Agenda Item Wording:
title
Transit Division Presentation
body
Deadline for Action: 3/3/2025
Submitting Department: Administration
Contact Name and Phone Number: Angelina DeRossett, Transit Manager, Angelina.DeRossett@visalia.city (559)713-4591; John Lollis, Assistant City Manager, John.Lollis@visalia.city, (559)713-4323
Department Recommendation:
It is recommended that the City Council receive a status update on the Transit Division and review the status of current and planned future projects.
Background Discussion:
Staff has prepared a presentation to review the current status of Transit Division operations and Transit-related projects.
The Transit Division consists of ten (10) staff, including the Transit Manager, Financial Analyst, Management Analyst, Senior Administrative Assistant, Senior Accounting Assistant, Community Outreach Coordinator, two (2) Office Assistants, Senior Building Maintenance Technician and a part-time Building Maintenance Worker.
Visalia Transit services include thirteen (13) Fixed Routes (serving Visalia, Exeter, Farmersville and unincorporated Goshen), Dial-a-Ride (DAR) paratransit service, V-LINE commuter service to Fresno, and the Sequoia Shuttle services that operate to and within the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Operational hours are generally 6:00 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. on weekdays and 8:00 A.M. to 6:30 P.M. on weekends. The V-LINE operates 4:00 A.M. to 9:15 P.M. both weekdays and weekends.
With respect to fares, a general individual one-way fare for Fixed Route is $1.75, $10 for the V-LINE, and $20 round trip for the Sequoia Gateway shuttle. There are senior and ADA discounts for the Fixed Route and DAR services.
Visalia Transit operates a total of eighty-seven (87) vehicles, including a combination of CNG, electric, and gasoline-powered vehicles in varying lengths. It should be noted than even (7) of the eleven (11) electric buses in the fleet were manufactured by Proterra and are currently non-operational, which the repair and renewed operation has been significantly challenged due to Proterra having declared bankruptcy in August 2023 and its transit bus business having been acquired by Phoenix Motor in March 2024.
The 2024 calendar year saw moderate improvement in Fixed Route ridership in comparison to the 2023 calendar year, however, ridership remains approximately half of the ridership in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020. Both the SEKI Gateway Shuttle and Internal Shuttle both saw near record number of users in 2024.
Visalia Transit participates in multiple county-wide collaborations, including Amtrak, CalVans, Greyhound, Kings Area Rural Transit (KART) and Tulare County Regional Transit Agency (TCRTA).
There are and have been major Transit projects over the past year, with one of the most significant being the Maintenance and Operations Contractor turnover from Transdev to RATP Dev USA in Summer 2024 with an effective date of October 1, 2024.
Transit is embarking on the launch of the new microtransit pilot service, financed by the Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) for two (2) years with State Senate Bill 125 transit funds. Staff is requesting the approval of the rates and fees process for the $5 flat rate fare during a public hearing scheduled for the City Council meeting of March 3, 2025 (tonight).
Transit has also been approached by TCAG to serve as the primary provider for the region’s planned Cross Valley Corridor phased express bus service between Porterville to the east, Naval Air Station Lemoore to the west, and Tulare to the south, which are mandated environmental mitigation measure for the region due to induced traffic demand associated with the widening of State Route 99 in Tulare County. The development of a new transfer station in the Industrial Park in collaboration with CalVans is being contemplated, as well as the development of hydrogen generation at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility to serve the implementation of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell heavy duty vehicles.
Building on the Cross Valley Corridor, Downtown Visalia and the Transit Center serve as the central hub of the region’s service area between Kings and Tulare counties, including essential medical, civic and educational services. The Transit Division is evaluating grant funding opportunities to enhance the ease of pedestrian access between the Transit Center and the essential service offerings in the Downtown area.
Fiscal Impact:
N/A
Prior Council Action: N/A
Other: N/A
Alternatives: N/A
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
No motion required.
end
Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: N/A
Attachments:
Transit Division Presentation