DAVIS, Calif. — Update April 1:
Sacramento Regional Transit announced Thursday that the round-trip, electric bus service that would connect Sacramento to Davis is postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The UC Davis shuttle service is extended at least until April 30, 20, according to SacRT. SacRT and Yolobus are working together to plan when the new start date would begin.
Update noon, Dec. 10, 2019
Sacramento Regional Transit and the Yolo County Transportation District voted unanimously on Monday to approve a round-trip, electric bus service that connects Sacramento to Davis.
Original story
Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) and Yolobus could be teaming up to offer round-trip, electric bus service from Sacramento to UC Davis.
Yolobus Deputy Director Jose Perez describes the shuttles for Causeway Connection as "the future of public transit in the state and the country."
The buses will have free Wifi, USB charging and real-time tracking for when the bus is scheduled to arrive.
The Causeway Connection will bridge the Davis Campus, UC Davis Health and downtown Sacramento. The service will be available for anyone to use. However, it will be free for UC Davis undergrad students. Service could begin as early as April 6, 2020, according to the university.
“This new bus service will help us reach our goal of achieving carbon neutrality while strengthening the link between our city and the major research institution in our region,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg in a press release. “This collaboration is vital as we work together on projects like Aggie Square, the new research campus in Sacramento, where we hope to create thousands of jobs.”
The shuttle would be open to the public, unlike the current Davis shuttle, according to the City of Sacramento's press release. SacRT and Yolobus would operate six shuttles each.
Terry Bassett, executive director of the Yolo County Transportation District, said the service will promote mass transit and local congestion reduction.
"Planned jointly-operated expansion of public transit service along the heavily congested I-80 corridor will increase access and mobility options for residents of Davis and Sacramento to clean, safe, and affordable transportation, and will continue to promote mass transit and local congestion reduction,” Bassett said.
Basset said the partnership would increase up to 73% of the number of trips that connect key regional destinations.
UC Davis said the campus spent $585,000 a year for its current inter-campus shuttle and was looking at other options to serve its current riders while also serving more people.
UC Davis partnered with both SacRT and Yolobus to apply for Electrify America funding in March 2018. The agencies were rewarded funds for 12 zero-emission buses that would be used for the Causeway Connection.
Destinations between the Davis campus and UC Davis Health in Sacramento will include the following stops between P and Q Streets:
- Between 7th & 8th Streets
- 16th Street
- 29th Street
Potential routes include a single stop for the Davis campus in front of the Mondavi Center and additional stops in downtown Davis near Mace Boulevard and I-80 interchange.
The Causeway Connection bus fees are:
- Monthly pass: $100
- Single ride fare: $2.50
- UC Davis Health employees: $64 a month
- UC Davis campus employees: $30 a month
- UC Davis undergrad students: free
RELATED:
The Causeway Connection is scheduled to run on weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. UC Davis said the time it would take to travel from Sacramento to Davis would be about 40 to 45 minutes.
Operating costs for the shuttle are expected to run about $1.6 million. The shuttles would be funded over the next three years by a combination of fare revenue and a $3 million grant for improving air quality.
The City of Sacramento is also contributing to the first year of service, according to the press release. SacRT operating funds would also help pay for the service.
SacRT spokesperson Jessica Gonzalez said SacRT is scheduled to discuss schedule stops and travel times on Dec. 9.
The current inter-campus shuttle will run until April 3, 2020.
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