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Monthly Newsletter | July 2022

FY 2022-23 Outlook

Each month Yolo Commute sends a newsletter to its members with useful information about commuting and transportation. This month’s newsletter focuses on Yolo Commute’s plans for FY 2022-23.

Yolo County Transportation District (YCTD) has managed Yolo Commute for the past several years and this relationship continues with the Board’s renewal of the existing agreement in June for another year through June 2023.

Members may not be aware, but for most of its history, Yolo Commute received a substantial amount of formula funds from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) to cover administrative costs. SACOG discontinued this funding, placing Yolo Commute in an uncertain financial position. An exciting development is that YCTD’s Board envisions expanding the organization’s role from primarily a transit operator to a multi-modal transportation and congestion management agency. Since Yolo Commute complements this expanded vision, YCTD will now provide administration services at no cost to Yolo Commute, setting the organization on a much stronger financial footing!

Approved for a New Look

On a related note, with a new fiscal year comes a new budget and the Yolo Commute Board approved this year’s budget including a website redesign and branding refresh. The logo was last changed in 2015 and the website needs extensive upgrades to meet current user expectations. 

Expanding Leadership 

A staff goal this year is to expand the Board to increase representation diversity and input into Yolo Commute programs. In June the Board appointed Marta Wada from Cache Creek Casino and Resort and in August we look forward to appointing Steven Rosen with the City of West Sacramento, increasing the Board to seven members.

E-Bike Loan Starts Fall

This Fall, we will launch our exciting new E-Bike Loan program, with funding assistance from the Yolo Solano Air Quality Management District. Yolo Commute will purchase three high-quality electric-assist bikes – including a cargo bike with child seats – available for loan to our members for their employees to test ride for intra-work and/or commute trips!

We Want To Keep You In the Loop!

Yolo Commute members can expect more regular engagement from us. Overnight, the Covid pandemic changed people’s relationships with their journey to work. Now that society is headed to either hybrid or back to more traditional working arrangements, Yolo Commute is ready to serve our members and their employees with their commute needs.  Members can expect more regular communications from Yolo Commute such as this monthly newsletter and social media presence via YCTD, which will reach the general transit audience, as well.

Reaching a general transit audience will increase our exposure and hopefully assist with membership development, which has been relatively stagnant over time. Bringing new members on board, particularly from the private sector, is critical for progress toward our mission and financial stability.

The Yolo Commute Board has embraced change and innovation to develop programs that resonate with our members. We will continually look for funding sources that will allow us to expand our programs to reduce single-occupant vehicle trips.

Finally, we hope to issue a member survey in FY 2022/23 to better gauge what our members need as we come out of the pandemic. In the meantime, we are always open to suggestions!

Interested in learning about your commute options?

Not sure how to start? Sacregion511.org makes it easy. Simply enter your start location (typically home) and your destination (typically work) and 511 will show you options. It’s that simple. It will even find carpool matches for you! Stuck? Contact Yolo Commute and we’ll help.

Is cost a barrier? Yolo Commute has you covered with The Rideshare Incentive Program for our members. Our cash rewards increase the longer you commit to taking a bus, bike, carpool, etc. for two months until your new routine is established. After that, leave the driving stress at home while imagining how to spend your saved money. Find out more at yolocommute.net.

What about emergencies? Yolo Commute has you covered there, too. Our free Emergency Ride Home Program will pay for a ride home by Lyft, Uber, taxi, or similar if you have a sick child at school or your washing machine flooded your house during the workday. We even offer a rental car if the home for you is over 50 miles from work.

So go ahead and give it a try. Contact your Employer Liaison for more information about Yolo Commute’s benefits. Share with your colleagues in Yolo county and encourage their employers to join!  
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