By Vanguard Staff
DAVIS, Calif. — With the state’s Return-to-Office (RTO) mandate set to begin July 1, the Yolo Transportation District is promoting a slate of Yolobus Express Routes aimed at easing the transition for commuting state employees.
The routes offer fast, environmentally friendly alternatives for workers traveling from Davis and surrounding communities to downtown Sacramento. These services are intended to reduce traffic, parking demand, fuel costs, and carbon emissions, while offering convenience and flexibility for riders.
Yolobus is running three morning and three evening trips on each of the following express routes: Route 43 (Central Davis to Sacramento), Route 230 (West Davis to Sacramento), and Route 44 (South Davis to Sacramento). Route 45, which connects Woodland to Sacramento, operates one morning and one evening trip daily.
The system’s Intercity Route 42B is also available, with buses departing every 30 minutes from Davis to downtown Sacramento during morning hours and returning via Route 42A in the evenings on the same interval. Both routes operate from 5 a.m. to midnight, accommodating those with nontraditional work hours or flexible schedules.
“Yolobus Express Routes go a long way to reduce the stress of RTO,” said Yolo Transportation District Executive Director Autumn Bernstein. “By hopping onboard and relaxing during the commute rather than dealing with the hassles of traffic, parking, and high gas prices, state employees can enjoy a smoother transition. Plus, with fewer single-passenger commutes happening, our local air quality improves. It’s a win-win.”
For Sacramento residents who work at UC Davis, Express Route 43R offers a direct option with one morning trip to campus and one evening return trip.
Riders can purchase single-ride fares, monthly passes, and passes valid across both Yolobus and Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) networks. Additional route details and fare options are available at Yolobus.com.
YoloTD oversees public transit operations across the county and collaborates with regional partners to enhance mobility and sustainability throughout the region.
Another alternative is the Capitol Corridor, which recently restarted the prime-commute-time departure from Davis of 7:47am, arriving in Sacramento just minutes after 8:00am. While the train is a bit more expensive (a ten-ride ticket is $40 – $4 per ride – monthly even cheaper if you will be going in most workdays), but the the train is about twice as fast if you are going from central Davis to downtown Sac. Departures are 6:47am, 7:47am and 9:00am for the morning commute, and return trains in the late afternoon are about an hour apart as well. Travel time station to station is about 13-14 minutes.
An even better solution would be for our legislators to oppose RTO. The roads are a complete mess, parking rates are being increased, and the state still has a massive shortfall of available space for employees. Productivity is up, millions have been saved, but let’s just force all these folks back to the office because Newsom wants to pander to his developer friends. Shame on Downtown Sacramento and the Mayor. They’ve had over 5 years to envision a new downtown, to turn the vacant blight into something desirable. The Kings have one of the best stadiums in the NBA and yet its surrounded by areas that feel unsafe and are not welcoming. Instead of thinking that mostly underpaid state workers are going to resurrect your downtown, make it a place people want to live. Give it a life outside of NBA games and the safety of daylight. Just a disaster that’s only going to get worse.