Yolo Transportation District expands transit options

Yolo Transportation expands its bus routes, restoring Route 44 in South Davis, with goals of restoring transit options post-pandemic

By ALMA CULVERWELL — city@theaggie.org

The Yolo Transportation District (YoloTD) recently announced significant updates to its Yolobus services, including additional trips on Routes 43 and 230 and restoring Route 44 in South Davis. This initiative is part of YoloTD’s ongoing effort to rebuild transit services cut during the COVID-19 pandemic and enhance commuting options for Davis residents.

The proposed changes include increasing weekday service on Routes 43 (Central/East Davis), 43R and 230 (West/North Davis) from one morning and one afternoon trip to three morning and three afternoon trips. Route 44, which serves South Davis, is being relaunched in response to increased community needs. The YoloTD Board of Directors voted to approve these proposals on Nov. 18.

Through these changes, YoloTD aims to alleviate overcrowding and improve commute times. Feedback from ride-along and travel surveys helped shape the plan, reflecting the district’s commitment to meeting the evolving needs of Davis residents as more people return to the office.

Community feedback has played a strong role in the YoloTD’s planning and implementation process. Steven Sandhoff, a Davis community member, emphasized the need for clean, efficient transit options, noting that South Davis has been underserved despite population growth.

“Davis is the strongest supporter of clean transit in the entire Central Valley and arguably the state,” Sandhoff said. “South Davis particularly has been neglected or abandoned by elimination or rerouting of lines that used to provide service here despite the fact we are growing three to four new dense living developments as we speak.”

Sandhoff highlighted the important role of the Davis community and the necessity for accessible transit to all areas.

“For one of the most educated and clean transit communities in the entire country, we can and need to do better to connect the capital of the fifth-biggest economy of the world in an efficient way that serves every citizen of our town,” Sandhoff said. “We need to pull every lever we can to empower Davisities, who are the most likely to be a partner in this effort.”

Daisy Romero, the director of transit operations for YoloTD, detailed the reasons behind restoring Route 44 in South Davis.

“There were several factors that went into the decision to restore Route 44,” Romero said. “One reason was the lack of service in the South Davis area into Downtown Sacramento. During our outreach, we heard from various people who used to ride the Route 44 show their support in restoring the service as it would allow them to use Yolobus to commute into Downtown Sacramento instead of their cars.”

Romero also noted safety concerns and ridership demand.

“When the Route 44 was discontinued, residents in the South Davis area had to cross the Mace Blvd overpass in order to board the 42A/B at Mace and 2nd [Street] for their commutes into [Downtown] Sac and Davis,” Romero said. “Another reason for restoring Route 44 was ridership. With Governor Newsom mandating that state workers return to the office and the capacity issues we were experiencing on our Davis express routes, we are hoping to see ridership for Route 44 increase once restored. When it was in service, our Route 44 averaged roughly 2,000 riders on a monthly basis.”

Winters City Council Member Jesse Loren also weighed in on the recent updates, noting the urgency of expanding transit options, especially in the nearby town of Winters.

“[The] Winters community would best be served by restoring both the 220C route to pre-pandemic levels, and expanding BeeLine hours and increasing the amount of BeeLine buses,” Loren said. “Currently, some riders, including those traveling to Winters for work, have been stranded in Winters due to the current limited schedule and limited capacity. Overall, people want transit to get them where they need to go, and that is not currently possible.”

Loren emphasized the further need for practical solutions to address Winters’ unique challenges.

”I hear the riders loud and clear, and I know what it’s like to be transit-dependent for work,” Loren said. “I was a transit-dependent commuter in my young adulthood. I would like to see restored fixed-route services (220 and 220C), more microtransit buses, extended microtransit hours and improved connections to key locations like Solano Community College and Davis Amtrak. These changes would ensure equitable and effective transit options for all Winters residents.”

Romero outlined YoloTD’s long-term vision for restoring and expanding services in Yolo County.

“Right now, YoloTD staff are working on a Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) to take a deeper dive into what our service should truly look like in the future,” Romero said. “We will examine rider commute patterns, major transportation corridors, traffic patterns and housing developments. Additionally, we are collaborating with our partners at Unitrans and the city of Davis to build a better transportation network for Davis and Yolo County residents.”

With strong public support and engagement, YoloTD hopes to make meaningful strides toward restoring and expanding its transit network. For more information or to provide feedback, email servicechanges@yctd.org or visit the YoloTD website.

Written By: Alma Culverwell— city@theaggie.org