Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- transportation [2026/05/05 19:34]
rychan [Planes]
+++ transportation [2026/05/06 03:41] (current)
rychan [Other Transit Options]
@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 ===== Planes =====
-  * [[http://sacramento.aero/scas/|Sacramento Airport (SMF)]]
+People traveling to Davis often comes from three airports: SMF, SFO, and OAK
+  * [[https://flysmf.gov/|Sacramento International Airport]] (SMF)
     * Driving directions: Take 113 North to Woodland. Then take I-5 South from Woodland. You will then want to take the SAC International Airport exit and follow the posted road signs. Total distance: 20 miles, a little over 25 minutes (depending on how you drive).
-    * Parking: No less then $7.00 /day.
+    * Parking at SMF: Check their [[https://flysmf.gov/to-and-from/parking|website]] for prices.
+    * An Uber/Lyft can cost you like $40.
     * [[http://www.yolobus.com/|Yolobus]] Route 42 also goes to the Sacramento Airport. (See the Buses section for some tips on taking the 42.)
-  * [[http://flyoakland.com/|Oakland Airport]] (OAK) and [[https://www.flysfo.com/|San Francisco International Airport (SFO)]]
+  * [[https://www.flysfo.com/|San Francisco International Airport]] (SFO) and [[http://flyoakland.com/|Oakland International Airport]] (OAK)
-    * [[http://www.bart.gov/|BART]] (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is the most convenient way to get to/from SFO and OAK
+    * [[http://www.bart.gov/|BART]] (Bay Area Rapid Transit) serves both airports and is the best option. All trains run in a 20 minutes frequency. Note that BART does not serve Davis, so here is a typical itinerary to go from Davis to both airports (you can easily reverse them for the other directions):
-    * BART doesn't serve Davis. To get on BART, you need to make a transfer between Capitol Corridor and Richmond, CA at the Richmond station (see the Train section below). Selected Capitol Corridor trains also stop at the Coliseum station, which links directly to both the Coliseum BART station as well as the OAK people mover.
+    * To go from Davis to SFO, take Capitol Corridor to Richmond and transfer to BART. There are two ways to get you to SFO: the Red line will get you direct to SFO, or you can take the Orange line and make a transfer to the Yellow line at McArthur (depending on which train departs first when you get to Richmond). SFO is at the very end part of the Red and Yellow lines, so just get yourself a seat and enjoy the ride. (Tips: BART's SFO station is connected directly to the International Terminal on the platform level, so if that's where you need to go, don't use the people mover upstairs.)
-    * [[https://www.airportluxuryshuttle.com/davisairporter|Airport Luxury Shuttle]] provides service between Davis and SFO, but as the name implies, it is a premium service with a premium price.
+    * To go from Davis to OAK, take Capitol Corridor to Richmond and transfer to BART's Orange line. Get off at the Coliseum station and transfer to the OAK people mover.
+    * Alternatively, [[https://www.airportluxuryshuttle.com/davisairporter|Airport Luxury Shuttle]] provides service between Davis and SFO, but as the name implies, it is a premium service with a premium price.
+    * Uber/Lyft can easily cost you more than $150. (Don't do that, if you don't want to break your wallet!)
 ===== Trains =====
@@ Line 18: / Line 23: @@
   * [[https://www.amtrak.com/california-zephyr-train|California Zephyr]] : Chicago, IL - Emeryville, CA.
   * [[https://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train|Coast Starlight]] : Seattle, WA - Portland, OR - Oakland, CA - Los Angeles, CA.
+Most people taking the train are going southbound to the Bay Area, but it also serve as a convenient method to get to downtown Sacramento. (It is faster than Yolobus for sure.)
+Tips for going to Sacramento: Please buy your ticket on the Amtrak app. Since most trains terminate at Sacramento, the conductors might not come around to scan your ticket. In that case, you are free to cancel it and get a refund after leaving the train.
 Tips for going to the Bay Area: Amtrak has an official stop at San Francisco in their system. It stops right outside the Salesforce Tower and is a short walking distance from BART as well as the Salesforce Transit Center. However, this requires a bus bridge from the Emeryville stations. Instead of using Emeryville, we highly recommend you using the Richmond station and make a quick transfer to BART there. It will get you to downtown SF both faster and cheaper (by like $6). Also, now with the new Clipper system rolling out, you can get a $2.85 discount when transferring between BART to other local agencies for your last mile. For this discount to work, you need to use a Clipper Card (the regional transit payment system for the Bay Area).
@@ Line 28: / Line 37: @@
   * [[https://www.capitolcorridor.org/student-discount/|Capitol Corridor]] gives 15% discount to all students age 13-25. Check the linked page for the code.
