SolTrans Redesign Sinks On-Time Performance; Riders Demand Fixes Before January

SolTrans' Aug. 2 systemwide redesign has made buses later, and riders want stops and routes back now. At its Sept. 17, 2026, meeting, the Board of Directors took no action on the redesign. Staff said the deeper schedule fixes must wait for January, and the board began shaping the first fare increases in years.

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• On-time performance fell from 68% to 54% on local routes and from 73% to 48% on Express after the redesign
• Riders pressed for restored stops and a return of Route 40 to Walnut Creek BART; directors promised a January review
• Staff floated a 75-cent local fare increase by 2030 and Solano Express hikes; directors want a farebox target set first
• Youth Ride Free's grant expires June 30, with ridership above 20,000 riders a month
• Equity advocates pushed for shade, benches, lighting and Spanish-language access at bus stops

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Redesign Hits Reliability, and Riders Hit Back

Why it matters: The redesign came out of a fiscal crisis, and it has made SolTrans buses less reliable for the riders who depend on them most. The biggest fixes cannot arrive until January because of how drivers bid on work.

Where things stand: Josh of Transdev, SolTrans' contract operator, said the Aug. 2 schedules were overly optimistic and left too little recovery time between trips. That produced cascading delays.

"We saw a drop in our on-time performance on the local network from 68% previously down to 54% with some routes as low as 38%," said Josh.

On Sept. 1, new schedules took effect on Routes 40, 70 and 90:

• On-time performance on Routes 40 and 70 rose from 33% to 51%.
• Delays over 15 minutes fell from 30% to 13% of time points.
• Route 90 ride time dropped 8%.

Josh flagged new overcrowding at El Cerrito. He projected a gain of about 5% systemwide over the next month.

Board Chair Terry Scott noted that a 5% monthly gain falls short of the 70% target. He asked whether the drop was expected.

"No, we didn't expect that, but that's why we made the corrections as quickly as we could," said Executive Director Cranda. She said larger changes require rebidding and blocking by October for January.

The other side: Six riders described what the changes have cost them. Seneca Harper objected to cuts to the hill routes. "And yet you took away the 7B to go up that level and the 7A going back to Avian Drive," said Harper, a public commenter.

Elvie Santos-Desina, a Vallejo senior with mobility limits, said the Eagle Ridge stop was removed. Now "the nearest bus stop is by Bethel High School along Ascot Parkway, and that means 35 to 40 minute walk for me," she said.

Pam Johnson said she now walks about 20 minutes. She asked for a stop at Broadway and Tuolumne and objected to losing the post office stop.

Route 40's shift from Walnut Creek BART to Concord and North Concord BART drew the sharpest complaints. Philip Hang, a Vacaville commuter, said it added time, eliminated his 4 a.m. trip and added a second BART stop. "Please don't wait till January," said Hang.

Brenda Villanueva Nikolai, a Fairfield rider, reported a Sept. 16 early departure. "A bus arriving late is frustrating. A bus leaving early is unacceptable," she said. Another rider called the new route labels confusing.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No action was taken.

Vice Chair Andrea Sorce, the mayor of Vallejo, pointed to funding constraints and to the backtracking Walnut Creek required to reach Martinez and DVC. "We're not going to make rash decisions. We're not going to change something back just because one person said something," said Sorce. She committed to evaluating the multiple-BART-stop question for January.

Chair Scott recounted that "SolTrans was facing a fiscal crisis" before the redesign.

Board Member Alma Hernandez defended the Suisun stop on the Vacaville route. "It's providing peak time service to Suisun City while the rest of the Suisun City service was removed," she said. She also pointed riders to Medi-Cal transportation and Solano Mobility's medical trip concierge.

Board Member Helen-Marie Gordon stressed riders' lived experience. "The HR 1 is going to be a challenge," she said.

What's next: Staff must finish rebidding and blocking by October for the January service changes.

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Fare Hikes Are Coming, but How Fast Is Unsettled

The basics: Farebox recovery is the share of operating costs covered by fares.

SolTrans' farebox recovery was about 23% overall and 43% on Express before COVID. Today it is about 4% on local routes and 12% on Express. A suspended state Transportation Development Act (TDA) rule requiring 20% recovery may return.

Why it matters: Local fares have not risen since 2019, and Express fares have not risen in more than 15 years. Any increase would land on riders already absorbing the redesign.

Where things stand: Staff member Christina presented revisions to the fare policy.

"Raising fares is never a fun topic nor a first choice, but we have a fiduciary responsibility to maintain a financially viable system," she said.

