Vacaville receives transit funding

Vacaville receives transit funding
By Melissa Murphy/ MMurphy@TheReporter.com
Posted: 06/11/2009

Vacaville's plans for a transit station where commuters can park and catch a bus, or carpool or vanpool, will soon receive some much needed cash.

Rep. George Miller, D-Solano, announced Wednesday that the Department of Transportation is releasing nearly $15 million for mass transit projects in and around his Bay Area congressional district and more than $2.2 million will go toward the second phase of work on Vacaville's intermodal station.

"This funding is part of our effort to get Americans back to work by investing in our infrastructure," Miller said in a press release. "These funds will help make our mass transit systems more efficient and less expensive and will help cut our dependence on foreign oil. This funding exemplifies the core goals of the Recovery Act -- providing desperately needed, good-paying jobs in the Bay Area and keeping our local economy moving forward."

Vacaville wasn't expecting such a generous contribution toward the project.

In April, according to Transit Manager Brian McLean, the city requested somewhere around $1.5 million for the project.

"It's very good to hear that we're getting that money," he said Wednesday after finding out the city will receive more than it requested. "Looks like there has been some positive movement and they were able to squeeze a little bit more money out of it."

Mayor Len Augustine agreed, saying any amount of money toward the project is very important.

"It certainly puts us in the ballpark of finishing the project soon," Augustine said. "It's definitely a start."

He added that the contribution is merely the beginning of garnering funds for the $14 million Phase II of the project, but he's optimistic that funds will go further since bids for other projects in the city are significantly lower than engineer's estimates.

City staff also believes that the money will help with design work and environmental work so that the project is "shovel-ready" when looking for additional funds.

Vacaville's project will sit on 6.40 acres of the 10.05-acre site at the corner of Allison and Ulatis drives.

Phase I of the project includes more than 200 parking spaces and will accommodate up to 10 buses at ground level. This portion is fully funded and does not include any money from the general fund.

Phase II will include a three-story parking structure that will have about 400 spaces.

Development of Phase I hasn't started yet, but according to city staff will start soon after the bid process and finish by spring of next year.

City staff touts the new facility as "hub" because of its central location with easy access to Interstate 80. That will make it not only a spot for buses, but will encourage park-and-ride trips as well.

The station will be a hub for both local and inter-city travel, with regional express bus service linking Solano County with Sacramento and the Pleasant Hill and El Cerrito del Norte BART stations.

Vacaville City Coach, according to city staff, will move operations from the Vacaville Cultural Center to the new station when it opens.

The approximately $15 million is part of more than $100 million provided to transit projects in the greater Bay Area, and more than $400 million throughout California.

The money comes from the $787 billion American Recovery Reinvestment Act approved by Congress earlier this year.

Other projects funded in Miller's district include $4.2 million for preventative maintenance at Central Contra Costa Transit; $7.6 million for bus and ferry facility renovations, ferry re-power and preventive maintenance; and $760,000 for preventive maintenance in Western Contra Costa.