SolTrans

Last updated
Solano County Transit
SolTrans logo.png
SolTrans route 5 bus at Vallejo Transit Center, May 2019.JPG
SolTrans Route 5 at Vallejo Transit Center
FoundedNovember 16, 2010
Headquarters Vallejo Station
Locale Vallejo and Benicia, California
Service area Solano County, California, Contra Costa County, California
Service type bus service, paratransit
Routes16
Hubs 1
Stations3
Daily ridership3,400 (weekdays, Q3 2024) [1]
Annual ridership954,200 (2023) [2]
Operator Transdev
Website soltrans.org

SolTrans, officially Solano County Transit, is a Joint Powers Authority that provides public transportation service to the southern Solano County cities of Vallejo and Benicia. SolTrans was established in 2011 and is the result of a merger between Vallejo Transit and Benicia Breeze. [3] In 2023, the system had a ridership of 954,200, or about 3,400 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

Contents

History

The origins of SolTrans lead back to the early 20th century between two independent bus companies who served southern Solano County. These two companies were eventually acquired by the cities of either of Vallejo or Benicia, before consolidating to become Solano County Transit.

Vallejo Transit

Vallejo Bus Company in the 1920s "The Vallejo Bus Co. offered bus tours of Mare Island. While the passengers did not alight from the busses, they had... - NARA - 296839.jpg
Vallejo Bus Company in the 1920s

The Vallejo Bus Company was founded by Hartley Lowell in 1919. In 1935, the Vallejo Bus Company began to change hands between a number of owners until 1949 when the City of Vallejo took control of it. [4]

However, the Vallejo City Council opted to close it in 1956 due to financial restraints. In response, community leaders led by Senator Luther Gibson created the Vallejo Citizens Transit Corporation (VCTC) in hopes of continuing services in Vallejo. The city subsequently transferred the fleet of thirteen buses to VCTC, who branded it Vallejo Transit Lines on May 1. [5]

Benicia Breeze

The Benicia-Vallejo Stage Line was founded 1915 by Milo Passalacqua. The Stage Line offered a route between Mare Island and Benicia, serving Vallejo's train stations and ferry docks. [4] In 1982, the City of Benicia began operating Benicia Dial-a-Ride, a local demand responsive transit service. Service was later expanded on July 1, 1986 to include a fixed route between Benicia and the Pleasant Hill BART station; this service was called the Benicia Bay Connection. The city also began subsidizing the Benicia-Vallejo Stage Line. On October 1, 1986, the Bay Connection and Stage Line were merged to become Benicia Transit. This new company was managed by Community Transit Services, who were eventually acquired by Laidlaw. [6] During the 1990s, Benicia Transit adds a number of additional routes, such as the Southampton Express (1991–2001) and as a few school tripper routes. It also purchase five used Gillig Phantoms for their main route and begin serving the Martinez Amtrak station between 1994 and 1997, before dedicating a route to it in 2005.

MV Transportation was awarded a contract to operate Benicia Transit in 2000, [6] who would acquire controlling interest in VCTC five years later, transforming it into an MV subsidiary. [5] In 2001, the Benicia Flyer route serving the Southampton hills operated for one year, before being discontinued due to low ridership and replaced with the Benicia Rocket, a route serving the Benicia Industrial Park. By October 2005, all named routes were converted into numbers: the main Vallejo/Pleasant Hill eventually being Route 75; the Amtrak being Route 23, and school trippers being Routes 15 through 18. 2006 saw Benicia Transit being re-branded as Benicia Breeze, replacing its dial-a-ride service into deviated fixed-routes and reducing its school tripper routes to two. [6] Route 75 was eventually retired in favor of Vallejo Transit Route 78, which extends the route to Walnut Creek. [7]

Merger

Discussions of merging the two transit agencies have occurred since 2005, however it wasn't until 2009 when a merger was seriously considered. In August, the Benicia city council reluctantly agreed with representatives of the Solano Transit Authority (STA) to study the possibility of creating a new transit agency with Vallejo Transit, citing the declining ridership and revenue caused by the Great Recession. [7] On November 16, 2010, both cities agreed to enter into a joint powers authority agreement with the STA, [8] calling the new transit agency Solano County Transit (or SolTrans for short). The name was selected out of fifteen others as it opens the possibility of other transit agencies in the county to join the agreement. [9]

