In this edition
  • CTC Approves Fully Funding the Construction of I-80/I-680/SR 12 Interchange Project – Package 2A
  • COVID-19 Safety Tips for SolanoExpress and Ridesharing
  • STA partners with Suisun City to expand the Lyft First/Last Mile Program
  • Interstate 80 Six Bridges Project in Vallejo
  • September 24 will be Bike to Wherever Day
  • Benicia Lyft Program Continues to Provide Essential Rides
  • STA approves multiple Safe Routes to School Microgrant Projects
  • STA Staff Update
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 9/9 at 6:00pm
CTC Approves Fully Funding the Construction of I-80/I-680/SR 12 Interchange Project – Package 2A

On August 13, 2020, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved the allocation of $69.9 million from multiple funding sources including Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) - Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP) and State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for the I-80/I-680/SR 12 Interchange Package 2A Project. These funds, combined with regional bridge toll funds provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), are the last step to enable the next package of the Interchange to begin construction.

The Solano Transportation Authority (STA) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) are planning a virtual Public Information Meeting prior to the start of construction, which is scheduled to begin in September 2020. The total construction time for the I-80/I-680/SR12 Interchange Phase 2A Project is estimated to take two years.

For more information on this project, please visit Caltrans’ project website HERE and STA’s project website HERE. 
COVID-19 Safety Tips for SolanoExpress and Ridesharing

Since restoring partial service in July, STA’s SolanoExpress partners Solano County Transit (SolTrans) and Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST) continue to work diligently to ensure the safety of SolanoExpress passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Safety Protocols can be viewed on the SolanoExpress website HERE. STA, SolTrans, and FAST encourage SolanoExpress riders to continue following these travel recommendations:
  • Maintain social distancing at all times
  • Choose a seat away from other riders
  • Wash your hands regularly
  • Wear a mask or other approved facial covering when waiting for, boarding and riding SolanoExpress, SolTrans, and FAST services
  • Practice healthy hygiene habits by sneezing into your elbow and using alcohol-based sanitizers
  • Stay home when you are sick
  
In addition, below are some recommendations from STA’s Solano Mobility program to stay safe when carpooling or vanpooling:
  • Wear a mask or other approved facial covering
  • Travel with the same friends, limiting 2 per sedan and 3 per SUV/Van
  • Sit diagonal from each other
  • Open windows when you can
  • Practice healthy hygiene habits by sneezing into your elbow and using alcohol-based sanitizers
  • Stay home when you are sick
STA partners with Suisun City to expand the Lyft First/Last Mile Program

The City of Suisun has partnered with the Solano Transportation Authority’s (STA) Solano Mobility Program to expand the First/Last Mile Program (operated by Lyft) to include all Suisun City residents as of August 1, 2020. The First/ Last Mile Program is for commuters using alternate modes of transportation to get to work and are having trouble with the first or last leg of their trip.
 
The Suisun City Lyft Program will cover 80% of the cost of all Lyft rides (up to a maximum of $25) that originate or terminate from major transit hubs, such as the Suisun City Train Depot and the Fairfield Transportation Center. These transit hubs offer convenient connections to:
  • Capitol Corridor (operated by Amtrak)
  • SolanoExpress (Red Line, Blue Line, and Green Express Line)
  • Greyhound
  • Napa Vine Transit – Vine 21
  • Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST)
  • Solano County Transit (SolTrans)
  • ·Rio Vista Delta Breeze
 
Trips to and from the Solano Business Park, Solano Town Center, and Solano Community College’s Main Fairfield Campus also will be covered under this program. Funding for this program is made possible with the assistance of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s (BAAQMD) Transportation for Clean Air (TFCA) funds and Transit Development Act (TDA) funds provided by STA.
 
For more information or to sign up for the Suisun City Lyft Program, CLICK HERE or call 800-535-6883. 
Interstate 80 Six Bridges Project in Vallejo

Caltrans District 4 is scheduled to begin work to increase the vertical clearance on six bridges within the City of Vallejo that cross over Interstate 80 (I-80) just north of the Carquinez Bridge, since they do not meet the current federally mandated vertical clearance standards. The six bridges affected in Vallejo are on I-80 in this order going north: Magazine Street, Benicia Road, Georgia Street, Springs Road, Tennessee Street, and Redwood Street. Caltrans will increase the vertical clearance at each bridge, one at a time, starting with Springs Road. The work is anticipated to take approximately four months per bridge. A complete four-month closure of Springs Road at I-80 is anticipated to begin in late Fall. The project is funded by the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP).

For more information, please visit Caltrans’ project website HERE.
September 24 will be Bike to Wherever Day

Due to COVID-19, National Bike Month events were cancelled in May and Bay Area Bike To Work Day was officially moved to Thursday, September 24. The STA is encouraging everyone to participate in Bike to Wherever for the entire month of September. This a healthy way to safely continue to get fresh air and exercise and an opportunity to try one of Solano's Top 10 Bike Rides (HERE).

For more information, visit the official website HERE or sign up HERE to log your rides and win prizes. 
Benicia Lyft Program Continues to Provide Essential Rides

The Benicia Lyft Program helps seniors (65+), veterans, and ADA Paratransit-certified individuals taking trips around the city of Benicia. Low-income individuals in the aforementioned categories can also qualify for a reduced rate of $3 per trip, instead of the usual $4. There is also a taxi component available to individuals who are wheelchair bound or without a cell phone. A total of 80 people have signed up for the program since its launch. This program is a partnership between STA and Solano County Transit (Soltrans). The Benicia Lyft Program has provided almost 800 trips and saved tens of thousands of dollars. After the COVID-19 pandemic started and shelter-in-place orders were issued by the Governor and the Solano County Office of Public Health, Benicia Lyft Programs numbers went down in March and April, but began increasing in May.
 
For more information on the Benicia Lyft program, visit SolTrans' Subsidized Lyft Programs page HERE or contact Solano Mobility at (800) 535-6883.
STA approves multiple Safe Routes to School Microgrant Projects

STA and the Safe Routes to School Program are celebrating the completion of the first project funded by the SR2S Pilot Micro Grant. Five Radar Feedback signs were installed by the City of Vacaville at locations around Browns Valley, Callison, and Cambridge Elementary schools. These signs help to make drivers aware that they are traveling above the speed limit. “Our goal is for drivers to reduce their speed once they realize they are traveling too fast, making the neighborhood around these schools safer for pedestrians and students. While students aren’t physically attending school right now, there will be a safer street environment for them upon their return,” reports Gwen Owens, Traffic Engineer, City of Vacaville.
STA Staff Update

On August 3, Natalie Quezada officially began her duties as the new Administrative Clerk at the Solano Transportation Authority. Natalie started working at STA in 2017 as a Customer Service Representative (CSR) at Solano Mobility, where she was later promoted to Senior CSR. She is a resident of the City of Vallejo and will be supervised by Clerk of the Board/Office Manager, Johanna Masiclat.

On August 10, Katie Valdez joined STA’s Solano Mobility Program as a part-time Customer Service Representative for the Call Center. She is a resident of the City of Vacaville and will report to Lloyd Nadal, STA Program Services Division Manager.
2020 STA Board Members

  • Ron Rowlett, Chair, Mayor of Vacaville
  • Bob Sampayan, Vice-Chair, Mayor of Vallejo
  • Harry Price, Mayor of Fairfield
  • Thom Bogue, Mayor of Dixon
  • Elizabeth Patterson, Mayor of Benicia
  • Ronald Kott, Mayor of Rio Vista
  • Jim Spering, Solano County Supervisor
  • Lori Wilson, Mayor of Suisun City
    
707-424-6075