North State Express Connect Business Plan

Green DOT served as the prime consultant to the Shasta Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) in developing an innovative battery electric bus system connecting rural northern California to the Sacramento region and beyond. The North State Express, later rebranded as the Salmon Runner, establishes a critical transportation backbone along Interstate 5, linking Shasta County directly to Sacramento. The comprehensive transit system is designed to serve most of northern California's rural counties through a hub-and-spoke model, utilizing 45-foot battery electric coaches for the backbone service while smaller electric feeder buses connect eight regional transit systems to this primary route. The project encompasses a full suite of infrastructure and operational improvements, including electric vehicle charging stations strategically positioned along routes, enhanced transit stops and hub facilities, integrated ticketing systems for seamless passenger experience, inter-agency access agreements and coordination frameworks, and extensive collaboration between multiple transit entities. Our project team employed cutting-edge methodologies, including mobile source data analysis, to generate highly accurate ridership projections, ensuring the system design reflects actual travel patterns and demand. This integrated approach transforms regional connectivity by bridging the gap between rural communities and urban centers. The comprehensive North State Express Connect Business Plan served as the foundation for a successful Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) grant application, resulting in an $8.641 million award that enables the implementation of this transformative regional transit service