Press Release: SolTrans is Awarded $1.85 Million for All-Electric Buses and Infrastructure

NEWS RELEASE
August 21, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vallejo, CA— Solano County Transit (SolTrans) was awarded their second Federal Transit Administration Revitalize America’s Bus Infrastructure. The grant will provide funding to plan, construct, and install electrical charging infrastructure, including on route charging at the Vallejo Transit Center and Curtola Park and Ride Hub, for their growing all-electric bus fleet. The project will improve the safety and reliability of transit service for residents of the cities of Vallejo and Benicia and communities throughout southern Solano County. SolTrans currently has 4 all-electric BYD buses in their local fleet and are looking to add an all-electric bus to their SolanoExpress fleet in spring 2021. The new SolanoExpress bus will pilot the electric needs for the express fleet and moving towards the all-electric goal. The SolTrans and Maintenance Facility in Vallejo already houses four chargers, the future of the project includes in-route charging at the transit centers which will allow buses to charge up while they stop to load and unload passengers making service more efficient. “We are thrilled to be one of the five California projects to be awarded this grant. We are moving forward with our goal to be all-electric by 2040 and committed to providing a greener, clearer and healthier transit service for our southern Solano Communities.” said Pat Carr SolTrans’ General Service Manager and Project Manager of the Electric Infrastructure Project. SolTrans will take the conceptual designs for the electric infrastructure to the SolTrans Board on September 17th, once approved they will be on the SolTrans website for viewing. The groundbreaking for the project will begin in March 2021 and complete in early 2022. A total of 96 projects in 49 states and territories receive funding from FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. A list of the selected projects is available online. “This Administration is committed to rebuilding our nation’s transportation infrastructure even through the current COVID-19 crisis, and this $464 million in federal grants will help improve the safety and reliability of transit bus service nationwide as the economy returns,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao. Solano County Transit (SolTrans) has been the public transportation provider for south Solano County since July 2011.

SolTrans provides local and SolanoExpress fixed routes, complementary paratransit, and subsidized Lyft programs. The agency is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) that is governed by a six-member Board of Directors, composed of two representatives from the cities of Benicia and Vallejo, Solano County’s representative on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and a representative from the Solano Transportation Authority.

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