City Council
259 N. Wilma Avenue
Ripon, CA 95366
MEMO
To: Honorable City Council
From: Kevin Werner, City Administrator
Date: 04/14/2026
Subject: Short Range Transit Plan
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
City Council to approve the 2026 Short-Range Transit Plan that evaluates the transit demand in Ripon and provides recommended changes to Ripon transit services designed to improve mobility and/or cost efficiency over the next 10 years.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Ripon operates a transit service that currently includes a fixed route service and a dial a ride service.
The Blossom Express fixed route service operates on Tuesday and Thursdays between 9:25 AM and 2:00 PM and provides service to various location in Ripon and Modesto, including Save Mart, Bethany Home, Ripon Library, Target, Vintage Faire Mall, and Kaiser Medical Center.
This service is coordinated with San Joaquin Regional Transit District Route 91 service and the Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority Route 48 for transfers within San Joaquin County and Stanislaus County, respectively.
The City contracts with SJRTD for the driver of the Blossom Express bus. Regular fare for this service is $2 for a one-way trip or $4 for a full day pass.
The Dial-a-Ride on-demand door-to-door service for qualifying disabled and older populations of Ripon. The DAR service is generally operated on weekdays between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM and costs $15.00 to travel within the City’s 15-mile radius. Longer rides are available with an additional cost of $0.67 per mile (per IRS rates).
The City maintains a list of volunteer drivers for this service. If a driver is not available, the City is not able to schedule the DAR ride for a resident.
Transit Funding Summary
Transit services in Ripon are supported through a combination of local, state, and federal funding sources. Key funding allocations include Measure K Renewal Transit Funds, Local Transportation Fund (LTF) Transit Set-Aside, and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5311 program funds. These funding sources collectively provide the financial foundation necessary to operate and enhance transit services within the community.
If these funds are not utilized by the City of Ripon for transit services, they will be returned to the distributing entity or allocated to the SJRTD.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
This Short-Range Transit Plan evaluates the current setting for transportation in the Ripon area and recommends potential changes to Ripon’s transit services designed to improve mobility and/or cost efficiency over the next 10 years.
The following recommended changes are based on survey feedback, transit data specific to the City of Ripon, and input from the City Council provided during the March workshop:
Addition of Microtransit Service: The SRJTD Van Go! Service has been a popular service for Ripon residents. Using the Van Go! Application, residents are able to schedule a trip for any destination in San Joaquin County. This service is currently available seven days a week between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm. The cost for this service is $4 per trip plus $0.50 per mile for trips longer than 5 miles. It is recommended the City of Ripon contract with SJRTD to expand the Van Go! service to support community engagement and access to local commerce. This additional service for Ripon residents is recommended to include (1) an ability to schedule trips within the Ripon city limits on Fridays and Saturdays from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and (2) an ability to schedule trips to and from the Ripon Farmers Market which operates every Thursday from May to September. The cost of this service would be the normal $4 per trip that is charged for Van Go!.
Expansion of Dial-A-Ride Service: In order to provide a more consistent DAR service and improve connectivity to medical services, shopping, and other essential destinations for Ripon’s transit-dependent populations, it is recommended the City hire a part-time driver that would be available for rides during a set schedule of Monday through Thursday from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, with a 24-hour advance reservation required. This would allow residents to better plan their trips with the availability of this service. This service would be available to any Ripon resident for service within the City of Ripon and Stanislaus County. Service outside of Ripon into San Joaquin County is not recommended because the SJRTD Van Go! service is currently available for trips to destinations within San Joaquin County. The fare for this service is recommended to be higher than that of the Blossom Express to encourage the use of the fixed route when possible. The general public fare would be $15 per one-way trip, while a lower fare of $5 per one-way trip would be available to seniors and disabled. Continue current Fixed Route Blossom Express Service: Re-evaluate the need for expansion once the previously described service changes have been incorporated and in operation for at least one-year. Performance data—including ridership, cost efficiency, and customer feedback—will be collected and evaluated to determine whether future fixed-route service expansion is warranted.
The table below summarizes the funding plan for these services over the next 10 years. 2026-27 2027-28 2028-29 2029-30 2030-31 2031-32 2032-33 2033-34 2034-35 Operating Exp.
Driver 37,400 41,140 45,254 49,779 54,757 60,233 66,256 72,882 80,170 Bus Maintenance/Op 38,280 42,108 46,319 50,951 56,046 61,650 67,815 74,597 82,057 Admin./Other 46,092 50,701 55,772 61,349 67,484 74,232 81,655 89,821 98,803 Sub-Total Base Exp. 121,772 133,949 147,344 162,079 178,287 196,115 215,727 237,300 261,030 Driver 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10%
Bus Maintenance/Op 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10%
Admin./Other 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10%
SRTP Recommended Options:
Special Events 2,730 3,003 3,303 3,634 3,997 4,397 4,836 5,320 5,852 Microtransit Service - Fri/Sat/Fms Mkt 51,130 56,243 61,867 68,054 74,859 82,345 90,580 99,638 109,602 Expanded DAR 71,200 78,320 86,152 94,767 104,244 114,668 126,135 138,749 152,624 Sub-Total Add'l Exp. 122,330 134,563 148,019 162,821 179,103 197,014 216,715 238,387 262,225 Total Expense 244,102 268,512 295,364 324,900 357,390 393,129 432,442 475,686 523,255 Operating Rev.
Measure K Renewal 58,583 59,755 60,950 62,169 63,412 64,680 66,620 68,619 70,678 FTA 5311 a
122,051 134,256 138,000 140,800 143,600 146,500 149,500 152,400 155,400 LTF - Transit Funds 60,438 71,441 93,324 118,801 147,218 178,759 213,092 251,397 293,877 Fares 2,030 2,060 2,090 2,130 2,160 2,190 2,230 2,270 2,300 Interest 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 244,102 268,512 295,364 324,900 357,390 393,129 432,442 475,686 523,255 % Utilized
Measure K Renewal 98% 98% 98% 98% 98% 97% 97% 97% 97%
FTA 5311 a 92% 99% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
LTF - Transit Funds 22% 25% 32% 40% 48% 56% 65% 74% 84% No General Fund or other funds that would divert funding from street and road maintenance is used to fund these services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The operations of the City of Ripon’s transit system, including the recommended expansion, would be funded by a combination of Measure K Renewal Transit funds, FTA 5311 federal transit funds, and the City’s LTF transit set aside funds.
Attachments:
1. 2026 Ripon SRTP Final Plan - with appendices