Category Archives: Transportation

A green deal: VUSD receives first all-electric school bus – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

With green solutions and ultimately cost-savings in mind, Vacaville Unified School District leaders ordered and received the first of three electric buses from Lion Electric on Nov. 20. The other two are expected to be delivered during summer of 2021, district officials announced Monday.

Each yellow electric bus will replace an older, fossil fuel-burning diesel bus in the fleet. The goal is to obtain 10 electric buses in the next five years, Elaine Kong, the district’s spokeswoman noted in a press release.

The district’s purchase comes as bus manufacturers nationwide, including Blue Bird, are beginning to see increased demand for EV school buses, especially in California, a the nation’s most populous state and a huge market for them. The Twin Rivers School District in Sacramento uses 25 electric school buses built by Lion and is thought to be the largest such fleet in the country.

Source: A green deal: VUSD receives first all-electric school bus – The Reporter

New-look SolTrans bus greets Solano College students – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

A SolTrans bus with pictures to promote student enrollment and the “Ride Free with your Student ID” fare greeted Solano Community College students and staff when they opened the spring semester Tuesday.

The unveiling happened near Building 1400 of Solano Community College, 4000 Suisun Valley Road, in rural Fairfield.

The SolTrans SolanoExpress has been given the new “wrap” as part of a partnership with SolTrans, the Solano Transportation Authority and the college.

Source: New-look SolTrans bus greets Solano College students

New-look SolTrans bus to greet Solano College students – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

A SolTrans bus with pictures to promote student enrollment and the “Ride Free with your Student ID” fare will greet Solano Community College students and staff when they open the spring semester Tuesday.

The unveiling will take place at 9 a.m. near Building 1400 of Solano Community College, 4000 Suisun Valley Road, in rural Fairfield.

The SolTrans SolanoExpress has been given the new “wrap” as part of a partnership with SolTrans, the Solano Transportation Authority and the college.

Source: New-look SolTrans bus to greet Solano College students

Transportation, mobility issues at root of California foster students’ high absenteeism | Education Dive

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By Shawna De La Rosa

California was the first state to add funding for foster students’ needs some six years ago, but absenteeism among this group continues to be a factor. And they face difficulties beyond just poor attendance.

The Los Angeles United School District (LAUSD), which has the highest number of foster students in the country, announced earlier this year it would begin reporting the number of foster students in the district in addition to documenting how often those students change schools and their academic, social and emotional condition. Superintendent Austin Beutner will also develop pathways for foster students to segue into higher education through partnerships with colleges and other institutions.

Source: Transportation, mobility issues at root of California foster students’ high absenteeism | Education Dive

‘Walk to School Day’ set Oct. 2 in Solano County – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

The Solano Safe Routes to School program is encouraging students and their family members to walk to school Oct. 2 as part of the “Safe Route Superhero” program on International Walk to School Day.

“Walking with friends, family and neighbors on International Walk to School Day builds community and shows how individuals can make a difference in improving safety by having fewer cars on the road,” Harry Price, chairman of the Solano Transportation Authority and mayor of Fairfield, said in a statement released by transportation agency. “Walking to and from school is also a great way for kids to get more physical activity and offers parents the opportunity to teach them important pedestrian safety skills.”

Source: ‘Walk to School Day’ set Oct. 2 in Solano County

Vacaville City Coach to offer summer youth passes – Daily Republic

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By Ian Thompson

Summer is coming and so is the annual Vacaville City Coach Summer Youth Pass sale.

Youth from 6 to 17 years old can buy passes for $15 to ride City Coach from June to August.

Summer Youth Passes are available at the Vacaville City Hall Finance Department at 650 Merchant St., the McBride Senior Center at 91 Town Square Place, the Ulatis Community Center at 1000 Ulatis Drive, and Lucky grocery stores at 1979 Peabody Road or 777 E. Monte Vista Ave.

Source: Vacaville City Coach to offer summer youth passes

Fairfield-Suisun taking ‘longer’ look at electric buses – Daily Republic

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By Todd R. Hansen

Higher upfront costs of electric buses may deter some school districts from converting their diesel fleets, but it is not the only concern.

In fact, the Fairfield-Suisun schools have considered converting, but is not sure the electric buses could meet all the district’s needs.

“They have been considering it, but they have not converted or purchased electric buses,” Tim Goree, executive director of administrative services and community engagement at the Fairfield-Suisun School District, said in a phone interview.

