View source for SolTrans

{{Short description|Transportation service in Solano County, California}}
{{Merge|SolanoExpress|discuss=Talk:SolanoExpress#Proposed merge of SolTrans with SolanoExpress|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox Bus transit
| name            = Solano County Transit
| logo            = SolTrans logo.png
| logo_size       =
| image           = SolTrans route 5 bus at Vallejo Transit Center, May 2019.JPG
| image_size     = 300
| image_caption   = SolTrans Route 5 at Vallejo Transit Center
| company_slogan  =
| parent          =
| founded         = November 16, 2010
| headquarters    = [[Vallejo Station]]
| locale          = [[Vallejo, California|Vallejo]] and [[Benicia, California]]
| service_area    = [[Solano County, California]], [[Contra Costa County, California]]
| service_type    = [[bus service]], [[paratransit]]
| alliance        =
| routes          = 16
| destinations    =
| stops           =
| hubs            = [[Vallejo Station|1]]
| stations        = 3
| lounge          =
| fleet           =
| ridership = {{American transit ridership|CA Vallejo total daily}} ({{American transit ridership|dailydate}}){{American transit ridership|dailycitation}}
| annual_ridership = {{American transit ridership|CA Vallejo total annual}} ({{American transit ridership|annualdate}}){{American transit ridership|annualcitation}}
| fuel_type       =
| operator        = [[Transdev]]
| ceo             =
| leader_type     =
| leader          =
| website         = {{URL|soltrans.org}}
}}
'''SolTrans''', officially '''Solano County Transit''', is  a [[Joint Powers Authority]] that provides [[public transportation]] service to the southern [[Solano County, California|Solano County]] cities of [[Vallejo, California|Vallejo]] and [[Benicia, California|Benicia]]. SolTrans was established in 2011 and is the result of a [[merger]] between '''Vallejo Transit''' and '''Benicia Breeze'''.<ref name=Rohrs0726>{{cite news|last=Rohrs|first=Sarah|title=Huge deficit already saddles merged SolTrans bus system serving Benicia and Vallejo|url=http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_18550242|access-date=3 August 2011|newspaper=Vallejo Times Herald|date=26 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110817163945/http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_18550242|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 August 2011}}</ref> In {{American transit ridership|annualdate}}, the system had a ridership of {{American transit ridership|CA Vallejo total annual}}, or about {{American transit ridership|CA Vallejo total daily}} per weekday as of {{American transit ridership|dailydateasof}}.
== 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 ===
[[File:"The Vallejo Bus Co. offered bus tours of Mare Island. While the passengers did not alight from the busses, they had... - NARA - 296839.jpg|thumbnail|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.<ref name="kernPg80" />
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.<ref name="gileAlgood2007">{{cite news | title=50 Years of Service | work=Vallejo Times Herald | date=January 7, 2007 | agency=ANG Newspapers |author1=Gile, Lee |author2=Algood, Bob }}</ref>
=== 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.<ref name="kernPg80">{{cite book | title=Images of America: Vallejo | publisher=Arcadia | author=Kern, James E. | year=2004 | pages=80 | isbn=978-0-7385-2909-7}}</ref> 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 / Contra Costa Centre (BART station)|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]].<ref name=breezeTimeline>{{cite web|title=Timeline of Benicia Breeze: 1982 to Present|url=http://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/vertical/sites/%7B3436CBED-6A58-4FEF-BFDF-5F9331215932%7D/uploads/%7B5A15158F-87F9-4AC1-8501-B882DB11E493%7D.PDF|publisher=City of Benicia|access-date=8 June 2013|pages=VII-G-6|date=16 January 2008}}</ref> 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 Phantom]]s for their main route and begin serving the [[Martinez (Amtrak station)|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,<ref name="breezeTimeline" /> who would acquire [[controlling interest]] in VCTC five years later, transforming it into an MV subsidiary.<ref name="gileAlgood2007" /> 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.<ref name="breezeTimeline" /> Route 75 was eventually retired in favor of Vallejo Transit Route 78, which extends the route to [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]].<ref name=burchyns08242009>{{cite news|last=Burchyns|first=Tony|title=Benicia fears likely merger of bus systems|url=http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_13192350|access-date=28 June 2013|newspaper=Vallejo Times-Herald|date=24 August 2009}}</ref>