   * Please be advised that recently the Capitol Corridor withdrew from the Amtrak's 6-ride ticket program that was available to all students. So sad.
-  * Capitol Corridor now has an open loop payment system called [[https://www.capitolcorridor.org/tap2ride/#where-can-use-it|Tap2Ride]]. Sign up and enjoy contactless payment without any advance ticket purchase!
+  * Capitol Corridor now has a contactless payment system called [[https://www.capitolcorridor.org/tap2ride/#where-can-use-it|Tap2Ride]]. Sign up and enjoy contactless payment without any advance ticket purchase! (It is still officially a pilot program, so things might change in the future.)
   * Clipper Card (the regional transit payment system for the Bay Area) and Connect Card (the regional transit payment system for Sacramento) cannot be used on Amtrak
-===== Buses =====
+===== Local Buses =====
-**Local Transit**
+**[[http://unitrans.ucdavis.edu/|Unitrans]]**
-  * [[http://unitrans.ucdavis.edu/|Unitrans]]
+Founded in February 28, 1968, Unitrans is the transit agency for you to get around the city. Except for a few permanent positions, it is completely student-run. Many of the riders are UCD students going to and from the campus, but the system is also used extensively for trips to other places in Davis, including downtown, schools, library, medical facilities, neighborhood shopping centers, senior center, theaters, and the Farmers' Market. Buses serve all these places every weekday from 07:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Reduced service is operated on weekends from 09:00 AM to 07:00 PM (and limited early-bird service from 08:00 AM - 09:00 AM). Reduced service (different from Weekend Services) also run during breaks and summer, when ridership is not as high as the academic quarters. Printed schedules are available to pick up on buses, or you can check their website. Real-time tracking is also available on various third-party transit apps.
-Founded in 1972, Unitrans is the transit agency for you to get around the city. Except for a few permanent positions, it is completely student-run. Many of the riders are UCD students going to and from the campus, but the system is also used extensively for trips to other places in Davis, including downtown, schools, library, medical facilities, neighborhood shopping centers, senior center, theaters, and the Farmers' Market. Buses serve all these places every weekday from 07:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Reduced service is operated on weekends from 09:00 AM to 07:00 PM (and limited early-bird service from 08:00 AM - 09:00 AM). Buses run more frequently during the UCD academic year when ridership is higher, and less frequently during the summer and breaks. You can pick up a printed schedule at most public buildings or use the Unitrans website to get more details. Real-time tracking is also available on various third-party transit apps.
+The regular fare is $1.50 right now for every boarding, except at the terminals, which operate with an honest system. Many types of prepaid discounted tickets and passes are also available (both physical or digital). Since this information keeps changing over time, we suggest you to check their website for more information on the fare. UCD undergraduate students ride free with their student ID because they pay a portion of their quarterly ASUCD fee to Unitrans. For everyone else, you need to show your valid fare to the driver or conductor upon boarding, or pay by cash at the farebox (exact change required). Contactless payment is not available on Unitrans, and Unitrans does not accept Connect Card either (the regional transit payment system for Sacramento).. Unitrans does not offer free transfer to any other transit systems, but Unitrans honors free transfer from Yolobus and Amtrak. Unitrans buses don't have bike racks, and no bikes are allowed on the bus except for weekends and the last trip of any weekday. (Davis is not a very big city, so if you are carrying a bike, please use your bike.)
-The regular fare is $1.50 for every boarding, except at the terminals, which operate with an honest system. Many types of prepaid discounted tickets and passes are also available. UCD Undergraduate students can ride free with their student ID, because they pay a portion of their quarterly ASUCD fee to Unitrans. For everyone else, you need to show your valid fare to the driver upon boarding, or pay at the farebox. Unitrans doesn't offer free transfer to any other transit systems, but Unitrans honors free transfer from Yolobus and Amtrak. Unitrans does not accept Connect Card (the regional transit payment system for Sacramento). The buses don't have bike racks, and no bikes are allowed on the bus except for weekends and the last trip of any weekday.
 Unitrans also operate some special service throughout the year. Most notably:
-  * A Farmer Market Shuttle operates every Saturday morning (09:00 AM - 12:30 PM) connecting the Memorial Union terminal to the Farmer Market in downtown. As long as the weather condition permits, this service is run by an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEC_Regent_III_RT|RT]] (the Vintage London double decker from the 20th century; currently Unitrans still has 3 operable units). Unitrans is the only transit agency that still runs them on a regular basis, so go check it out! Please note that the RT is not ADA accessible. They are pretty picky on the weather, so sometimes you might see it being replaced by a modern double decker (nicknamed the Dennis; Unitrans currently has 4 of them).
