California Transit Association

2010

Solano County Transit (SolTrans) was formed as a Joint Powers Authority through the consolidation of Vallejo Transit and the Benicia Breeze.

SolTrans' member agencies include the cities of Vallejo and Benicia and the Solano Transportation Authority (STA). The organization is governed by a six member Board of Directors, which is composed of the Mayor and a City Council Member from each member city, Solano County's representative to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and an ex-officio member from the Solano Transportation Authority (STA). The Executive Director and her staff carry out the direction provided by the Board in running the organization.

After years of planning and negotiations, a Joint Powers Agreement was approved in the fall of 2010 by the City of Benicia, the City of Vallejo, and the Solano Transportation Authority to form Solano County Transit, better known as SolTrans, to meet the public transportation needs of south Solano County. Through its approval, the SolTrans Joint Powers Authority (JPA) was officially formed and represented the consolidation of Vallejo Transit and the Benicia Breeze, which were formerly operated by the cities for decades. The first meeting of the SolTrans JPA occurred on December 16, 2010, during which the Board of Directors were sworn in and, with the help of a transition team, discussed how the agency could begin to achieve financial stability, establish federal grantee status, develop an Agency logo, transition transit operations from the cities, recruit employees, and adopt bylaws. Approximately six months later, on July 1, 2011, SolTrans officially assumed transit operations from the cities under a unified service contract with MV Transportation. Less than a year later, the Agency hired its first, permanent employee, its Executive Director, on June 11, 2012. Since then the Agency has grown to eleven permanent employees, delivered a number of projects, and earned regional, state and national awards for its significant achievements in less than five years from its formation.

The first Chairperson of the Board of Directors was Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis. His fellow, founding board members (first Board of Directors) include Mayor Elizabeth Patterson (Benicia), Councilmember Mike Ioakimedes (Benicia), Councilmember Erin Hannigan (Vallejo), Supervisor Jim Spering (MTC Representative), and Mayor Harry Price (Solano Transportation Agency). SolTrans' first, permanent employee and Executive Director is Mona Babauta. She came on board on June 11, 2012. Prior to June 11, 2012, Daryl Halls, Executive Director of the Solano Transportation Authority played a key role in establishing the JPA, and between June 2011 and June 2012, Jim McElroy served as the part-time, Interim Executive Director to oversee the day-to-day operations.

APTA Gold Award for Safety received in May 2014 MTC "Excellence in Motion" award received in October 2014 STA's "Partner of the Year" award received in fall 2013 SolTrans' first groundbreaking ceremony was for the construction of the SolTrans Curtola Park and Ride Hub. This occurred in June 2014.

133

1,500,000

17

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Construction of the SolTrans Curtola Park and Ride Hub, O&M Facility Rennovation, Construction of Compressed Natrual Gas (CNG) Infrastructure, Implementation of Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) System, Purchasing Battery Electric Buses for Local Fleet Replacements