In 2013, National Express Transit replaced MV as its operations contractor, followed by Transdev in July 2021. [10] [11]

Services

SolTrans provides local and express bus service to the Solano County cities of Vallejo, Benicia, and Fairfield. It also provides express bus service to the Contra Costa County communities of El Cerrito, Pleasant Hill, and Walnut Creek, providing regional connections to BART. SolTrans also provides ADA complementary paratransit within Vallejo and Benicia and General Public Dial a Ride within Benicia. [12]

Ferry service from Vallejo to San Francisco, which was operated by Vallejo Transit, is now provided by San Francisco Bay Ferry, the public operating arm of the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority [WETA]. [13]

SolanoExpress

SolanoExpress is a public transit network of regional express buses connecting Solano County, California to Contra Costa County (across the Carquinez Strait) and the Sacramento Valley. It is managed by the Solano Transportation Authority and operated by SolTrans. [14] The Solano Transportation Authority is a joint powers authority established in 1990 by Solano County and the cities of Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville, and Vallejo to serve as the Congestion Management Agency for Solano County, as mandated by California law. [15] [16]

Transit stations

SolTrans operates three transportation hubs in Vallejo.

Vallejo Transit Center

The Vallejo Transit Center serves as the headquarters and central transfer point for SolTrans. The City of Vallejo contracted with STV Incorporated to build the Transit Center. [17] It has 12 bays for buses. [17] The Transit Center opened in 2011. [18]

Curtola Park & Ride

Curtola Park & Ride
Curtola Park and Ride (2), May 2019.JPG
Curtola Park & Ride in May 2019
General information
LocationCurtola Parkway at Lemon Street
Vallejo, California
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Construction
Parking419
AccessibleYes

The Curtola Park & Ride also known simply as Curtola is a bus station in South Vallejo, California, United States. The facility serves as a bus hub for transportation on local, commuter, and long-distance bus services.

In 2015 the bus station was upgraded for around $US10 million. [19] [20]

The station is served by SolTrans buses including local route 3 to the Glen Cove District. Line 78 provides intercity service to the Walnut Creek BART station while route 80 connects it to the El Cerrito del Norte BART station.

There is a casual carpool and vanpool area here. [21] There is also an operations and maintenance facility for SolTrans here. [22]

In 2013 some people expressed concern that parking fees may rise. [21]

Sereno Transit Center

The Sereno Transit Station is a bus station in North Vallejo.

Routes

As of July 1, 2019, SolTrans operates sixteen bus routes: nine local routes and three supplemental school routes operate within the Vallejo/Benicia area, and three routes provide intercity service. [23]

RouteDestinationService notes
1BroadwayDaily service provided
2NortheastMonday thru Saturday
3South VallejoMonday thru Saturday
4TuolumneMonday thru Saturday
5FairgroundsMonday thru Saturday
6TennesseeMonday thru Saturday
7A Clockwise / 7B CounterclockwiseDaily service provided
8Glen CoveMonday thru Saturday
15Benicia Schools – Rose DrSchool days only
17Benicia Schools – HastingsSchool days only
38Glen Cove – Jesse BethelSchool days only
RRed Line: I-80 ExpressDaily service provided
82San Francisco ExpressLimited weekday service [24]
YYellow Line: I-680 ExpressDaily service provided

Fleet and livery

SolTrans operates a mixed fleet of buses. When SolTrans was fully integrated in 2011, it introduced Gillig Low Floor hybrid buses for local bus service, [25] while the intercity routes continue to use MCI D4500 buses. SolTrans continues to use a small number of Orion V buses previously used by Vallejo Transit. SolTrans also makes use of small cutaway buses from Starcraft Bus and ElDorado National for Paratransit and Dial-a-ride services. All buses are bicycle and wheelchair accessible. [26]

In 2017, SolTrans introduced two new bus styles and accompanying updated paint scheme: An updated D4500 fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG); and the BYD K9M full-electric low-floor transit bus.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AC Transit</span> Public transit operator in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California

AC Transit is an Oakland-based public transit agency serving the western portions of Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. AC Transit also operates "Transbay" routes across San Francisco Bay to San Francisco and selected areas in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. AC Transit is constituted as a special district under California law. It is governed by seven elected members. It is not a part of or under the control of Alameda or Contra Costa counties or any local jurisdictions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SamTrans</span> Public transit operator in San Mateo County, California

