Author: @maria

Survey says: SJ residents can help plan future transportation!

Posted on by @maria

San Joaquin County residents can have a hand in planning the future of transportation in the region by simply filling out a brief survey.

The survey results will be used as part of the San Joaquin Council of Governments’ Envision 2050 project to update the Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS). SJCOG is the planning, financing and coordinating agency for the San Joaquin region overseeing transportation, housing, habitat conservation, and other areas.

SJCOG’s RTP/SCS provides the long-range vision and investment plan for the county’s future transportation needs. The plan maps how the region will integrate transportation and land use to provide transportation options that help the region grow in a financially and environmentally responsible way.

Policies and strategies developed through Envision 2050 will be used to meet regional challenges, including to air quality, social equity, economic development, truck and goods movement, and long work commutes to jobs outside the county. The plan also aims to examine how increases in the number of people working from home, increases in delivery services due to online shopping or take-out meals, and the growing use of autonomous and connected electric vehicles will guide the transportation investments.

One way to have an influence on which strategies will be selected for the update is to participate in a MetroQuest Survey. Please follow this link to the MetroQuest Survey to take part in shaping the future of transportation in San Joaquin County.

To learn more about the RTP/SCS, please contact Tim Kohaya at (209) 235-0389 or kohaya@sjcog.org, or Hailey Lang at (209) 235-0582 or lang@sjcog.org.

Free Rides All July!

Posted on by @maria

It’s finally here – Free Rides All July on Modesto Area Express (MAX), Stanislaus Regional Transit (StaRT), and Turlock Transit fixed and commuter routes!

This is the third consecutive MAX Free Rides All July promotion funded by a grant through Caltrans’ Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP). The LCTOP was created to provide operating and capital assistance for transit agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve mobility, with a priority on serving disadvantaged communities.

This July is particularly special because it marks the first Free Rides All July for the newly formed Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority (StanRTA) which merges MAX and StaRT into one seamless system.

There are so many destinations riders can travel to for free this July. All you need is a face mask to board! Here are some routes and services we recommend you try out:

•    MAX Ceres Route 44

•    MAX Escalon Route 35

•    MAX to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Commuter Express

•    MAX to Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) Commuter Express

•    MAX to Stockton Commuter Express

•    MAX to Amtrak

•    StaRT fixed routes (this includes travel to Gustine, Newman, Patterson, Westley, Grayson, and up to Riverbank and Oakdale)

•    Turlock Transit fixed routes

 

Maps and Schedules

Help plan for safe streets in your neighborhood!

Posted on by @maria

SJCOG is hosting a virtual community meeting and we need to hear from you! Tell us what it’s like to walk, bike, and take transit in your neighborhood, and what could make it better. Join us on July 14 at 4:30 PM. Sign up online at: bit.ly/MySafeStreet

Your feedback will help inform how SJCOG and the cities of Manteca and Stockton can work together to improve active transportation and support healthy and sustainable communities.

Questions? Contact Emely Candray at ecandray@aimconsultingco.com or 916-442-1168.

StanCOG Public Transit Coordination Plan Workshops

Posted on by @maria

Join Stanislaus Council of Governments and MOVE for a virtual workshop to discuss ways to improve transportation services for older adults, persons with disabilities, low-income populations, veterans, & students in Stanislaus! Register at:

English Language Workshops

Tuesday, July 13, 5-6:30 pm: bit.ly/StanCOG1
Thursday, July 15, 10:30 am – 12 pm: bit.ly/StanCOG2

Spanish Language Workshop

Thursday, July 15, 5-6:30 pm: bit.ly/StanCOGSpanishWorkshop

Learn more here.

Easy Contactless ticket payments with EZHub!

Posted on by @maria

 

The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCG) and Masabi, the company bringing Fare Payments-as-a-Service (FPaaS) to public transit, announced the launch of EZHub, a cashless mobile ticketing and fare payment system, available in the Vamos Mobility App from Kyyti. The app will make using public transit safer and easier to access throughout San Joaquin Coaunty. Once downloaded, transit riders can use the Vamos Mobility app to plan their journeys and purchase tickets for any of the seven participating transit systems. The app is available from both the App Store and Google Play by searching for “Vamos Mobility” connecting residents of California’s Central Valley with affordable and clean local transit.

For more information, please visit the EZHub page here.

First Short Line Railroad Grant in California State History Secured by SJCOG and OmniTrax, Inc.

