC)
Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC)
- City of Dixon
- Member-at-Large
Paratransit Coordinating Council (PCC)
- Public Agency – Education member
- Social Service Provider
For more information on the BAC Open Positions, click here, click here for more information on the PAC Open Positions, and here for information on PCC Open Positions.
| | Sheila Ernst joined the STA in 2012 as an administrative assistant. In 2018, she accepted a position with the City of Vacaville as the Deputy City Clerk in the City Manager's Office before returning to the STA on April 20, 2026, as STA's Clerk of the Board/Office Manager. Her position is supervised by Daryl Halls, STA’s Executive Director. | |  | Andrew Obando joined the STA on April 30, 2026, as the Finance & Budget Manager. He is a resident of Fairfield, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. His position is supervised by Nick Burton, STA's Director of Projects. | | | | | |
