Unitrans enters final phases of transit reallocation plan, advances route and line change proposals
Changes include dissolving the A and B Lines, major changes to P/Q Line service in South Davis
By THOMAS WU — campus@theaggie.org
Unitrans and the City of Davis are eyeing new proposals to alter their transit services throughout the city as part of an ongoing effort to update their 2024-2031 Short-Range Transit Plan.
These plans, also known as SRTPs, help guide improvements to transit systems within five to 10-year periods. It builds on a December 2024 report on Unitrans’ services, which identified reliability issues among the P and Q Unitrans lines (Davis perimeter routes going counterclockwise and clockwise, respectively), weekend service mobility limitations and frequency and other reliability priorities for Unitrans’ developments. Additionally, the report also evaluated key components of route consolidation and accessibility.
The resulting proposed changes include adjustments to several of Unitrans’ service lines and routes across the city.
The A Line (Amtrak/5th/Alhambra) would be discontinued, with all of its stops being serviced instead by YoloBus transit.
The B Line (Sycamore/Drake) would be discontinued under the new proposal. To continue service to the areas, Unitrans is considering adjusting the G Line’s route (Anderson/Alvarado/N Sycamore/Memorial Union Terminal). Under the proposal, the G Line’s segment between Russell Boulevard and Alvarado Avenue will move from Anderson Road to Sycamore Lane, better serving Trader Joe’s and The Davis Marketplace while also reducing overlap with YoloBus’ 42 A/B Lines.
Alternatively, the G Line’s route could continue to operate on Anderson Road, as B Line riders would still have close-proximity access to transit on Anderson Road or via the C Line (Sycamore/Wake Forest/Cuarto Dorms). Between these options, the replacement for the B Line has yet to be finalized.
The F Line (Oak/Anderson/F St) would adopt more convenient two-way service along W. 14th Street and F Street, better serving Davis Senior High and the local Yolo County Library branch. Changes to F Line service will also expand transit access on Catalina Drive, which currently has no public transit route service.
In South Davis, Unitrans routes crossing I-80 and respective service coverage are facing reconsolidation for efficiency. The P and Q lines will no longer serve parts of Davis south of I-80 due to service delays crossing the interstate.
Instead, Unitrans is proposing a new weekday S Line going through 5th Street, Lillard Drive and Cowell Boulevard. Unitrans is also looking to modify the weekend O Line service (Amtrak/5th/Alhambra/Target) to cross I-80 via Pole Line Road and connect to South Davis.
For East Davis, the counterclockwise P line will be moved from the Mace Boulevard/East Covell Boulevard curve to Alhambra Boulevard for better service to Mace Ranch. No changes are anticipated for the clockwise Q Line’s segment through Mace Boulevard/Covell Boulevard passing Harper Junior High.
Service revisions, supported by rider demand, would extend Fridays’ last-bus runs to 10 p.m. or later. Last departures for weekend service will be extended from 6 to 8 p.m.
Unitrans General Manager Jeffrey Flynn said that initial feedback to the SRTP has been favorable.
“The overall sentiment has been positive as the service proposals have focused on service issues that customers experience everyday such as late and unreliable buses,” Flynn said.
Student outreach played a pivotal role in developing concrete proposals for service and frequency changes. Outreach began in October 2024 and continued through October 2025. Unitrans focused on asking riders and residents about their concerns and preferences. Normal daily ridership is 22,000 passengers across its 18 routes during the regular school year, boasting an annual ridership of some 4 million passengers.
April Beyersdorf, a second-year community and regional development major, has been closely following Unitrans’ SRTP development and thinks students should be satisfied with the changes.
“As it turns out, most students, with nearly all trips just from home to campus, don’t seem to care which bus they are on as long as it works,” Beyersdorf said. “It's politicians and non-students who have the strongest opinions about the changes, since they are more focused on trips unrelated to campus.”
Transit authorities are required to complete and/or update SRTPs every few years to receive federal and state funding. Unitrans’ SRTP is set to enter into the financial and capital planning stages soon, prior to appearing before the Davis City Council in late spring of this year for approval.
If the final plan is approved, Unitrans is expected to start implementation around the beginning of Summer Session 2 in 2026, focusing on North and Central Davis improvements. Further changes are projected for implementation starting in summer 2027 or later for South and East Davis improvements.
Written by: Thomas Wu — campus@theaggie.org