The “they” to whom Goree references are the district’s transportation officials.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun taking ‘longer’ look at electric buses

Converting school, transit buses to electric cheaper, healthier – Daily Republic

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By Todd R. Hansen

A national report released Thursday states that replacing all diesel-powered transit and school buses with electric coaches would eliminate 7.3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year – and significantly reduce the exposure of children and others to the unhealthy fumes.

“Approximately 95 percent of America’s school buses, carrying some of the most vulnerable passengers, run on diesel,” the executive summary of the report released by the Environment America Research and Policy Center states.

The report, “Electric Busses: Clean Transportation for Healthier Neighborhoods and Cleaner Air,” was compiled by the research center as well as the U.S. Education Fund and the Frontier Group.

Source: Report: Converting school, transit buses to electric cheaper, healthier

SCOE honors classified employee, teacher of the year – Daily Republic

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By Amy Maginnis-Honey

A school bus driver convinced by her cousin to give the job a try and a high school science teacher who taught three of her four children were named Tuesday as Solano County’s Classified School Employee of the Year and Teacher of the Year.

Samantha Bradshaw, lead trainer and bus driver for the Vallejo City School District, was nominated for her can-do attitude and getting grants to retrofit the buses.

“Samantha has gone over and beyond the call of duty to help out the Transportation Department,” her nomination read.

Source: Solano office of education honors classified employee, teacher of the year

Fairfield-Suisun school board set to consider cuts – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

Trustees of the Fairfield-Suisun School District will be asked Thursday to give the green light to eliminate more than a dozen positions in response to the governor’s budget for the coming school year, with bus drivers bearing the brunt of the proposed cuts.

Robert A. Martinez, the district’s assistant superintendent of human resources, provides details about the planned layoffs in a staff report and accompanying resolution that the board is scheduled to consider.

The proposed cuts include 16.682 full-time equivalent positions: 10 from among the district’s bus drivers, 2.781 from the district’s roster of child nutrition assistants and the equivalent 1.288 positions in the corps of bilingual para-educators. Roughly half a position each would be cut from among the district’s mental health clinicians, associate mental health clinicians, behavior analysts, para-educators and campus monitors.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun school board set to consider cuts to ranks of bus drivers, other staff

Title shift for abandoned right of way gets Fairfield-Suisun district OK – Daily Republic

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By Ryan McCarthy

Accepting title from Suisun City to an abandoned right of way needed for a new building at Fairview Elementary School won approval Thursday from Fairfield-Suisun School District trustees.

A survey during design and development for a new administration and kindergarten building at the school on First Street in Fairfield identified the waterline right of way in the area best suited for the new building, a school district staff report said.

Because the waterline associated with the right of way was believed to be abandoned, the district asked the Suisun-Solano Water Authority to investigate, the report said.

Suisun City Council members at their Jan. 16 meeting, acting as the water authority, passed a resolution relinquishing the city’s interest in the waterline easement to the school district and allowing removal of the easement.

Source: Title shift for abandoned right of way gets Fairfield-Suisun district OK

Poster contest opens for Solano Safe Routes to School program – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

Students can show off their creativity by entering the Solano Safe Routes to School Program poster contest with the top two placers in each grade category to get prizes.

Entries are being taken through March 1.

The posters are meant to encourage students to walk, bike or ride a scooter to school, and artists can depict any of those three themes.

The grade categories are kindergarten through second grade, third through fifth grade, sixth through eighth grade, and ninth through 12th grade. The first-place prize is a bike or scooter. The second-place prize is a $100 gift certificate from a local bike shop. Teachers whose classrooms participate in the contest will be entered into a prize drawing.

Source: Poster contest opens for Solano Safe Routes to School program

Solano Transportation Authority receives traffic safety grants – The Reporter

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The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) awarded the Solano Transportation Authority two grants to standardize, collect, analyze and report travel safety data to police and public works staff; and evaluate and promote pedestrian and bicycle safety around schools countywide.

Each of the grants awarded are for $170,000 for one year.

The OTS provides competitive awards annually to jurisdictions with programs created to improve travel safety.

STA’s Projects Department was awarded a Traffic Records grant focused on procurement of collision data software and standardization of data reporting techniques. This data will help to identify the types and locations of collisions, and will have this data available and analyzed automatically. In consultation with the commanders of each police department within Solano County, all data will be collected and made available through an online portal. STA is embarking on an effort to collect and analyze as much safety data as possible to identify locations of concern and implement cost-effective solutions.

