Moving Forward with Public Transit

On Monday, January 2, 2017, Bus Line Service of Turlock (also known as BLaST) was replaced by Turlock Transit. This is more than a simple name change. ​Turlock Transit is an entirely new approach to delivering transit service, with an emphasis on:
Excellence
Innovation
Sustainability
What changed? Here's a summary:
  • New routes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6) that will get you to your destination quickly and on-time
  • More convenient schedules that include more frequent service and later hours (Monday - Friday 6am-9pm and Saturday 9am-7pm)
  • An improved Rider Guide available in English and Spanish
  • Redesigned bus stops with more detailed information
  • A new website that will make it easier to learn about routes/schedules, fares, and regional connections
  • Newly branded buses (underway) with recently installed modern fareboxes
What are the reason(s) for the changes?​
  • State-mandated farebox recovery. The Transportation Development Act requires Turlock Transit to generate a certain percentage of its annual operating costs through local revenue, such as fares. For many years this was level was at 15%, which the City narrowly met each year. Recently, due to the County's population exceeding 500,000, this requirement was raised to 20% for urban providers like Turlock.  The City recognized that significant changes were needed in order to meet the new requirements. A failure to meet these standards can result in drastic service cuts or the elimination of the service completely.
  • Short Range Transit Plan. Transit providers are required to complete a short range transit plan every 4-5 years and the City of Turlock completed one in 2016. This plan identified a variety of changes to routes, schedules, programs and policies to serve as a strategic planning document for the following five years.  The changes within the plan were based on City staff and consultant expertise, ridership trends, and public feedback.
  • Faster, more reliable transportation. In recent years passengers complained of poor on-time performance, infrequent service, and service that ended too early in the day.  These limitations affected their ability to rely on public transit to get to work, school, medical appointments and transfer to other regional transit providers like StaRT and MAX.  Route and schedule changes were needed to help address these concerns.
  • Attracting more riders. Many of Turlock Transit riders don't have regular access to a bicycle or vehicle and rely on the bus to get where they need to go.  These "transit dependent" riders are important, but so is attracting "choice" riders. Choice riders are individuals who have other transportation options, but choose to use the bus because of cost or convenience. The new routes and schedules were designed to apply to these choice riders as well, hopefully attracting more riders over time to grow a stronger, more diverse ridership base.
  • Keeping fares low. Another option for meeting a higher farebox recovery standard is to raise the fares. However, we recognize the impact this has on our customers and looked for ways to improve service through enhancements and changes so that we could leave fares untouched.
Are the changes made in January final?
No. The changes implemented in January were the result of a comprehensive effort to provide a more reliable, convenient fixed-route system that met the most needs with the current resources.  However, it's the start of the journey, not the end. Turlock Transit is always looking for ways to change, tweak and improve service delivery for the benefit of our customers.

If you have thoughts on the recent changes or a suggestion for future improvements, please share those with us.  You can use the form on this page to submit your thoughts.  We'll also be reaching out to the community throughout the first part of 2017 through press releases, social media and public meetings.  The results of this feedback, along with our surveys and ridership analysis, could result in a mid-year service adjustment.
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