=== 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 Express|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]].<ref name="burchyns08242009" /> On November 16, 2010, both cities agreed to enter into a [[joint powers authority]] agreement with the STA,<ref name=weilenman11182010>{{cite news|last=Weilenman|first=Donna Beth|title='SolTrans' gets Benicia's OK|url=http://beniciaherald.me/2010/11/18/%E2%80%98soltrans%E2%80%99-gets-benicia%E2%80%99s-ok/|access-date=28 June 2013|newspaper=Benicia Herald|date=18 November 2010}}</ref> 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.<ref name=weilenman11042010>{{cite news|last=Weilenman|first=Donna Beth|title=3-way pact may boost bus funding|url=http://beniciaherald.me/2010/11/04/3-way-pact-may-boost-bus-funding/|access-date=28 June 2013|newspaper=Benicia Herald|date=4 November 2010}}</ref>
In 2013, [[National Express]] Transit replaced MV as its operations contractor, followed by [[Transdev]] in July 2021.<ref>{{Cite web| title = SolTrans chooses National Express to run buses| work = Daily Republic| date = 22 March 2013| access-date = 2015-05-25| url = http://www.dailyrepublic.com/news/solanocounty/soltrans-chooses-national-express-to-run-buses/}}</ref><ref>[https://www.metro-magazine.com/10146569/transdev-extends-operations-in-california Transdev Extends Operations in California] ''[[Metro Magazine|Metro]]'' June 30, 2021</ref>
== Services ==
SolTrans provides local and express bus service to the Solano County cities of [[Vallejo, California|Vallejo]], [[Benicia, California|Benicia]], and [[Fairfield, California|Fairfield]]. It also provides express bus service to the [[Contra Costa County, California|Contra Costa County]] communities of [[El Cerrito, California|El Cerrito]], [[Pleasant Hill, California|Pleasant Hill]], and [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]], providing regional connections to [[Bay Area Rapid Transit|BART]]. SolTrans also provides ADA complementary [[paratransit]] within Vallejo and Benicia and General Public [[Dial a Ride]] within Benicia.<ref name=solTransDAR>{{cite web|title=Dial-A-Ride Bus Service|url=http://www.soltransride.com/services/dial-a-ride-2/|website=SolTrans|access-date=6 February 2015}}</ref>
Ferry service from [[Vallejo Station|Vallejo]] to [[San Francisco, California|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].<ref>[http://leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=sb_976&sess=CUR&house=B&author=torlakson SB 976: San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority]</ref>
===SolanoExpress===
'''SolanoExpress''' is a [[Public transport|public transit]] network of regional express buses connecting [[Solano County, California]] to [[Contra Costa County, California|Contra Costa County]] (across the [[Carquinez Strait]]) and the [[Sacramento Valley]]. It is managed by the Solano Transportation Authority and operated by [[SolTrans]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=SolanoExpress|url=https://sta.ca.gov/programs/solano-express/|access-date=2021-05-14|website=Solano Transportation Authority|language=en-US}}</ref> The Solano Transportation Authority is a [[joint powers authority]] established in 1990 by Solano County and the cities of [[Benicia, California|Benicia]], [[Dixon, California|Dixon]], [[Fairfield, California|Fairfield]], [[Rio Vista, California|Rio Vista]], [[Suisun City, California|Suisun City]], [[Vacaville, California|Vacaville]], and [[Vallejo, California|Vallejo]] to serve as the [[Congestion management agency|Congestion Management Agency]] for Solano County, as mandated by California law.<ref name="who-we-are">{{cite web |title=Who We Are |url=https://sta.ca.gov/about-sta/who-we-are/ |website=Solano Transportation Authority |access-date=14 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=California Government Code Chapter 2.6. Congestion Management [65088 - 65089.10]|url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&sectionNum=65089.|access-date=2021-05-14|website=leginfo.legislature.ca.gov}}</ref>
== Transit stations ==
SolTrans operates three transportation hubs in Vallejo.