Source: Solano Transportation Authority receives traffic safety grants

Nearly 10,000 Solano students observe International Walk to School Day – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

If a Vacaville elementary school student read or thumbed through books by famed backpacker Colin Fletcher, author of “The Man Who Walked Through Time” and “The Complete Walker,” the boy or girl would not only learn walking techniques but they also would learn more abstract things, such as walking’s pleasures and its sometimes deeply emotional rewards.

But children simply enjoy walking, especially walking to school, as scores did Wednesday, International Walk To School Day, when it was celebrated at Callison Elementary in Vacaville, one of 46 county schools (fewer than last year) to mark the special day.

By 8:30 a.m. and under a cloudless fall sky, students, alone or in groups of four and five, trudged happily along the sidewalk, north and south, fronting the Vanden Road campus in the city’s eastern sector. Noon supervisor Susie Berk greeted them with yellow string backpacks, a memento of the day, as students made their way to their respective classrooms.

Solano schools take part in walk-to-school day – Daily Republic

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By Ian Thompson

Nine-year-old Lilly Laughter made sure to finish off the last of her yogurt Wednesday morning before joining the flock of children who were starting their walk to Crescent Elementary School as that school’s observance of International Walk to School Day.

She and her mother, Jill Laughter, were two of almost three dozen children and their parents who met up with Suisun City School Safety Officer Leticia Gonzales at Lawler Ranch Park for the half-mile trek to Crescent.

“I like doing this because it means less traffic, the kids get exercise and they get to school safe,” Gonzales said before gathering her young charges behind a small, cardboard school bus sign she made for the walk.

Source: Solano schools take part in walk-to-school day

Solano schools prep for International Walk to School Day activities – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

The annual International Walk to School Day is Wednesday in Solano County.

Students from 54 schools participated last year, in addition to staff, parents, community members and some mayors across the county. The goal by the organizer, Solano County Safe Routes to School, is 70 schools this year.

The event celebrates the benefits of walking and brings light to safety concerns for pedestrians, and particularly children and teens walking to and from school.

Source: The Week Ahead: Solano schools prep for International Walk to School Day activities

Organizers target 70 Solano schools for Walk to School Day trek – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

The annual International Walk to School Day is Oct. 4 in Solano County.

Students from 54 schools participated last year, plus staff, parents, community members and some mayors across the county. The goal by the organizer, Solano County Safe Routes to School, is 70 schools this year.

The event celebrates the benefits of walking and brings light to safety concerns for pedestrians, and particularly children and teens walking to and from school.

Source: Organizers target 70 Solano schools for Walk to School Day trek

New bus service to help Vallejo students, Benicia ferry riders announced – Times Herald

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In an effort to make life easier for students who commute by bus from south Vallejo to Jesse Bethel High School, Soltrans has made some route changes, agency officials announced.

Starting Sunday, the new Route 38 operates one morning trip on school weekdays to supplement existing service on Routes 3 and 8 for students attending Jesse Bethel High School, officials said.

The trip begins at Glen Cove at 7 a.m. and arrives at Bethel at 7:30 a.m. and Gateway Plaza at 7:36 a.m., they said.

An additional outbound trip from the Vallejo Transit Center to Glen Cove has been on added to Route 3 during days Vallejo schools are in session, they said.

Once in Glen Cove, this added bus will continue as the new

Source: New bus service to help Vallejo students, Benicia ferry riders announced

Students ready for National Bike to School Day – The Reporter

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Hundreds of Solano County students will strap on safety helmets and pedal to school May 10 — National Bike to School Day.

The annual event focuses attention on the physical and environmental benefits of biking or walking to school instead of commuting by car.

In 2016, 26 elementary and middle schools throughout Solano County participated in the Solano Safe Routes to School (SR2S) program to promote Bike to School Day and this year high schools are invited to participate.

Along with promoting safety, SR2S aims to improve children’s health by increasing their daily physical activity by walking and biking to school. SR2S staff works with schools and parents to organize Walking School Buses and daily or weekly walking programs. The program also conducts traffic safety assemblies, bike safety rodeos and helmet fittings in Solano County schools.

Source: Students ready for National Bike to School Day

Safety to School poster contest starts – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

Elementary and middle school students are welcome to enter the third annual Solano Safe Routes to School poster contest.

The top prize is a new bicycle, with helmet and lock. The second-place winner gets a $100 gift certificate from a local bike shop. The third-place winner gets a $50 gift certificate from a bike shop.

The contest is open to students from transitional kindergarten to eighth grade. The poster should show proper use of traffic safety laws, such as wearing a bike helmet, crossing the street in a crosswalk, or riding a bike with the flow of traffic.

Source: Safety to School poster contest starts – Daily Republic