+  * A Farmer Market Shuttle operates every Saturday morning (09:00 AM - 12:30 PM) during the academic quarters. It connects the Memorial Union terminal to the Farmer Market in downtown. As long as the weather condition permits, this service is run by an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEC_Regent_III_RT|RT]] (the Vintage London double decker from the 20th century; currently Unitrans still has 3 operable units). Unitrans is the only transit agency that still runs them on a regular basis, so go check it out! Please note that the RT is not ADA accessible. They are pretty picky on the weather, so sometimes you might see it being replaced by a modern double decker (nicknamed the Dennis; Unitrans currently has 4 of them).
   * An airport shuttle operates every year on the Wednesday of the Thanksgiving Week, providing express service from the Memorial Union terminal to the Sacramento airport (SMF). This service is on top of the existing Yolobus service and will get you to the airport in 45 minutes (instead of 90 minutes if you take Yolobus).
-**Regional Transit**
+===== Regional Buses =====
-  * [[http://www.yolobus.com/|Yolobus]]
+**[[http://www.sacrt.com/|Sacramento Regional Transit]] (aka the SacRT)**
-Yolobus serves Davis, West Sacramento, Winters, Woodland, downtown Sacramento, Sacramento International Airport, Cache Creek Casino, Esparto, Madison and Knights Landing. As an added convenience for their riders, Yolobus makes connections with other local public transportation systems. With connections to Unitrans and Amtrak in Davis, and Regional Transit and Light Rail in Sacramento, you have a wide range of transportation options.
+It is the main transit operator of the Sacramento region. The system consists of both buses and light rails, connecting downtown Sacramento, UCD Medical Center, and all sort of places. It also provides service to Davis through Route 138. Due to its unique operating structure than the rest of SacRT network, we will put it in the Other section below.
-Fares vary between $2.00 and $3.25 per ride (depending on what type of service you are using: local/intercity/express). various prepaid and discounted passes are also available. All buses are equipped with bike racks.
+**[[http://www.yolobus.com/|Yolobus]]**
-Note: Yolobus provides service to and from the SMF airport. The route number is 42. Please be cautious that there are two variants of the 42: 42A (that runs clockwise) and 42B (that runs counterclockwise). If you are going from SMF to Davis, we recommend you to take the 42A despite it being the longer way on the map. That's because the 42B would require you to get off and make a transfer (to another 42B) at the Woodland terminal, but this transfer is not timed, meaning you might not make it if there is any significant delay (which is pretty common for Yolobus). The same holds for going to SMF: take the 42B.
+Yolobus serves Davis, West Sacramento, Winters, Woodland, downtown Sacramento, Sacramento International Airport, Cache Creek Casino, Esparto, Madison and Knights Landing. As an added convenience for their riders, Yolobus makes connections with other local public transportation systems. With connections to Unitrans and Amtrak in Davis, and Regional Transit and Light Rail in Sacramento, you have a wide range of transportation options.
-   * [[http://www.sacrt.com/|Sacramento Regional Transit]] (AKA the SacRT)
+Fares vary between $2.00 and $3.25 per ride (depending on what type of service you are using: local/intercity/express). various prepaid and discounted passes are also available. All buses are equipped with bike racks.
-Provides service within downtown Sacramento and its outlying areas. It only provides service to Davis through the 138 (see below).
+Note: Yolobus provides service to and from the SMF airport. The route number is 42. Please be cautious that there are two variants of the 42: 42A (that runs clockwise) and 42B (that runs counterclockwise).
+     * If you are going from SMF to Davis, we recommend you to take the 42A despite it being the longer way on the map. That's because the 42B would require you to get off and make a transfer (to another 42B) at the Woodland terminal, but this transfer is not timed, meaning you might not make it if there is any significant delay (which is pretty common for Yolobus).
+     * Similarly, if you are going to SMF, then you should take the 42B. It will need to first go through the Sacramento region and might feel like a big detour, but it will be better than missing a transfer and your flight.
+     * Of course, if you are flexible with your schedule, and if you don't mind bearing the heat during summer, then we won't stop you from doing the transfer way.
-**Others**
+===== Other Transit Options =====
-  * [[https://www.sacrt.com/causewayconnection/|138 - Causway Connection]]: Funded by UC Davis, the bus route 138 (also called the Causway Connection) provide hourly service between the Silo Terminal and the UC Davis Medical Center (UCDMC) in Sacramento, with stops also located outside the Mondavi Center and the Genome and Biomedical Science Facility (GBSF). Service is provided Mon-Fri 06:00 AM - 08:00 PM and is co-operated between SacRT and Yolobus (which is why you might find an Yolobus at the terminal instead of a SacRT bus). All UCD students, including grad students, ride free with their student ID. With a little bit of walking, you can transfer to a SacRT light rail at the UCDMC stop for access to other part of Sacramento. (A fare is required to get on the light rail.)
