Visalia City CouncilStaff ReportVisalia City Council707 W. AcequiaVisalia, CA 93291File #:26-0041Agenda Date:7/20/2026Agenda #:1. Agenda Item Wording:Proposed elimination of Transit Fixed Route 17 - Consider the proposed elimination of TransitFixed Route 17 that serves the Visalia Industrial Park and the scheduling of a 30-day public commentperiod and public hearing.Agenda Date: 07/20/2026Prepared by:Angelina Baker, Transit Manager, [email protected], (559)713-4591John Lollis, Assistant City Manager, [email protected], (559)713-4323Department Recommendation:Staff recommends that the City Council receive the report, open a public comment period andschedule a public hearing for its meeting on September 7, 2026, to consider the proposed eliminationof the Transit Fixed Route 17 due to low ridership.Summary:Staff proposes what is defined by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as a major servicereduction in the proposed elimination of Transit Fixed Route 17 due to exceedingly low ridershipeffective October 1, 2026. The FTA defines a major service reduction as twenty-five percent (25%) ormore reduction of the number of transit route miles of a route, i.e. the total mileage covered duringone round trip by a vehicle in revenue service on a particular route. Consistent with FTA guidelinesand regulations with respect to a proposed major service reduction, a thirty (30) day public commentperiod must be noticed in a newspaper of general circulation in the urbanized area prior to theproposed Public Hearing date of September 7, 2026. The City will also post public notices on buses,on the City website, and on its various social media channels. Staff will receive comments andfeedback in person, via telephone, online response and email, which will be reported to the Councilat the Public Hearing on September 7th should it be scheduled.Background Discussion:Transit Route 17 was established in October 2021 to provide transportation access within thegrowing Visalia Industrial Park to support the increasing number of jobs within the Industrial Park,most notably the opening of the Amazon Fulfillment Center (FAT2) also in October 2021. As a newtransit service, Route 17 was eligible for federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ)Improvement Program grant funding to support implementation, which the Tulare County Associationof Governments (TCAG) provided $1,385,983 to primarily support the first two (2) years of the newroute’s operation with a City match of $179,569 from Local Transportation Funds (LTF).The following table provides a breakdown of the hourly and mileage costs of Route 17 since itsimplementation in October 2021, which does not include City overhead costs:Visalia City Council Printed on 8/25/2026Page 1 of 4powered by Legistar™ File #:26-0041Agenda Date:7/20/2026Agenda #:1.HoursMilesTotalFY 21$86,717.74$33,710.10$120,427.84FY 22$364,000.21$139,492.62$503,492.83FY 23$334,555.08$130,359.36$464,914.44FY 24$460,042.94$151,786.95$611,829.89FY 25$634,614.09$148,914.82$783,528.91FY 26*$648,855.89$153,912.57$802,738.46*estimateTOTAL$3,286,932.37As shown in the table above, the hours and miles cost of Route 17 since its implementation isestimated at $3,286,932. As previously mentioned, federal CMAQ grant funding provided $1,385,983in initial financial support (with City match funding of $179,569), with the City subsequently expending$1,721,380 in federal transit and local transportation funds following the exhaustion of the CMAQgrant funding.The ridership on Route 17 provided in the attached exhibit is exceedingly low, making it an inefficientroute to operate when compared to its expense and passengers served.Given Route 17 includes approximately 11,000 revenue hours per year, the hourly ridership reportedin the table above reflects approximately 0.30 riders per hour, which the City historically has used five(5) riders per hour as its metric for route ridership performance. For comparison, the next lowestroute ridership performance is Route 16 at approximately two (2) riders per hour and Route 7 at three(3) riders per hour, and the highest route ridership performance being Route 1 at ten (10) riders perhour.In late May and early June of 2026, Transit Division staff attempted to conduct onboard rider surveysto understand more about Route 17 and its passengers. The purpose of this assessment was toevaluate the effectiveness of Route 17 in serving the Industrial Park and to determine whether theroute continues to meet the transportation needs of that segment of the community.Observations and FindingsRecent ridership data indicates that Route 17 consistently experiences exceedingly low passengeractivity. Through multiple observations conducted along the route, buses were frequently operatingwith no passengers on board for most of the service period. To better understand rider needs andtravel patterns, staff attempted to conduct onboard surveys. During the observation period, only one(1) passenger utilized the route.In addition to the limited survey participation, field observations revealed that Route 17 is oftentraveling through its service area without carrying passengers. This trend has remained consistentwith ridership data collected over time.Visalia City Council Printed on 8/25/2026Page 2 of 4powered by Legistar™ File #:26-0041Agenda Date:7/20/2026Agenda #:1.Current ridership levels suggest that the service is not being utilized as intended. It is likely that theworkforce within the service area have found alternative transportation options, such as personalvehicles, carpooling arrangements, or rideshare services with 195 rides on Visalia Connectmicrotransit service to or from the Amazon facility specifically within the last year. Additionally, theroute's service frequency and scheduled times may not align with the transportation needs ofemployees working within the industrial area, further contributing to low utilization.Based on ridership data, direct field observations, and the limited rider feedback obtained, Route 17is not effectively serving the community or generating sufficient demand to justify continuedoperation. The consistently low ridership indicates that the transportation needs within the servicearea are being met through alternative means. As a result, discontinuation of Route 17 is beingproposed, with resources potentially reallocated to services demonstrating higher demand andgreater community benefit.Proposed TimelinePublic comment period opening: July 20, 2026Public comment period closed: August 21, 2026City Council Public Hearing: September 7, 2026Route 17 elimination October 1, 2026Transit Division staff is currently beginning its next Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) “ReimagineStudy”. The SRTP is a guiding document that is federally required and updated every five (5) years tohelp steer the transit agency, evaluating and positioning the Visalia Transit system for efficient andeffective service over the next five (5) years. Staff began working with a consultant firm (Jarret Walker& Associates) in Spring 2026 with the final anticipated delivery of the Reimagine Study in Spring2027. Additionally, the City is coordinating with TCAG and the Tulare County Office of Education(TCOE) in the development of a transit hub at the TCOE Doe Complex site in the Industrial Park as apart of the planned Cross Valley Corridor express bus service between Visalia and Hanford.Fiscal Impact including annual maintenance and operating costs:Route 17 is currently not being funded by any specific grant funds and is therefore being supportedby the Transit Division operating budget which is comprised of a mixture of federal transit and localtransportation funds.Prior Council Action: N/AAlternatives:Council could direct staff to continue with the operation of Route 17 until the SRTP Reimagine Studyis completed in the Spring 2027.Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):I move to authorize staff to open a 30-day public comment period to receive feedback on theproposed elimination of Transit Fixed Route 17 that services the Visalia Industrial Park and schedulea Public Hearing for the City Council meeting of September 7, 2026, for Council determination.Environmental Assessment Status: N/ACEQA Review: N/AVisalia City Council Printed on 8/25/2026Page 3 of 4powered by Legistar™ File #:26-0041Agenda Date:7/20/2026Agenda #:1.Deadline for Action: 07/20/2026Attachments:Route 17 monthly activity by year (2022-2026) exhibitTransit Fixed Route 17 exhibitCity Council meeting presentationStrategic Goal:Indicates which City Strategic Goal(s) this item supports. Check all that apply.
EconomicVitality
OrganizationalExcellence
FiscalStrength
Infrastructure &Growth
Quality ofLife
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