UC Davis Area Transportation

People traveling to Davis often comes from three airports: SMF, SFO, and OAK

• 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 at SMF: Check their website for prices.
  • An Uber/Lyft can cost you like $40.
  • Yolobus Route 42 also goes to the Sacramento Airport. (See the Buses section for some tips on taking the 42.)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Oakland International Airport (OAK)
  • 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):
  • 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.)
  • 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, 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!)

There is a train station located at 840 2nd St (the intersection of 2nd and H). There are 3 Amtrak services serving the Davis station:

• Capitol Corridor : Auburn, CA - Sacramento, CA - Oakland,CA - San Jose, CA (with 30 trips daily between Sacramento and the Bay Area (Oakland), 15 in each direction).
• California Zephyr : Chicago, IL - Emeryville, CA.
• 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).

Tips for using the Train:

• Passengers who will be parking at the Davis Station for more than 2 hours should get a free permit from the Amtrak station agent. (Please note that staff agent is only available from 06:00 AM to 04:00 PM.)
• You are allowed to take your bike on the train.
• For staffed stations, you will need to pay extra if you buy your ticket on the train instead.
• 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 a contactless payment system called 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

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.

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.)

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) 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 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).

Sacramento Regional Transit (aka the SacRT)

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.

Yolobus

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.

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.

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.

• 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.
  • 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 Beeline serving the Yolo County.
  • Since SacRT serves Davis via the 138 (see above), its paratransit 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' 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.)
• 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 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. 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.

Bikes are the method of transportation of choice in Davis. There are miles of bike paths that will lead you on all sorts of fun adventures. The most important things to remember about biking in Davis are as follows:

• Even on your bike, you can get a ticket. Thus, obey the laws, including stopping at stop signs and using a light after sunset.
• Helmets are good and are mandatory for anyone under 18.
• Located at the intersection (roundabout) of California and Hutchison near the Silo terminal, you can find the Bike Barn. Whether you need a new bike, repair your bike, or need some accessory, the Bike Barn is your first resort on campus. There are also some free stuffs for you to grab and start your biking experience (once you complete their respective requirements):
  • In partnership with the TAPS, the Lit Not Hit program will give you some free bike lights.
  • In partnership with the SHCS, the Helmet Hair Don't Care program will give you a free helmet.
• Register your bike through Bike Index!
• Davis has a shared mobility program. It can be a great way for you to get around, if owning a bike makes you worry.
• An an added benefit, you can bring your scooter onto Unitrans buses!

Check out the TAPS website for more info on parking.

• Fleet Services: A campus-operated rental service
• All grad students can have access to the Commuter Card Benefits Program, which allows you to load part of your pre-tax salary into a transit-only debit card (or parking-only debit card). Use it to purchase anything transit (or parking) related!
  • Our experience with this is that the eligibility requirements are very picky and often you can only load funds from your first paycheck of the quarter (since every TA appointment lasts only for 3 months, which barely meet their eligibility). Here is my tips for you on this: Check it as often as possible at the beginning of the quarter. Load some fund upon first successful login. Then you should set up a calendar event on the 10th day of every month (the last day you can setup the loading from next month's paycheck) to check whether you can log into your account. If not, then you are done with that quarter. Repeat it every quarter. (Yes it is annoying but that's how to get the most out of it.)