IN THIS EDITION:

• San Francisco Bay Ferry Update to the STA Board 
• STA and CHP Brief STA Board on I-80 Westbound Truck Scales Design 
• STA State Legislative Update for 2023
• STA Allocates Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) Funds for Three Transit Electrification Projects 
• STA Board Approves Solano Express Service Changes for April 2023 
• STA Board Authorizes Expansion of Service Hours for Benicia Lyft Program
• STA to Update Routes of Regional Significance Plan
• STA to Request Grant Funding for Climate Adaptation Plan for Transportation Infrastructure
• Safe Routes To School Program Launches WOW (Walk or Wheel) Wednesday Program in Benicia & Vallejo
• Nominations Open for Solano County’s 2023 Bike Champion of the Year
• Get Involved with STA Advisory Committees
• STA Staff Update

San Francisco Bay Ferry Update to the STA Board

The Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) Board Director Pippen Dew and Executive Director Seamus Murphy presented an update at the March 8th STA Board meeting on the regional San Francisco Bay Ferry service (operated by WETA) that serves Solano County at two stops in Vallejo. At its peak prior to the pandemic, the SF Bay Ferry served 1.1 million riders through Vallejo every year; the onset of the pandemic dropped ridership by 92% almost overnight.

Currently, the SF Bay Ferry is performing ahead of comparable operators, such as BART and Caltrain, in ridership recovery. SF Bay Ferry's weekend ridership is close to being back to 2019 levels although weekday ridership, though growing, is still lagging, especially in peak commute hours. An onboard passenger survey conducted in July-August 2022 shows that 42% of passengers systemwide did not ride the ferry before the pandemic, and that 34% of the Vallejo passengers were new riders. STA's First/Last Mile Program offers a discount for passengers and has helped increase connectivity to the ferry system. For more information on the First/Last Mile Program, click here.

San Francisco Bay Ferry is seeking input to prioritize environmental sustainability, service expansion, service frequency and speed, and affordability. Take a 5-minute survey to be entered for a chance to win a $50 Clipper Card or a San Francisco Bay Ferry water bottle at the end of the survey: www.bayferry2050.org/survey

STA and CHP Brief STA Board on I-80 Westbound Truck Scales Design

During March's STA Board meeting, STA’s Director of Projects Nick Burton, California Highway Patrol Lt. Jessica Stratton, and Project Consultant WMH presented a status report on the proposed new I-80 Westbound Cordelia Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility (Project), part of Phase 2 of the I-80/I-680/SR 12 Interchange Project. 

The $29.27 million Design Phase for the Project will be fully funded by the combination of 2020 Senate Bill 1 (SB1) Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP) and State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funds. The STA is the lead agency on the design phase and the 65% Plans, Specifications and Estimate (PS&E) phase is scheduled to be completed in April 2023. STA in partnership with Caltrans and Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) has submitted a request for SB1 TCEP grant funding to the California Transportation Commission for the construction phase of the project. Subject to this grant being awarded, construction could start as soon as the Summer of 2024. 

STA State Legislative Update for 2023

During the March 8th Board meeting, the STA Board approved STA's updated list of 2023 State funding priorities. The approved list of STA State Priority projects is listed below.

1. I-80 Westbound Truck Scales
2. SR-37 - Fairgrounds Dr.
3. SR-37 - Interim Project Design
4. Canon Rd. Overcrossing
5. Parkway Blvd. Overcrossing
6. Dixon I-80 Express Lanes Gap (PID)
7. Vallejo I-80 Express Lanes Gap (ENV)
8. Solano Rail Hub
9. Electrification of ALL Transit Operators
10. EV Charger Infrastructure
11. SR-37 – Mare Island Interchange

STA Allocates Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) Funds for Three Transit Electrification Projects 

STA annually allocates Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) funds. This year, the STA approved the allocation of $1.086 million in LCTOP funds to electrification projects for SolTrans, FAST, and the Suisun Mobility Hub Projects. LCTOP is one of several programs that was created to provide operating and capital assistance for transit agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve mobility, with a priority on serving disadvantaged communities.

