Led by STA Board Chair Pete Sanchez, (Suisun City Mayor), representing the STA Board were Harry Price, Vice Chair (Fairfield Mayor); Len Augustine (Vacaville Mayor); Osby Davis (Vallejo Mayor), Jack Batchelor, Jr. (Dixon Mayor), Jan Vick (Rio Vista Mayor, and Elizabeth Patterson (Benicia Mayor). Also accompanying the group was Mike Ammann, Solano Economic Development Corporation Executive Director, and Anthony Intintoli, SF Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) Vice Chair and former STA Board Chair.
The STA submitted the following requests for the Fiscal Year 2011 Transportation Appropriations Program:
1. Travis Air Force Base North Gate Access Improvements - $5 million
2. Transit Center at Curtola and Lemon: Vallejo - $3 million
3. Vacaville Intermodal Station, Phase 2 - $2 million
4. Fairfield Transportation Center - $2 million
5. Dixon Train Station/Parkway Blvd. Overcrossing - $2 million
6. I-80 Corridor Circulation Improvements Study: Vallejo - $1 million
7. Solano Safe Routes to School Program, Student Planning and Environmental Education - $1 million
The STA also shared its perspective on proposed changes to federal transportation legislation (SAFETEA-LU: Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act - a Legacy for Users), and urged members to support the four priority projects Solano submitted last July for the next reauthorization:
1. I-80/I-680/SR 12 Interchange Project - $45 million
2. Travis Air Force Base North Gate Access Improvements - $5 million
3. Alternative Fuel SolanoExpress Bus Replacement - $2 million
4. Vacaville Intermodal Station, Phase 2 - $1.5 million
A full schedule of meetings with Solano's Congressional members and staff also included discussions with the Federal Transit Administration. Meetings were held with:
♦ Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Bridget Petruczok, Legislative Assistant
♦ Office of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA): Ben Kramer, Legislative Assistant
♦ Congressman George Miller (D-CA)
♦ Office of Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA): Josh Franco, Senior Legislative Assistant
♦ Office of Congressman Dan Lungren (R-CA): Sandra Wiseman, Legislative Assistant
♦ Matt Welbes, Federal Transit Administration Executive Director
The STA conveyed a strong message to the legislators by having all seven mayors of Solano's cities present transportation priorities. "This is a challenging time for Solano County with California in the midst of a significant state budget crisis and the fiscal uncertainty for near term federal and state transportation funding," said STA Board Chair Pete Sanchez.
Solano County has worked hard in recent years to obtain limited federal funds for projects such as the I-80/680/SR 12 Interchange, the I-80 Truck Scales Relocation Project, Travis Air Force Base Access Improvements, the Jepson Parkway, I-80 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes, SR 12 East Safety Improvements, Vallejo Baylink Ferry Facilities, and expanded express bus service along the I-80/680/780 corridors.
"We have our work cut out for us advocating for federal transportation appropriations and reauthorization this year, as well as urging our legislators to seriously consider reforming the nation's infrastructure funding authorization process," said Sanchez.
As appropriation requests work their way through the legislative process, funding levels will not be determined until probably October of this year. "We have joined together to present a unified message from Solano County to help make the congressional members' job easier by clearly identifying our mutual federal funding priorities," said Sanchez.
The STA is responsible for countywide transportation planning, programming transportation funds, managing and providing transportation programs and services, delivering transportation projects, and setting transportation priorities. The "STA's Federal Priority Projects" booklet can be downloaded from the STA website at
For further information about the Solano Transportation Authority's legislative program, contact STA Executive Director Daryl Halls or STA Marketing and Legislative Program Manager Jayne Bauer at (707) 424-6075