SamTrans is a public transport agency in and around San Mateo, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It provides bus service throughout San Mateo County and into portions of San Francisco and Palo Alto. SamTrans also operates commuter shuttles to BART stations and community shuttles. Service is largely concentrated on the east side of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and, in the central county, I-280, leaving coast-side service south of Pacifica spotty and intermittent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daly City station</span> Rapid transit station in California, US

Daly City station is an elevated Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in Daly City, California, just south of the city limits of San Francisco. It is adjacent to Interstate 280 and California Route 1, which it serves as a park-and-ride station. The station is served by the Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue lines; it is the western terminus of the Green and Blue lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walnut Creek station</span> Rapid transit station in San Francisco Bay Area

Walnut Creek station is an elevated Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in Walnut Creek, California, served by the Yellow Line. The station is located north of downtown Walnut Creek, adjacent to Interstate 680 and near the Ygnacio Valley Road and California Boulevard arterial roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Cerrito del Norte station</span> Rapid transit station in San Francisco Bay Area

El Cerrito del Norte station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station located on Cutting Boulevard in El Cerrito, California. The station is served by the Orange and Red lines. Located near San Pablo Avenue and Interstate 80, it serves as a regional transit hub for local AC Transit bus services, and for commuter feeder services from Solano, Napa, and Marin Counties in the North Bay plus western Contra Costa County. Opened in 1973, the station was renovated in 2017–2021 to add additional elevators, stairs, and lobby space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tri Delta Transit</span>

Tri Delta Transit, formally the Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority, is a joint powers agency of the governments of Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood, and Contra Costa County that provides bus service for the eastern area of Contra Costa County, California, United States. Tri Delta Transit local buses connect to the BART rapid transit system at Antioch, Pittsburg Center, Pittsburg/Bay Point and Concord. Tri Delta Transit buses also connect with County Connection bus service. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,304,700, or about 4,700 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Joaquin Regional Transit District</span> Stockton

San Joaquin Regional Transit District is a transit district that provides bus service to the city of Stockton, California and the surrounding communities of Lodi, Ripon, Thornton, French Camp, Lathrop, Manteca, and Tracy. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,432,000, or about 9,700 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Santa Clarita Transit</span> Public transit agency serving the Santa Clarita Valley

City of Santa Clarita Transit is a local bus service, administered by the City's transit division, that serves the City of Santa Clarita, California and nearby surrounding unincorporated areas. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,111,800, or about 12,000 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. Daily operations and maintenance of the fleet are under contract with MV Transportation. City of Santa Clarita Transit routes connect with services operated by Metro and Metrolink.

CamTran, originally called the Cambria County Transit Authority operates mass transit bus service within Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Cambria County, and Windber, Pennsylvania, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. CamTran also operates the Johnstown Inclined Plane, which they took over in 1983 from Westmont, Pennsylvania borough. The transit system began operation in 1976, from the remnants of the Johnstown Traction Company. While the Cambria County Transit Authority (CCTA) began operation on July 20, 1976, service did not begin until December 1, 1976. In June 1999, CCTA became CamTran. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 752,700, or about 2,300 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

The San Benito County Local Transportation Authority (LTA) is the public transportation agency of San Benito County, California, immediately south of Silicon Valley (Santa Clara County). LTA provides fixed route inter-county and intra-city service as San Benito County Express; the Intracounty routes connect destinations in Hollister and San Juan Bautista to Gilroy in Santa Clara County, while the Tripper routes connect destinations within Hollister. LTA also provides demand-responsive dial-a-ride service within selected areas of northern San Benito County as County Express On-Demand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold Coast Transit</span>

Gold Coast Transit District, formerly known as South Coast Area Transit (SCAT), is a local bus operator in western Ventura County, California, serving Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ojai, and the adjoining areas of unincorporated Ventura County. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,380,300, or about 12,100 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VCTC Intercity</span> Public bus service in Ventura County, California

VCTC Intercity is a public transit agency providing bus service in Ventura County, California. It provides an intercity bus service between the cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Santa Paula, and Fillmore in Ventura County, and to communities in neighboring Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties. The agency is part of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, a governmental body that oversees transportation planning and funding in Ventura County. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 383,700, or about 1,400 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VINE Transit</span> American public transportation service

VINE Transit is a public transportation service in Napa County, California, United States; it is managed under the Napa Valley Transportation Authority and operated by Transdev. The system offers extensive service throughout the county along with providing connections to other public transportation systems in adjacent counties. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 498,600, or about 1,900 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Bay Ferry</span> Public transit passenger ferry service in the San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay Ferry is a public transit passenger ferry service in the San Francisco Bay, administered by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) and operated under contract by the privately owned, Blue and Gold Fleet. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,230,400, or about 8,600 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vallejo Transit Center</span> Transit station in California, U.S.

