Yolo Transit short-range plan favors frequency; express routes could be cut under steep funding losses

Yolo Transportation District on March 9 told the Davis Transportation Commission that its short-range transit plan (SRTP) would shift the agency toward more frequent service on key corridors while retaining the same total miles and hours in the baseline case.

The agency’s senior planner, Lola Torney, said public engagement produced a clear preference for frequency over broad geographic coverage: "64% almost twothirds of the respondents said that they are willing to walk or roll farther in order to take a bus that comes more frequently." Torney described a proposed Route 42 change through Davis that would use the frontage road along Highway 113 to provide direct service to Sutter Davis Hospital and align more stops with Unitrans to reduce riders being passed by buses.

Why it matters: The SRTP frames everyday reliability and clarity as levers to grow ridership. Torney said the plan offers a base case with the current miles and hours intact, plus reduced-service scenarios (90% and 80% of current service) and an expansion case if additional funding arrives. The base case keeps 30-minute peak headways on core segments; under constrained budgets, Yolo TD would need to prioritize which services remain.

Key details and trade-offs - Route adjustments: Route 42 would be rerouted to better serve Davis stops and use frontage roads to reach Sutter Davis Hospital; downtown Sacramento alignments would change to avoid frequent event detours. - Frequency vs. coverage: Torney said agency outreach and best practices support shifting toward higher-frequency corridors to rebuild ridership. - Funding scenarios: The SRTP models a 100% base case, plus 90% and 80% service scenarios; under the 80% and 90% examples, the three express routes (43, 44 and 230) would be discontinued to meet operating reductions. Torney noted the express routes have seen ridership growth in recent years (route 43 ~14,600 riders in 2025; route 230 ~10,000 riders in 2025). - Protected elements: Torney said routes 42A and 42B are tied to mitigation funding from the Yolo project and HOV-lanes work, which preserves 30-minute service on those variants regardless of other reductions; the agency will be audited on that use.

Public engagement and evidence Torney said the SRTP included two public-engagement phases (summer 2024 and fall), roughly 240 survey respondents systemwide and 88 respondents identifying as Davis residents. She said a majority of respondents either strongly supported or somewhat supported the proposed changes.

Implementation next steps Yolo TD staff said they will analyze paratransit, produce an implementation plan and finalize a new operations contract; staff expect more detailed scheduling once the board directs a scenario. Torney said the operations contract RFP responses next month will inform the financial analysis and possible adjustments between the 80% and 90% scenarios.

Commissioner concerns and regional context Commissioners pressed the agency on outreach representativeness and the practical differences between 80% and 90% scenarios. Several commissioners warned that discontinuing express routes could deepen a ridership "death spiral" — reduced service leading to fewer riders and further cuts — and urged stronger advocacy for state and federal funds and partnerships with large employers (UC Davis, state agencies) and regional providers (SACRT).

What happens next The SRTP will return to agency decision-makers for board direction and then to implementation planning if approved. The presentation flagged a likely public discussion if the board considers implementing reduced-service scenarios. The SRTP will be refined with data from the new operations contract and further outreach before changes are scheduled.