CA: Turlock’s on-demand bus offers affordable alternative to Uber, Lyft
Instead of Uber or Lyft, Barbara Lewis Jensen calls the bus.
She phones Turlock Transit a few days in advance to schedule a ride. The day of, she gets a text with an estimated time when the green bus will be outside her door. She said the estimates have been pretty on target.
“I would much rather pay $2.50 than $40,” Jensen, 71, said.
Turlock Transit launched the Amtrak Shuttle Pilot Project in January 2022, providing trips to and from the Turlock-Denair Amtrak Station, funded through Measure L. Following the implementation of the Ecolane reservation and dispatch software that summer, the service was expanded and rebranded in August 2022 as “on-demand,” providing trips to and from Turlock and Denair for all residents.
Rides are $5 each way, or $2.50 for seniors, individuals with disabilities and honorably discharged military veterans and companions. Children under 6 ride for free. Passengers must be at least 9 to ride any of the buses alone.
While rides can be ordered the same day, they also can be scheduled ahead of time, up to two weeks in advance, by calling 209-668-5600 or through the Turlock Transit app. Rides can be reserved at any time through the app, but on the phone, reservations must be made weekdays from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Service hours for rides in Turlock are weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. In Denair, service is weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Jensen said she uses the on-demand service about three or four times a month. She gets a ride while her car is being repaired, for doctor appointments, for getting to and from the Amtrak Station to visit family in Arkansas, or for any time she doesn’t want to worry about parking her Volkswagen.
Last Saturday night, Jensen and her neighbors had plans to attend the Veteran Foreign Affairs’ Cootie Ball. Knowing they’d be having a drink, they took the bus.
Other times, she’s the only one on the bus. But she said the drivers are always helpful and friendly. One told her about a regular customer who requests a round trip at night to go feed stray cats near a Home Depot store.
“It’s just a wonderful service. I feel that we’re really blessed to have this in Turlock. More people should know about it,” Jensen said.
Wayne York, transit manager for Turlock Transit, said the service was created in response to an expressed need in the community. “It fills in the gap for folks that can’t use fixed routes,” he said.
In Denair, where there are no other transit options, York said a wide variety of people use the service, from families to seniors. In Turlock, it’s mostly residents with mobility issues who can’t access a bus stop.
People who don’t live near a bus stop also use the on-demand service to get dropped off at one to access the fixed-route system. This allows riders to hop on neighboring agency buses and go to Modesto and Merced.
Generally, there are two midsize buses designated to the on-demand service. While currently not electric, York said Turlock Transit is augmenting the existing fleet with electric vans that can fit into smaller spaces and get closer to residents’ homes.
When multiple people request a ride around the same time, the bus negotiates pickup or drop-off times to ensure riders still get to where they need to be on time. Rarely does Turlock Transit deny new trips. Other services
Turlock Transit also offers paratransit services exclusively for residents who meet specific medical eligibility criteria. ADA eligible passengers pay $1 each way, while personal care attendants ride free.
However, unlike the on-demand service, paratransit requires residents to schedule a ride at least one day in advance.
Around the holiday season, a free shuttle takes riders on a 45-minute tour of holiday light displays around the city. York said it’s been well received by the community. Growing ridership
Since 2022, Turlock Transit ridership has increased by 92%., which York contributes to the affordable pricing.
Day passes for the fixed route cost $2. They’re $1 for seniors, Medicare recipients and those with disabilities. Riding the fixed route is free for those under 18, college students and faculty, public education faculty and staff, and active military and honorably discharged veterans with a show of ID.
“It allows school staff to take field trips with their students on public transit,” York said. “So it’s an investment in children by investing in the staff and teachers at schools as well.”
Turlock Transit also works closely with the Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority to set regional free fare periods among different systems.
“It’s pricing, policies, regional coordination and our contractor having a customer service-oriented approach,” York said. The city of Turlock contacts out the driving and dispatching operations to Storer Transit Systems.
Dial-a-ride services are also available in Oakdale, Riverbank and Patterson through Stan RTA. Financial challenges
The main challenge facing Turlock Transit is that rising expenses are outpacing the system’s revenue and funding, a trend York said is affecting transit agencies across the Central Valley.
This means the system will have to pursue additional revenue sources and look for ways to cut costs while still maintaining its services. Allocated funding toward capital improvement projects, for example, may be delayed or cancelled as those funds move to operations to keep things running.
“You can only stretch a dollar so far,” York said.
Later this month, Turlock Transit will propose at a City Council meeting to hire a consultant to help create a short-range transit plan and make recommendations for how the system can move forward sustainably into the next three to five years.
York said he believes staff already have a good pulse on the needs of the community by consistently taking the bus and talking to riders, but a short-range transit plan will help them even more.
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