+  * [[https://www.sacrt.com/causewayconnection/|138 - Causway Connection]]: Funded by UC Davis, the bus route 138 (also called the Causeway Connection) provide hourly service between the Silo Terminal and the UC Davis Medical Center (UCDMC) in Sacramento, with stops also located outside the Mondavi Center and the Genome and Biomedical Science Facility (GBSF). Service is provided Mon-Fri 06:00 AM - 08:00 PM and is co-operated between SacRT and Yolobus (which is why you might find an Yolobus at the terminal instead of a SacRT bus). All UCD students, including grad students, ride free with their student ID. With a little bit of walking, you can transfer to a SacRT light rail at the UCDMC stop for access to other part of Sacramento. (A fare is required to get on the light rail.)
+    * Please be advised that their website is somewhat out of date. Most importantly, due to maintenance issues, they no longer operate electric buses on this route. Service is now provided by buses in their regular fleets, and in particular, there is no free Wi-Fi.
   * We also have a paratransits here in Davis as required by the ADA. In fact we have multiple of them with diferent service areas.
     * [[https://www.cityofdavis.org/city-hall/parks-and-community-services/davis-community-transit|Davis Community Transit]], which is separated from Unitrans, is operated by the City of Davis. Use this for trips within Davis
     * Yolobus also has a paratransit called the [[https://yolobus.com/beeline/|Beeline]] serving the Yolo County.
     * Since SacRT serves Davis via the 138 (see above), its paratransit [[https://www.sacrt.com/sacrt-go-paratransit-service/|SacRT Go]] also serves area near the bus route.
-  * There is also another way going to the Bay Area without using Amtrak. With 4 departures per day (2 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon), SolTrans' [[https://www.soltrans.org/routes/b|Blue Line]] can take you from the Mondavi Center all the way to the Walnut Creek BART station. From which, you can transfer to BART. (Clipper cards are accepted on SolTrans.)
+  * There is also another way going to the Bay Area without using Amtrak. With 4 departures per day (2 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon), SolTrans' [[https://www.soltrans.org/routes/b|Blue Line]] can take you from the Mondavi Center all the way to the Walnut Creek BART station. From there, you can transfer to BART to get to your destination. (Clipper cards are accepted on SolTrans.)
-  * (This is not a bus but I don't have better place to put it.) The [[https://police.ucdavis.edu/safe-rides|Safe Ride]] is a service provide by the UC Davis Police department and, similar to Unitrans, all drivers are UCD students. It is basically a free Uber if you wish. This is an on-demand service that runs everyday from 05:00 PM to 03:00 AM and can pick you up anywhere on campus. During late night where there is limited or even no bus service, this can get you home safely without paying for an expensive taxi.
+  * [[https://police.ucdavis.edu/safe-rides|Safe Ride]] is a service provide by the UC Davis Police department and, similar to Unitrans, all drivers are UCD students. It is basically a free Uber if you wish. This is an on-demand service that runs everyday from 05:00 PM to 03:00 AM and can pick you up anywhere on campus. During late night where there is limited or even no bus service, this can get you home safely without paying for an expensive taxi.
     * This is only available to employees and students at UC Davis (excluding the UCDMC) and is a one-directional service: you can only get on it inside the campus.
-    * You can't bring suitcase or bike on it. Backpacks, tote bags, etc. are fine, as long as you can keep them on your laps.
+    * You can't bring suitcase or bike on it. Backpacks, tote bags, etc. are acceptable (just not too many please).
-    * From 05:00 PM to 08:00 PM, only on-campus drop-off is available, but after 08:00 PM, they can drop you off at your residence in Davis.
+    * From 05:00 PM to 08:00 PM, only on-campus drop-off is available, but after 08:00 PM, they can drop you off at your residence in Davis. In any case, as long as you request your ride before 03:00 AM, someone will take you home.
     * Please note that since this is an on-demand service, you can't make reservation, unless you have mobility issues. The wait time can vary by a lot as well. (Sometime you can get it within 10-20 minutes, but in high-demand exam weeks it can get up to 2 hours or longer.). My tip is to try to check it 2 hours before your planned departure if you are staying on campus late at night, and once you request it, you should be in a situation where you can leave whenever you got a pickup message.

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