News & Press

Bridge Toll Funds to Ease Parking Crunch at Fairfield Transportation Center

Oakland, CA, September 15, 2005 -- The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)'s Programming and Allocations Committee voted yesterday to recommend a $1 million allocation of voter-approved Regional Measure 2 bridge toll money to help finance a planned 600-space parking garage at the Fairfield Transportation Center near the Interstate 80/West Texas Street interchange. The new structure will supplement the transit center's existing 400-space parking facility.

Funds approved by the Programming and Allocations Committee would go to the Solano Transportation Authority to finance environmental and preliminary engineering elements of the estimated $12.45 million Fairfield project. The full Metropolitan Transportation Commission will consider the committee's recommendation at its September 21 meeting.

"Transit commuters really need more parking at the Fairfield center," said MTC Commissioner and Suisun City Mayor Jim Spering. "Fairfield-Suisun Transit and Vallejo Transit have very successful express bus operations linking the Fairfield Transportation Center with the Vallejo Ferry Terminal and the El Cerrito del Norte and Pleasant Hill BART stations. But both operators have been reluctant to increase service because there's not enough parking. This project will accommodate new commuters, and allow the transit operators to expand service."

Planned amenities at the new parking facility include additional bike lockers, ridesharing areas, and electronic displays with real-time bus arrival and departure information, as well as shop space for small retailers.

MTC made its first allocation of Regional Measure 2 funds for Solano County express bus facilities in July when the Commission committed $415,000 to finance environmental studies for the planned Vacaville Intermodal Station. The Measure 2 expenditure plan includes a total of $20 million for four express bus facilities in Solano County. In addition to the Fairfield Transportation Center and the Vacaville Intermodal Station, these include a park-and-ride facility on Curtola Parkway in Vallejo and an intermodal facility in Benicia.

MTC is the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area's transportation planning, coordinating, and financing agency.