Category: Uncategorized

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.

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

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.

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.

Free rides on all MAX, StaRT, and Turlock Transit fixed and commuter routes all July!

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.

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.

StanCOG’s Draft Non-Motorized Transportation Plan is available for public comment. The Plan will identify gaps and barriers for walking and biking in the County, recommend regional priorities for future strategies, and make the region more competitive for State and Federal funds. Review the Draft NMTP here.