Posted on by @maria

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY – The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) served as the lead applicant and secured the largest grant from California Transportation Commission’s Short-Line Railroad Improvement Program (SLRIP) in the amount of $1,799,990 to improve the Stockton Terminal and Eastern Railroad (STE).

A short line railroad is an independently owned, financed, and operated rail company that operates over a relatively short distance, as compared to the large regional networks operated by the major railroads. The Stockton Intermodal Transload and Alternative Fuel (SITAF) Project will modernize infrastructure on STE to handle the influx of alternative diesel fuels to satisfy California and federal low carbon fuel standards. The grant will fund a safety modernization resurfacing and rail tie replacement program that removes deteriorating 100-year rail, rehabilitates degraded switches for essential connection points and replaces six grade crossing surfaces in the track.

Read the full press release here.

New RTD Van Go! Pilot Program Launches Jan 10th

Posted on by @maria
San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) launches a new iteration of its Van Go! service on January 10, in response to customer feedback.
RTD Van Go! is an on-demand rideshare service that will help residents travel more easily throughout San Joaquin County. For this new pilot program, RTD has eliminated zones, transfers, and restrictions on trip origin and destination; trips can be made as long as the travel is within San Joaquin County. Every RTD Van Go! vehicle is wheelchair accessible and its drivers are trained, licensed, and fully-prepared to help with accessibility needs.
“We are excited to be able to offer a true countywide premium service with the changes,” said RTD CEO Gloria Salazar. Passengers may create a tailor-made trip with RTD’s Van Go! anywhere within San Joaquin County seven days a week, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Using the RTD Van Go! app, which is available for download from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, passengers may book a ride up to two days in advance. For more information regarding the service, visit sjRTD.com/VanGo.

Diane Nguyen Begins Executive Director Position at SJCOG

Posted on by @maria
On January 4, 2021, Diane Nguyen started the position as the Executive Director of the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG). The SJCOG Board of Directors unanimously appointed her at its October 22, 2020 meeting after a nationwide executive recruitment.
“No project is too big, nor is any project too small, for Diane,” Assemblymember Jim Cooper said. “She has turned around situations by engaging directly with stakeholders. This kind of responsiveness to community needs is what has defined Diane’s career.”
SJCOG Chair and City of Stockton Councilmember Sol Jobrack said, “We welcome Diane Nguyen as the Executive Director. With 25 years of direct experience working in regional and city governments throughout California, she brings deep strategic and operational expertise that are extremely valuable to the region.”
During her 8-year tenure as SJCOG’s Deputy Director of Planning, Programming, and Project Delivery, Diane was a pioneer for many innovative projects in the San Joaquin region. She developed San Joaquin’s first Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy and first 7-public transit agency mobile ticketing application (known as EZHub). She oversaw the Measure K Capital Improvement Program which helped fund the first I-5 HOV lanes in the Central Valley and the first Diverging Diamond Interchange in California at State Route 120/Union Road.
“SJCOG looks forward to Diane’s guidance to the Board of Directors and continuation of efforts she led this past year,” Jobrack said. “This includes the Regional Early Action Planning Program for housing and the launch of a concept she created to bring electric bikes, electric cars, and work force development into Stockton’s disadvantaged communities.”
“As Executive Director, I will foster SJCOG’s purpose driven culture–one focused on the delivery of exceptional service to SJCOG’s member agencies, partners, and San Joaquin residents,” Nguyen said. “In 2021, I am thrilled to be able to grow creative concepts for more sustainable and cost-effective mobility options. I will also explore all opportunities to leverage transportation dollars for the region.”
About Diane Nguyen
Diane Nguyen has served as SJCOG’s Deputy Director of Planning, Programming, and Project Delivery since 2012. She originally joined SJCOG in 1995 and worked there till 2005. From 2005 to 2012, she was the Manager of Capital Programs and Public Policy for Interwest Consulting Group. Notable at Interwest was her financing and project management strategy which enabled two interchanges (on Highway 99 in the City of Elk Grove) to complete construction within a year of each other. Diane has a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California, Irvine. Also from UCI, she secured a Bachelor of Arts degree (with honors) in Social Ecology. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
About SJCOG
The San Joaquin Council of Governments is a regional planning agency responsible for transportation planning, habitat conservation planning, and a range of other responsibilities that include managing the Measure K transportation program as well as housing, air quality and airport land use planning. The operating budget for the agency is over $13 million and SJCOG programs and apportions out approximately $150 million in transportation investments annually.