In this edition
- Walk or Wheel Wherever Week Starts October 4th
- New 2 for 1 Transit Pass Incentives for SolanoExpress
- STA Board Approves Transit Allocation for $6.5M in ARP Funding
- STA Awards $130k in Microgrant Funding for 16 Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Projects
- Safe Routes to Schools Program Annual Report
- STA Awards Funding for Bike/Pedestrian Wayfinding Signs in Three Cities
- Abandoned Vehicle Abatement (AVA) Program Removes Over 53,000 Vehicles
- STA Staff Update
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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.
Please sign up here to receive this newsletter directly in your inbox.
- Remote STA Board Meeting 10/13 at 6:00pm
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STA’s Solano Mobility and Safe Routes to School (SR2S) programs have partnered for Walk or Wheel Wherever (WoW) from October 4th-October 10th. This week-long challenge, which includes International Walk to School Day on October 6th, will encourage the community to get up, go out, and walk or wheel around their neighborhood, to the store, or a local park during WoW Week.
As a special incentive, the Solano Mobility and SR2S programs will be offering prizes for posting your WoW adventures on social media. Simply share a photo of your Walk or Wheel Wherever adventure and either (1) tag Solano Mobility on Facebook or Twitter or (2) use the hashtag #wowsolano2021 in your post for a chance to win a prize. For more information, visit solanomobility.org
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New 2 for 1 Transit Pass Incentives for SolanoExpress |
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To welcome back existing riders and to encourage new riders to try one or more of the four SolanoExpress routes, the STA is offering through its Solano Mobility Program Call Center a 2 For 1 incentive. Beginning on October 4th, anyone working or living in Solano County is eligible and the 2 For 1 deal is available for all four SolanoExpress 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. Please visit solanomobility.org or call 800-535-6683 for more information or to sign up.
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STA Board Approves Transit Allocation for $6.5M in ARP Funding
During the September 8th meeting, the STA Board approved the first round of funding allocation for $6.5 million from the American Rescue Plan (ARP). This funding will be distributed between the SolanoExpress regional transit service and two local transit operators (FAST and SolTrans), and be used to restore services that were cut during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second round of funding from the ARP, estimated at $4.4 million, is expected to become available in December 2021 or January 2022.
Earlier this year, the STA Board voted to partially restore service to SolanoExpress which increased annual service hours from 44,000 to 59,000. The STA Board again approved the budget for an increase in service hours from 59,000 to 62,500 for Fiscal Year 2022-23 during the September 8th meeting. This is still less than the 80,000 hours budgeted before the COVID-19 pandemic. An additional recommendation approved by the STA Board was the Transition Plan Framework to begin the transition from a two-operator model to a single operator for the future operation of the four Solano Express routes by Soltrans. For more information regarding Solano Express, please visit solanoexpress.com
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STA Awards $130k in Microgrant Funding for 16 Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Projects
In November 2019, the STA’s Safe Routes to School (SR2S) staff launched the SR2S Micro-Grant Pilot Program to support small-scale projects or capital purchases that improve bike and pedestrian usage and safety around schools throughout Solano County. Following the successful pilot program, the STA Board approved the Cycle 2 funding for the SR2S Micro Grant and a total of $130,000 was awarded to fund 16 projects at 15 schools in 6 Solano County cities. For more information, please click here: https://solanosr2s.ca.gov/programs/solano-sr2s-grant-programs/microgrant-program-2/
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Safe Routes to Schools Program Annual Report
STA’s Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Program released its Annual Report for FY 2020-21. The Solano SR2S Program worked to provide support for schools that were impacted by COVID-19. Distance learning provided the opportunity for 13 of the 14 SR2S Micro Grant – Cycle 1 projects to be completed (for a list of completed Cycle 1 projects please click here).
Now that students are beginning their school year, SR2S staff is preparing to engage schools to offer support and activities as students return to campus with safety protocols in place. For more information about the SR2S program or the download the FY 2020-21 Annual Report, please visit: https://solanosr2s.ca.gov/
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STA Awards Funding for Bike/Pedestrian Wayfinding Signs in Three Cities
The STA Board approved funding for three wayfinding projects in Solano County to support the overall Wayfinding Sign Program, which will establish a consistent and standardized system to connect Solano County residents to key destinations and help them easily locate and access bicycle and pedestrian projects. The STA’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC), Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC), and staff identified and prioritized the following three projects:
- City of Suisun City – new bicycle signs for Central County Bikeway: $4,500
- City of Rio Vista – replacement pedestrian signs for Bridge to Beach Trail: $4,200
- City of Vallejo – new bicycle signs for the future Bay Trail-Vine Trail Project: $16,300
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Abandoned Vehicle Abatement (AVA) Program Removes Over 53,000 Vehicles
The cities of Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Suisun City, Vacaville, Vallejo, and the County of Solano have agreed to re-designate the STA as the Solano County Service Authority for the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement (AVA) Program for an additional 10-year term. The STA has managed the AVA program for Solano County since 1991 and during the previous 10-year term from FY 2011-12 to FY 2020-21 a total of 53,170 abandoned vehicles have been removed from public streets.
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STA Staff Update
STA’s Assistant Project Manager, Erika McLitus, accepted a position with the City of Oakland’s Housing Authority, and her last day with STA was August 13th. Debbie McQuilkin, Transit Coordinator 1 in the Programs Department, has been promoted to the position of Transit Coordinator II. Lorene Garrett, part-time Customer Service Representative (CSR) for the Programs Department, has been promoted to the position of Senior CSR.
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