The proposals include:

• A farebox recovery goal
• Incentives for Clipper over cash, since armored car costs consume about a third of the cash collected
• An Express increase from $5 to $7
• A Route 82 increase from $5 to $11

On local routes, "we would have to raise fares at least 75 cents to see about $100,000 more in revenue," Christina said. That is roughly 1,000 service hours. The local increase would be phased in by 2030.

Timing is tight. Clipper needs three months' notice, so a July 1 effective date requires a board decision by April.

The other side: The board split on pace. Alternate Board Member Largas-Parra, a councilmember, urged setting the target first and working backward. "My initial response to at least the staff direction is it's not moving high enough, quick enough," he said.

Others leaned on equity concerns. "Fare adjustments unfortunately hit the poorest and the most disadvantaged the most," said Chair Scott. He also noted 33% CPI growth since 2019 and bridge tolls rising from $6 to $9.50. Later he said "any kind of rate increase would be insulting" before ridership stabilizes.

"I am concerned of the lower-income community and how this may affect them," said Gordon, who also flagged cash users.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No motion was made.

Sorce favored a slower local increase after the redesign. She wants a menu of options for the Solano Transportation Authority (STA) board, which funds Solano Express with SolTrans' partners. "Do you want to pitch in more money? Do you want to raise fares this amount? Do you want to go somewhere in the middle? Or do you want to cut service?" she said.

Directors also asked staff to separate local and Express fares into distinct tracks.

Youth Ride Free at a cliff: The executive director reported more than 20,000 monthly youth riders, a 230% increase since the program launched. The chair credited the program with reducing truancy in Vallejo and Benicia.

Sorce asked staff to back Youth Ride Free out of the farebox figures. Staff said the grant funding the program ends June 30 and will return to the board. Directors raised school district funding and attendance-based grants as replacements.

What's next: Staff returns in October with a farebox recovery analysis.

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Equity Advocates Map What Riders Lack

Why it matters: Missing shade, seating and lighting fall hardest on seniors, disabled riders and non-English speakers.

Where things stand: Marisela Barbosa of the Time Is Yet Network introduced the Ocho Poderosas Transportation Equity Project. Sharon of Ocho Poderosas then walked the board through stop-by-stop findings.

The group recommended:

• Shelters, benches and lighting
• Maps, schedules and security cameras
• A Spanish-language QR code
• Larger, lower signage

Christina Nicholson, founder of Project Solano and a 25-year operator, urged the board to read the group's report and petition.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Chair Scott said staff had already acted on several recommendations. Gordon relayed similar complaints. "On Porter and Magazine, people are concerned that there's no shelter there," she said. The chair said Porter/Magazine and Sheraton would be added.

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AI Tool Aims to Keep Electric Buses Charged

Why it matters: SolTrans' board-approved goal is a zero-emission fleet by 2033, ahead of California's 2040 plan. Stranded buses and costly peak charging are real risks along the way.

Where things stand: Staff member BZ Ibrahim cited SolTrans' January contract with MOVE Incorporated. Dr. Rajiv Gav, a UCLA engineering professor, then demonstrated MOVE's dashboard.

The dashboard:

• Integrates about eight systems, including chargers, telematics, fueling, maintenance and CAD/AVL dispatch
• Tracks five BYD and 10 ChargePoint chargers in real time
• Predicts vehicle range
• Recommends which bus to assign to each block

Ibrahim said charging schedules account for PG&E rates at different hours of the day. The system covers all fuels, including CNG.

"The human operator is the one who is going to make the final decision at the end of the day. This is just a recommendation engine," said Gav.

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Minor Items

• Budget: FY2025-26 ended about $1 million (4.4%) under budget, with the savings returning to reserves. Fare revenue rose $180,000 year over year. Contracted transit came in about $438,000 under, largely from liquidated damages, which are contract penalties. Staff does not expect those penalties to repeat at past levels.
• Agenda and consent calendar: The board pulled item 7C, an FTA Low-No Emission grant, and moved the redesign item up. That vote was For: 4 (Scott, Gordon, Sorce, Largas-Parra), Against: 0, Absent: 1 (Hernandez). The consent calendar later passed unanimously by voice vote.
• Resource fair: Catholic Charities Yolo-Solano's Treat Yourself Resource Fair is Oct. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Vallejo Transit Center. Organizers are seeking shelf-stable food donations and raffle prizes.
• Recognition: The board honored BZ Ibrahim for 10 years of service. The recognition cited his cybersecurity, in-house IT and zero-emission software work.

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Looking Ahead

Fare analysis returns in October, ahead of the April decision deadline for any July 1 increase. Redesign fixes target January, and riders will be watching whether Route 40 and the removed stops make the cut.