STA Board Approves Solano Express Service Changes for April 2023 

The STA Board approved service changes recommended by Solano County Transit (SolTrans) for the Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow Lines, effective April of 2023. These are minor adjustments that reflect maintaining a projected 48,000 in annual service hours through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2022/23. SolTrans's ability to restore additional service is still limited by the number of available drivers. The next service change for Solano Express is scheduled for August 2023.

STA Board Authorizes Expansion of Service Hours for Benicia Lyft Program

STA to Update Routes of Regional Significance Plan

At the March 8th meeting, the STA Board approved the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) to conduct a study of Solano’s Routes of Regional Significance supporting an update of the Solano Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP). The Routes of Regional Significance Plan focuses on major arterials that are considered to be critical connections for the seven cities to each other and the County’s freeway and highway system. The Routes of Regional Significance list has also become an important component in prioritizing funding for the roadway networks in Solano County.

STA to Request Grant Funding for Climate Adaptation Plan for Transportation Infrastructure

Given the extreme weather events that Solano County has experienced over the past few years and their effects on the County’s transportation infrastructure, the STA Board authorized staff to apply for a grant to develop a countywide plan that will comprehensively assess Solano County’s transportation system focused on climate adaptation. 

The STA is partnering with all seven cities and the County in the submittal of this $500,000 Caltrans Sustainable Communities Climate Adaptation Planning Grant to develop a Solano Countywide Climate Adaptation Plan for Transportation Infrastructure. 

Safe Routes To School Program Launches WOW (Walk or Wheel) Wednesday Program in Benicia & Vallejo

On March 1st, STA's Safe Routes To School Program (SR2S), in partnership with schools in Benicia and Vallejo, successfully launched its WOW (Walk or Wheel) Wednesday Program. SR2S is encouraging Solano County schools to host a Walk or Wheel (WoW) Day, an ongoing, school-wide event that schools can schedule weekly or monthly to encourage students to walk or wheel (by bike, scooter, or skateboard) to school. SR2S provides incentives for participating students, as well as promotional materials for schools to market their events.

Highland Elementary School in the City of Vallejo had a large turnout for its first monthly WOW Wednesday event, with a total of 95 students, 12 parents, 2 volunteers, and 4 staff members participated by walking & wheeling their way to school. 

The City of Benicia’s Vice Mayor Terry Scott and Councilmember Trevor Macenski met with Matthew Turner Elementary students and Joe Henderson Elementary students at Jack London Park for their first monthly WOW Wednesday event. The next WOW Wednesday will be April 12th. For more information, visit SR2S's Walk Or Wheel Program webpage.

Nominations Open for Solano County’s 2023 Bike Champion of the Year

As part of the festivities for Bike To Wherever Days in May of 2023, one bike champion from Solano County will be recognized as “Bike Champion of the Year” for their commitment to biking for everyday transportation. Nominations are being accepted now through March 31, 2023. Nominees should champion pedaling, inspire others, and set a great example of how bicycling is good for everyone. The Solano County winner will be announced on April 21st. Go to the Bay Area Bike To Work Day’s website to submit a nomination, and stay tuned for Solano County bike activities for Bike To Wherever Days in May. 

For more information, you can visit the Solano Mobility website here.

Get Involved with STA Advisory Committees

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 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 

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 6, 2023, Keelei Griffin joined STA to fill a vacancy for a full-time Accountant I position in the Administration/Finance Department. She is a resident of the City of Fairfield and reports to Susan Furtado, Accounting/Administrative Services Manager.

Samantha Harris also started at STA on March 6, 2023, as a new intern in the Programs Department. She is a student at San Francisco State University, resides in Suisun City, and was formerly stationed at Travis Air Force Base. She will be supervised by Debbie McQuilkin, Senior Mobility Program Coordinator.