Reimagine Visalia TransitCity Council Work SessionSeptember 21, 2026
We foster clear conversations about transit, leading to confident decisions.
Founder of JWA
35 Years Experience
Author of Human Transit and HumanTransit.org
Jarrett Walker
Álvaro Caviedes
Project Manager
Senior Associate, JWA
Some JWA Network Plans
Houston
Dublin, Ireland
Richmond, VA
Silicon Valley and San Jose, CA
Auckland, NZ
And more than 50 others, in communities of all sizes.
Existing Fixed Network
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High frequency More riders at less cost
High frequency More riders at less cost
Visalia Connect is popular, but can’t get much above this performance.
Access to Opportunities
What makes transit useful?
What is access?
What is access?
What is access?
What is access?
The travel time calculation
WALK
WAIT
RIDE
Liberty Square(62nd St & 12th Ave)
Access Example (Miami)
Existing Network
Access Example (Miami)
Better Bus Network
Access Example (Miami)
Access Example (Miami)
Access Example (Miami)
Area gained
+60% jobs
+55% residents
Area lost
What maximizes access?
High Frequency Lines
Forming a Connected Network
Reasonably Fast and Reliable
Focused on Transit-Efficient Places
Dense
Walkable
Linear
Continuous
Frequency comes first
Frequency is a cubed benefit:
Less waiting
Make connections easily
Better reliability
High frequency More riders at less cost
High frequency More riders at less cost
Higher FREQUENCY
Higher PRODUCTIVITY (boardings/hour)
Transit is most useful given …
Density
How many people, jobs, and activities are near bus stops? Walkability
Can people walk to and from bus stops?
Linearity
Can buses run in reasonably straight lines?
Continuity
Do buses have to traverse long gaps?
Existing Network
Draft Plan Network
Draft Plan Network
Key Features
More Frequent Corridors
Direct Service
Faster service through stop consolidation
Better service to Tulare
Unique Coverage through Visalia Connect
Timed Transfers at Visalia Transit Center and Visalia Medical Clinic
Proposed Spans
Existing Spans
Draft Plan Regional Network
ExistingRegional Network
Visalia Connect - Today
Key Features
Service anywhere in the City
$5 per ride per person
30 minute pickup window
Ride requests vs Completed rides
Ride requests have increased substantially
Completed trips have remained relatively constant
More requests are therefore going unserved
Ride requests: 2025 vs 2026
7/2025
6/2026
Completed
1,647
67%
2,267
35%
Unaccepted Proposal
617
25%
2,332
36%
Seat Unavailable
114
5%
1,649
25%
Invalid/NA/Error
6 0%
93 1%
Cancelled
69 3%
127
2%
Visalia Connect Productivity is Low
This reflects the nature of the service: each Visalia Connect driver cannot serve more than about four rides per hour. On average 2.3 rides per hour.
Visalia Connect duplicates Fixed Route Service
25% of Visalia Connect trips start and end within ¼ mile of a stop with 30 min bus service or better 65% of Visalia Connect trips start and end within ¼ mile of a stop with any bus service
Visalia Connect – Draft Plan
Tier 1 - Priority Visalia Connect
Serves areas more than ½ mile from fixed-route stops through 10 smaller zones.
Fare reduced to current fixed route price.
Tier 2 - Premium Citywide Visalia Connect
Provides citywide service when vehicles are not needed in priority zones.
Will reflect a premium fare, preserving some of the convenience of today’s service.
Mobility Outcomes: Proximity
Mobility Outcomes: Proximity
How far can you travel from Visalia Transit Center in 45 minutes for the cost of a bus fare?
Mobility Outcomes: Weekday Access
On average, a resident can reach +74% more job locations within 45 minutes
Mobility Outcomes: Weekend Access
On average, a resident can reach +103% more job locations within 45 minutes
Mobility Outcomes: Access
Next Steps
Sep 21 – End of October: Public engagement for Draft Plan Survey,
Stakeholder workshop,
Tabling events at: COS, Transit Center, Senior Center, Neighborhood association November/December 2026: City Council presentation summarizing Public engagement feedback and survey results about the Draft Plan. City Council gives direction for the Final Plan.
February/March 2027: City Council presentation on the final report of the project. City Council approves Final Plan.
At the earliest, implementation of the final revised network could occur some time in early 2028
Questions and Discussion