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Public Works Manager Angela Willis and Planner Jessica Garcia of the county’s public bus system, Kern Transit, paid a visit to the Kern River Valley Veterans Center, Tuesday, February 4, to take public comments regarding unmet transportation needs.
Both women work in the transportation division with public works.
All throughout the month of March, is a comment period. Therein all locals may voice their opinions regarding their needs for better bus routes, times, days, or locations, to meet transportation needs within the community of Kern Valley.
"This is a meeting that we do every other year in person. And then, on the off year, we do a virtual meeting down in Bakersfield, and people can log on," Willis said.
According to Willis routes within the county’s system are based on ridership needs because there has to be enough riders to justify adding a route. “Basically we’re here to solicit from the community comments about what transit needs the public has that are unmet,” Willis said.
Willis also explained that these annual meetings are requirements of her department’s Transportation Development Act (TDA) funding, from the State of California, so the state and Kern County can get input from the public. The Kern Transit Department does have criteria to be met in order to add any services, to determine whether it’s an effective change, the bus system can meet.
During the meeting the press asked about routes to the community college and the university. There is a bus route from Vons, in Lake Isabella, to Bakersfield Community College before the bus route heads down town. To get to Cal State University at Bakersfield, a person can transfer from down town Bakersfield, directly to the university campus.
The transportation department also provides a bus route, from Lake Isabella to Kernville, and back. There are timed stops where the bus stops, no matter what, and other stops along the 155, where the bus will pull over for people, at any of ten stops, if people are waiting and even if there's not a timed stop.
Students receive free fares on all routes due to a grant. And Senior Citizens get half price fares.
Kern Transit makes a medical Dial a Ride available in Bakersfield. So once a rider gets downtown, the dial a ride would pick the person up, and bring them to any doctor's appointment, so long as the rider has scheduled the ride.
Local longtime resident Chris Zuber asked if Kern Transit has a sense about who was using the bus services. Willis told him that Kern Transit has demographics about the dial a ride, that picks people up at their door, and brings them places and back in town. Since COVID their overall ridership has decreased.
Kern Transit has several East Kern routes and routes to Frazier Park and many other urban areas.
Zuber said that, from his previous experience, he thought there weren't enough timed stops from the 227 Route, from Onyx into Lake Isabella. Willis said that there were more stops listed on their site, which was not listed in their printed pamphlets, for the 227 Route, and some were untimed stops. On the Kern Transit website, from Walker Pass and Onyx, the department has several stops, and six in Weldon, before getting to South Lake.
Zuber noted that a person could buy a number of Dial a Rides for less than $30 a month.
Willis said if a person is doing more than just the local routes, they could get a bus pass that covers both Dial a Ride, and other routes.
Zuber said some people don't have cell phone service making the apps the transit department covers less convenient. Garcia said that there are apps one can access via computer. Willis said the department should take that factor into consideration for people who don’t have computers or phones.
This report is due to the county in April, therefore those needing to make an unmet needs report, to the Kern Transit department could tell the department before then.
There is also an app called Trip Planner to plan bus trips for anyone unfamiliar with the areas. If a person needs help planning a route they can call the department (800) 323-2396 or (661) 862-5032.
Willis pointed out that a person who can't afford car insurance, and a car, can make better use of the bus system. Purchasers can buy a pass, via credit card, and the purchase can be texted to access the pass on the phone, as an electronic pass.
Willis said the department has options for sending passes or fixed pass options for nonprofits to use to award those needing a bus pass for transportation needs.
When there's an evacuation in the area, you can call a number provided on the evacuation text notice to attain a ride to the shelter. "We evacuated, from here, 16 or 17 people to Ridgecrest (During the fire). But the Sheriff managed a lot of the evacuations. We can transport them with an oxygen tank." Willis said. The Kern Transit system does training to prepare for such emergencies. A bed bound person with medical equipment may need emergency medical assistance for an evacuation depending on the situation.
Willis said Kern Transit does not foresee the county cutting services to the valley in the near future.
The cutoff date to comment on unmet needs to the Kern Transit department is April 30, according to Garcia.
To comment about unmet needs write to Kern Transit at Transit@KernCounty.com their Dispatch 800 number will not take the input for these reports. People can submit unmet needs online and take an email survey. If you have any questions for Willis and Garcia please call the Public Works office at (661) 862- 5032.