Vallejo Station is the project name of an intermodal transit station in the western part of Central Vallejo, California. The station comprises the Vallejo Transit Center bus station, Vallejo Ferry Terminal, and a connecting multi-story parking garage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Placer County Transit</span> Operator of mass transportation in California

Placer County Transit is the operator of mass transportation for western Placer County, California, excluding the city of Roseville, which has its own public transit system. In addition to six local routes, Placer County Transit also operates the Lincoln School Tripper in Lincoln, California, a bus supplement during school days, and the Placer Commuter Express, a commuter bus service between Downtown Sacramento and the Colfax Amtrak station. In addition to their fixed route service, Placer County Transit also operates Dial-a-ride services in local communities.

Bay Area Transit Authority a public transit agency that serves Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties in the US state of Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairfield Transportation Center</span>

The Fairfield Transportation Center or FTC is a bus station in Fairfield, California, United States. The facility serves as a bus hub for transportation on local, commuter, and long-distance bus services. There are plans to expand the center. Casual carpooling is also practiced here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vacaville Transportation Center</span>

Vacaville Transportation Center also known as the Vacaville Intermodal Station is a bus station in Vacaville, California, United States. It is served by Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST), Vacaville City Coach, and Yolobus.

References

  1. ↑ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  3. ↑ Rohrs, Sarah (26 July 2011). "Huge deficit already saddles merged SolTrans bus system serving Benicia and Vallejo". Vallejo Times Herald. Archived from the original on 17 August 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  4. 1 2 Kern, James E. (2004). Images of America: Vallejo. Arcadia. p. 80. ISBN   978-0-7385-2909-7.
  5. 1 2 Gile, Lee; Algood, Bob (January 7, 2007). "50 Years of Service". Vallejo Times Herald. ANG Newspapers.
  6. 1 2 3 "Timeline of Benicia Breeze: 1982 to Present" (PDF). City of Benicia. 16 January 2008. pp. VII-G-6. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  7. 1 2 Burchyns, Tony (24 August 2009). "Benicia fears likely merger of bus systems". Vallejo Times-Herald. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  8. ↑ Weilenman, Donna Beth (18 November 2010). "'SolTrans' gets Benicia's OK". Benicia Herald. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  9. ↑ Weilenman, Donna Beth (4 November 2010). "3-way pact may boost bus funding". Benicia Herald. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "SolTrans chooses National Express to run buses". Daily Republic. 22 March 2013. Retrieved 2015-05-25.
  11. ↑ Transdev Extends Operations in California Metro June 30, 2021
  12. ↑ "Dial-A-Ride Bus Service". SolTrans. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  13. ↑ SB 976: San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority
  14. ↑ "SolanoExpress". Solano Transportation Authority. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  15. ↑ "Who We Are". Solano Transportation Authority. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  16. ↑ "California Government Code Chapter 2.6. Congestion Management [65088 - 65089.10]". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  17. 1 2 "Vallejo Transit Center | STV". stvinc.com. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  18. ↑ "Vallejo Station Intermodal Facility - Phase B". Solano Transportation Authority. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  19. ↑ "Vallejo's Curtola Park & Ride ribbon cutting held Wednesday". timesheraldonline.com. 19 November 2006. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  20. ↑ "Curtola parking lot readying for upgrade". timesheraldonline.com. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  21. 1 2 "Vallejo's Curtola Park & Ride Hub hopefully to be fully functional by mid-January". timesheraldonline.com. 19 November 2006. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  22. ↑ "Dignitaries assemble to see Vallejo's new SolTrans facility". timesheraldonline.com. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  23. ↑ "Routes". SolTrans. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  24. ↑ http://www.soltransride.com/2016/12/rt82-2/ [ dead link ]
  25. ↑ "MTC -- News". www.mtc.ca.gov. Archived from the original on 2011-08-17.
  26. ↑ Motor Bus Society, Convention Report, Spring 2005. April 18, 2005
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.