=== Vallejo Transit Center ===
{{Main|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.<ref name="STVInc">{{cite web |title=Vallejo Transit Center {{!}} STV |url=https://stvinc.com/project/vallejo-transit-center |website=stvinc.com |access-date=7 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref>  It has 12 bays for buses.<ref name="STVInc" />  The Transit Center opened in 2011.<ref name="STA">{{cite web |title=Vallejo Station Intermodal Facility - Phase B |url=https://sta.ca.gov/project/vallejo-station-intermodal-facility-phase-b/ |website=Solano Transportation Authority |access-date=7 October 2023}}</ref>
=== Curtola Park & Ride ===
{{anchor|Curtola}}
{{Infobox station
| name                = Curtola Park & Ride
| type                =
| style               =
| image               = Curtola Park and Ride (2), May 2019.JPG
| image_caption       = Curtola Park & Ride in May 2019
| address             = Curtola Parkway at Lemon Street<br />[[Vallejo, California|Vallejo]], [[California]]
| country             = {{USA}}
| coordinates         =
| other               =
| parking             = 419
| bicycle             =
| opened              =
| closed              =
| rebuilt             =
| accessible                 = Yes
| code                =
| owned               =
| operator            =
| former              =
| passengers          =
| pass_year           =
| pass_percent        =
| pass_system         =
| mpassengers         =
| services            =
}}
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&nbsp;million.<ref name="timesheraldonline">{{cite web|url=http://www.timesheraldonline.com/article/NH/20151014/NEWS/151019935|website=timesheraldonline.com|title=Vallejo's Curtola Park & Ride ribbon cutting held Wednesday|date=19 November 2006|access-date=2017-08-10}}</ref><ref name="timesheraldonline2">{{cite web|url=http://www.timesheraldonline.com/article/zz/20140509/NEWS/140507344|website=timesheraldonline.com|title=Curtola parking lot readying for upgrade|access-date=2017-08-10}}</ref>
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.<ref name="timesheraldonline4">{{cite web|url=http://www.timesheraldonline.com/article/NH/20151230/NEWS/151239999|website=timesheraldonline.com|title=Vallejo's Curtola Park & Ride Hub hopefully to be fully functional by mid-January|date=19 November 2006|access-date=2017-08-10}}</ref> There is also an operations and maintenance facility for SolTrans here.<ref name="timesheraldonline5">{{cite web|url=http://www.timesheraldonline.com/article/NH/20150921/NEWS/150929989|website=timesheraldonline.com|title=Dignitaries assemble to see Vallejo's new SolTrans facility|access-date=2017-08-10}}</ref>
In 2013 some people expressed concern that parking fees may rise.<ref name="timesheraldonline4" />
=== 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.<ref name=solTransSchedule>{{cite web|title=Routes|url=http://www.soltransride.com/routes|website=SolTrans|access-date=1 April 2017}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Route
! Destination
! Service notes
|-
! style="border-left: red solid 5px" | 1
| Broadway
| Daily service provided
|-
! style="border-left: #94137c solid 5px" | 2
| Northeast
| Monday thru Saturday
|-
! style="border-left: #33cc33 solid 5px" | 3
| South Vallejo
| Monday thru Saturday
|-
! style="border-left: #5286a4 solid 5px" | 4
| Tuolumne
| Monday thru Saturday
|-
! style="border-left: #ec7f2d solid 5px" | 5
| Fairgrounds
| Monday thru Saturday
|-
! style="border-left: #8F3900 solid 5px" | 6
| Tennessee
| Monday thru Saturday
|-
! style="border-left: #3649a2 solid 5px" | 7A Clockwise / 7B Counterclockwise
|
| Daily service provided
|-
! style="border-left: #158920 solid 5px" | 8
| Glen Cove
| Monday thru Saturday
|-
! style="border-left: #ec7f2d solid 5px" | 15
| Benicia Schools – Rose Dr
| School days only
|-
! style="border-left: #3649a2 solid 5px" | 17
| Benicia Schools – Hastings
| School days only
|-
! style="border-left: brown solid 5px" | 38
| Glen Cove – Jesse Bethel
| School days only
|-
! style="border-left: red solid 5px" | R
| Red Line: I-80 Express
| Daily service provided
|-
! style="border-left: #7a0d35 solid 5px" | 82
| San Francisco Express
| Limited weekday service<ref>http://www.soltransride.com/2016/12/rt82-2/ {{dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref>
|-
! style="border-left: #ffba00 solid 5px" | Y
| Yellow Line: I-680 Express
| Daily 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,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtc.ca.gov/news/current_topics/8-11/soltrans.htm |title=MTC -- News |website=www.mtc.ca.gov |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110817163943/http://www.mtc.ca.gov/news/current_topics/8-11/soltrans.htm |archive-date=2011-08-17}}</ref> while the intercity routes continue to use [[Motor Coach Industries|MCI]] [[MCI 102DL3 & D4500|D4500]] buses. SolTrans continues to use a small number of [[Orion International|Orion]] [[Orion V|V]] buses previously used by Vallejo Transit. SolTrans also makes use of small cutaway buses from [[Starcraft Bus]] and [[ENC (company)|ElDorado National]] for Paratransit and Dial-a-ride services. All buses are bicycle and wheelchair accessible.<ref>[[Motor Bus Society]], [http://www.motorbussociety.org/conventn/05spr/index.html Convention Report, Spring 2005]. April 18, 2005</ref>
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 K9]]M full-electric low-floor transit bus.
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{official website|http://www.soltrans.org/}}
* [http://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/transit City of Benicia: Bus / Transit Services]
{{San Francisco Bay Area Public Transit}}
{{Transdev}}
[[Category:Bus transportation in California]]
[[Category:Public transportation in Contra Costa County, California]]
[[Category:Public transportation in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Public transportation in Solano County, California]]
[[Category:Intermodal transportation authorities in California]]
[[Category:Transdev]]
[[Category:2010 establishments in California]]