Kern Transit

For public transportation in Bakersfield before 1973, see Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway. For public transportation in Bakersfield after 1973, see Golden Empire Transit.
Kern Transit
Parent Kern County Roads Department
Founded 1981 (1981)
Headquarters 2700 M Street
Locale Bakersfield, California
Service area Kern County, California
Service type bus service
Routes 17
Hubs Bakersfield,
Frazier Park,
Lake Isabella,
Mojave
Annual ridership 513,000 (2010)
Fuel type CNG, Desiel
Website

Kern Transit is the operator of mass transportation in Kern County, California. Primarily, it provides inter-regional transportation, connecting outlying regions with the City of Bakersfield (and with each other with a transfer in Bakersfield). It also provides inter-city transportation within specific regions.[1] Kern Regional Transit is operated by the Kern County Department of Roads. The agency was founded in 1981. Its headquarters is located in Bakersfield.

Routes

Originate in Bakersfield

Route Name Terminals Communities Served Connecting Services* Notes
Arvin/Lamont/Bakersfield Route GET Downtown Transit Center
Bakersfield
City Hall
Arvin
Arvin, Bakersfield, Lamont
  • Runs Monday-Saturday
  • Evening service runs Monday-Thursday
Buttonwillow Route GET Downtown Transit Center
Bakersfield
Senior Center
Buttonwillow
Bakersfield, Buttonwillow
  • Runs Tuesday and Thursday only
East Kern Express Amtrak Station
Bakersfield
Wal-Mart
Lancaster
Bakersfield, Keene, Lancaster, Mojave, Rosamond, Tehachapi
  • Runs 7-days a week
Edison/Bakersfield Route GET Downtown Transit Center
Bakersfield
Bus Shelter
Edison
Bakersfield, Edison
  • Runs Wednesday only
Frazier Park/Bakersfield Route GET Downtown Transit Center
Bakersfield
Post Office
Frazier Park
Bakersfield, Frazier Park, Lebec
  • Runs Monday-Saturday
Lake Isabella/Bakersfield Route GET Downtown Transit Center
Bakersfield
Veteran's Hall/Senior Center
Lake Isabella
Bakersfield, Lake Isabella
  • Runs Monday-Saturday
Lost Hills/Bakersfield Route GET Downtown Transit Center
Bakersfield
Post Office
Lost Hills
Bakersfield, California, Lost Hills, Shafter, Wasco
  • Runs Thursday and Saturday only
North Kern Express GET Downtown Transit Center
Bakersfield
Ranch Market
Delano
Bakersfield, Delano, McFarland, Shafter, Wasco
  • Runs 7-days a week
Westside Express Amtrak Station
Bakersfield
Jefferson School
Taft
Bakersfield, Taft
  • Runs Monday-Saturday

* All routes connect with Golden Empire Transit

Other routes

Route Name Terminals Communities Served Connecting Services Notes
Boron/Mojave Route Inyo St & Hwy 14
Mojave
Chaparral Ave & Borax Blvd
Boron
Boron, Mojave, North Edwards
  • Runs Wednesday only
Frazier Park Community Fixed Clinica Sierra Vista
Frazier Park
Pine Mountain Club Frazier Park, Lake of the Woods, Lebec, Pine Mountain Club, Pinon Pines Estates
  • Runs Thursday and Saturday only
Kern River Valley Valley View & Sierra Way
Kernville
Easy St & Hwy 178
Onyx
Bodfish, Kernville, Lake Isabella, Mountain Mesa, Onyx, South Lake, Weldon, Wofford Heights
  • Runs Monday-Saturday
Lamont/Weedpatch Route Main St & Panama Rd
Lamont
Sunset Blvd & Vineland Rd
Weedpatch
Lamont, Weedpatch
  • Runs 7-days a week
Mojave/California City Route DHS/Career Services Center
Mojave
Faststop
California City
California City, Mojave
  • Runs Monday-Saturday
Mojave/Ridgecrest Route Inyo St & Hwy 14
Mojave
City Hall
Ridgecrest
California City, Inyokern, Mojave, Ridgecrest
  • Runs Monday, Wednesday, Friday only

Hubs and connecting services

Bakersfield is the central hub for the inter-regional routes. Buses stop at the Downtown Transit Center (operated by Golden Empire Transit), or the Bakersfield Amtrak Station which is also located downtown, or both. Bus bays are used at the Amtrak Station, while none are available at the Transit Center. Buses instead park on Chester Avenue, in front of it. Depending on the route, Kern Regional Transit makes additional stops in Bakersfield, but are generally used either to board or discharge passengers (depending on the direction the bus is traveling).

Additional hubs are located in Frazier Park, Lake Isabella, and Mojave. Passengers transfer from inter-regional routes to inter-city routes that serve the specific region. Many of these routes were requested and funded by local governments, instead of operating their own transit system.

Some local governments have funded their own public transportation system, instead of relying on Kern Regional Transit. These include Arvin (Arvin Transit), Delano (Delano Area Rapid Transit), and Taft (Taft Area Transit). In addition, Shafter and Wasco provide their own Dial-a-ride service, which serves their communities.

Fare and schedule

Because of the variety of distances traveled, fares vary widely. As of 2011, a one-way trip can cost between $0.75 on the Mojave-Ridgecrest Route,[2] to $5.00 on the East Kern Express (traveling from Bakersfield to Lancaster).[3]

Operating days also vary greatly depending on the route. Most of the long distance inter-regional routes run 6 or 7 days a week. Shorter regional routes mostly run 1, 2, or 3 days a week. However, some run 6 or 7 days a week.

Fleet

Because of the wide variety of demand for service in various areas, Kern Regional Transit uses a variety of vehicles. Bus fleet consist of 40-foot, 30-foot, and 21-foot buses which are used on scheduled routes depending on the number of riders.

All buses are equipped with wheelchair ramps, and offer bicycle racks. A portion of the fleet runs on compressed natural gas. The paint scheme is white, with "Regional Transit" is large letter in the center, on all sides. On the sides, a small "Kern Regional Transit" logo is directly in front of "Regional Transit", with the slogan "...your county connection" directly behind. Changeable signs, which list the destination city, are only on the front and left side of the bus.

Maintenance facility

The Maintenance Facility is located on Victor Street, just south of Olive Drive in Northwest Bakersfield. It contains parking for the entire fleet, shops, bus wash, and cleaning facilities. The facility does not contain the headquarters for the agency. That is located in the Public Services Building on "M" Street.

References

  1. . Kern County Department of Roads. Accessed: 08-04-2014.
  2. Mojave-Ridgecrest Route Schedule. Kern Regional Transit. Effective: August 8, 2011. Accessed: 11-28-2011.
  3. East Kern Express Route Schedule. Kern Regional Transit. Effective: June 3, 2007. Accessed: 11-28-2011.

kerntransit.org

External links

kerntransit.org

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