By Brooks Jarosz
A pedestrian bridge in Benicia was demolished Friday causing some parents to fear their children won’t have a safe path to get to school.
The City of Benicia said a commercial truck crashed into the walking bridge over Military West on Tuesday, damaging it beyond repair. It continued to deteriorate and pose a serious safety risk.
Source: Benicia parents fear for children’s safety after pedestrian bridge demolished
By Community Contributor
The City of Fairfield has contracted FBD Vanguard Construction, Inc. to construct the Grange Middle School Safe Routes to School Project.
The Project is located on E. Tabor Avenue between Dover Avenue and Clay Bank Road, and on Sunset Avenue between E. Tabor Avenue and Sunset Court. Improvements include: installing concrete curb extensions, ADA-accessible curb ramps, rapid flashing beacons at crosswalks, traffic signal modifications, pavement rehabilitation, and traffic striping.
Source: City Alert: Grange Middle School Safe Routes to School Project
Nelda Mundy Elementary School recently received the Solano Transportation Authority Safe Routes to School Award.
The school was recognized Nov. 9 as a champion school for the Safe Routes to School Program with more than 100 students who walk or ride to school every day.
“We are delighted to have participated in the Safe Routes to Schools Program,” Julie Reece, principal at Nelda Mundy, said in a statement. “It is great to see the positive effects it has on our students and our community, and we look forward to continuing our participation in this important program in the future!”
Source: Nelda Mundy receives STA award for Safe Routes to School program
By Nick Sestanovich
With many schools in Vacaville within walking distance of students’ homes, traffic and pedestrian safety can be a concern, especially when school starts or lets out.
Parents, students, neighbors, teachers and other school staff likely know of ways to improve travel around their schools, and the city wants to hear from you.
In conjunction with Solano Safe Routes to School, the city is calling upon the community to submit their traffic safety concerns and ideas to ameliorate them through Jan. 31.
Source: Vacaville calls upon community for ideas to improve safety around schools – The Vacaville Reporter
The city is accepting ideas on where Safe Routes to School locations should be considered for the program’s plan.
“City staff will evaluate each submission to determine if there are physical improvements that can be constructed to mitigate areas of concern. Evaluation of data and conditions will guide the types of potential physical improvements (e.g. enhanced crosswalks, radar feedback signs, installation of gap sidewalks, etc.). Please note, not all issues can be solved by physical improvements,” the city said in a statement.
Source: Vacaville wants ideas for Safe Route to School locations
By Kris Corey
The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District has been awarded a $268,000 grant from the Carl Moyer Grant Program in partnership with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in order to procure two new near-zero emission propane buses and to cover all related infrastructure costs.
As part of the grant, two of the oldest diesel buses in the FSUSD fleet will be decommissioned. FSUSD’s participation in the Carl Moyer Grant Program has enabled the district’s transportation department to retire a total of twenty fuel-inefficient diesel buses.
Source: Press Release: FSUSD receives a $268,000 grant to support clean energy transportation
Grants totaling $100,000 are available to Solano County cities, school districts, schools and community-based organizations from the Safe Routes to School Program.
The application period opens June 1 and closes at 5 p.m. July 15. Awardees will be notified by Sept. 15.
The Micro-Grant Program funds and supports small-scale bike and pedestrian projects and programs that encourage walking and biking, improve safety around schools and will be implemented within one year of the grant award.
Source: Solano Safe Routes to School grants available starting June 1
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
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
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
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.
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.”
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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