The Vacaville Bella Vista Road Park and Ride Lot was dedicated and opened with the aim to cut traffic on I-80

Article Launched: 03/25/2005 07:25:51 AM

Lot aimed to cut traffic on Interstate 80 opens

By Tom Hall/Staff Writer

With the subtle roar of a midday Interstate 80 not too far away, city and county leaders gathered Thursday to unveil a welcome addition to Vacaville's transportation options.
The Bella Vista Road Park and Ride Lot was dedicated and opened Thursday, where Bella Vista meets Davis Street in the shadow of I-80. The $1.7 million project was lauded by Vacaville officials as a product of hard work and smart planning.

"These things don't just happen," said Mayor Len Augustine.

Dale Pfeiffer, the city's director of public works, said the expansive lot was designed in-house by city engineers. The 201-space lot was paid for entirely by grants from the federal government, the state and a regional air quality district.

But one of the most exciting things Pfeiffer pointed at was the fact that the lot's entire power needs will be met by solar panels on the site. A 45-kilowatt photovoltaic system will provide the energy needed to run the lot's six electric vehicle recharging stations, as well as all the lighting for the site. As an added bonus, the solar panels provide shelter for several parking spaces.

Suisun City Mayor Jim Spering, who has long been involved in regional traffic issues, commended Vacaville on its vision and commitment to alternative modes of transportation.
"If there's one staff in the county who gets it, it's the city staff in Vacaville," Spering said.
Daryl Halls, the executive director of the Solano Transportation Authority, said the new lot will help reduce the 125,000 daily trips that are made on the Vacaville stretch of I-80. The lot is within walking distance of Vacaville's major public transportation hub - the Vacaville Regional Transportation Center on Davis Street, north of I-80.

Vacaville also has a Park and Ride lot near Leisure Town Road's I-80 interchange.
Tom Hall can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.