The Yuba-Sutter Transit Authority has expanded its service, adding four new buses to its fleet, and an entirely new route servicing south Yuba City. According to Keith Martin, Transit Manager, 40 percent of expansion funding comes from the Federal Transit Administration and 30 percent from sales tax funds earmarked for public transportation under the Transportation Development Act. The remaining costs have been financed by various sources, including passenger fairs. The new buses, manufactured by Ford subsidiary Blue Bird Company at $204,300 each, enable thirty-minute intervals between departures from Walton Avenue and Yuba College along route 1-up from one-hour frequencies prior to April 2. “We have doubled capacity of our services to and from Yuba College,” said Martin, who noted, “All of our routes are designed around the Yuba College campus schedule.” The expansion of April 2 marked an end to the Transit’s express route between Yuba City and Yuba College. However, Dial-A-Ride services to and from the college, at $2 one-way fare, shall continue from 6:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m on weekdays. “We hope that the new services will fill up again, which will lead to future expansions,” said Martin.The new Route 5, South Yuba City to North Yuba City and reverse, can be caught at Bogue and Garden Highway or at the Walton Terminal, near Sam’s Club. Stops along this route include Walton and Lincoln Avenue, Gray Avenue School, Lincrest School and Blackburn-Talley Park. Route 5, like most other Transit routes, runs from around 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Transit provides other fixed routes within and between Yuba City, Marysville, Linda and Olivehurst. The bus and route additions complete the Transit’s current plans, according to Martin. Transit administrators are now urging Yuba College to issue low-cost student transit passes to students. “We have talked about this with campus administrators,” said Martin. “We keep this on our agenda.” At $15 for unlimited student transit services in Sacramento, Martin noted that such low-cost availability of public transportation “may improve student enrollment” at Yuba College. Monthly passes for fixed-route services cost $36. Colleges that provide this service include Long Beach City College, Santa Barbara Community College and Galvan Community College.
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