Yuba-Sutter Transit, which was known as the Hub Area Transit Authority (HATA) until January 1993, was formed in 1975 by Sutter and Yuba Counties and the Cities of Marysville and Yuba City as a joint powers agency (JPA) for the provision of public transit services. Since its inception, Yuba-Sutter Transit has carried out this charge by contracting with private transportation companies for the operation of all services.

From 1975 to 1979, service was provided exclusively to seniors and persons with disabilities through a contract with the local taxicab company for the operation of the "Our Car" taxi subsidy program. As a condition of a legal settlement with California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), this service was replaced and expanded in 1979 with the purchase of thirteen mini-buses to implement a general public dial-a-ride (demand response) service. The system expanded again in 1982 to add a network of local fixed routes. Since 1979, a national transportation provider (currently Veolia Transportation Services, Inc.) has operated the agency’s primary services.

In January 1988, following an independent operational analysis prompted by poor system performance, the service was significantly reduced through the elimination of the local fixed route system, Sunday service and most rural area services in lieu of a general public zonal dial-a-ride system for the urban area. At the same time, Sutter County withdrew from the Authority to establish their own taxi subsidy program which provided transit service to the unincorporated urban areas of the county until January 1991 when Sutter County rejoined the JPA.

In response to these operational and organizational changes, CRLA again filed a lawsuit against the Authority, the four jurisdictions and the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG). The resulting settlement agreement in 1990 led to the completion of both a fixed route feasibility study and a comprehensive marketing plan in 1992. Based on the recommendations of these studies, fixed route service was reinstated and the agency name was changed to the Yuba-Sutter Transit Authority effective January 1, 1993.

Yuba-Sutter Transit now operates a wide range of services with a fleet of 46 buses ranging in capacity from 14 to 57 passengers. In FY 2012, approximately 57 percent of the operation will be provided as urban fixed route service. The local fixed route system provides service every 30 to 60 minutes on six routes with fourteen buses in peak service Monday through Friday (twelve on Saturdays) in Yuba City, Marysville, Linda and Olivehurst. Local fixed route service is provided each weekday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

Fixed route ridership grew rapidly over the years beginning with a 47 percent increase in FY 1996 followed by annual increases of 28, 17 and 18 percent through FY 1999. After slowing to 4 percent growth in FY 2000 due in part to capacity constraints, ridership increased by 10 percent in FY 2001 and 13 percent in FY 2002 after a significant service increase in April 2001. Ridership continued to grow at a robust average annual rate of more than 5 percent despite only minor service changes through FY 2006. After the October 2006 addition of Route 6 and half hour Saturday service on Routes 1 and 3, ridership jumped by 13 percent in 2007 and by another 15 percent in FY 2008. With the introduction of half hour weekday service on Route 2 in January 2009, ridership increased another 11 percent in FY 2009. With no service increases since, ridership has continued to grow at very healthy rates including 7 percent in FY 2011 and 10 percent year-to-date for a projected 980,000 fixed route passenger boardings in FY 2012.

This strong long term growth trend in local fixed route ridership is a reflection of the many improvements that have been made over the years. These include the introduction of larger and more easily identified fixed route buses along with a Marysville route in 1995; the expansion of the Marysville route and the start of Saturday fixed route service in 1998; the addition of half-hour service frequencies on two routes along with the initiation of a route in southwest Yuba City in 2001; the addition of Route 6 in Linda and the extension of weekday service frequencies on Saturdays in 2006; the addition of half-hour weekday service on a third route (Route 2) and the introduction of modern low floor buses in 2009; strong bus stop shelter and bus stop bench programs; the provision of bike racks on all buses; and, successful discount summer and monthly youth pass programs all contributed to the steady long-term enhancement of the local fixed route service.

The local Dial-A-Ride service accounts for approximately 26 percent of the operation. This service is provided within the urban area during the weekday and Saturday fixed route service hours. Dial-A-Ride service is available by reservation to seniors age 62 and over, persons with disabilities and those with an origin or destination more than one-half mile from a fixed route. Dial-A-Ride is Yuba-Sutter Transit’s complimentary paratransit service as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Since August 1999, Dial-A-Ride is also open to the general public each weekday evening from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The weekday evening service is provided with on-going financial support from a federal Job Access grant. Dial-A-Ride ridership is projected to provide 63,000 passenger trips in FY 2012.

Fifteen percent of the system is provided as service between Marysville/Yuba City and downtown Sacramento primarily as weekday commuter service. This service, which began in July 1990 with two 15-passenger buses, now provides nine morning and nine afternoon schedules operated during the peak commuter hours with another three midday schedules. This service is provided with a fleet of thirteen specially equipped 41, 45 and 57 passenger buses. The midday schedules are used by many daily or occasional commuters, but they are also popular with those traveling to and from Sacramento for medical, school and other non-work purposes. These combined Sacramento services are projected to provide 158,000 passenger trips in FY 2012.

Limited route deviation services to the Yuba County foothills and the Cities of Live Oak and Wheatland account for the remaining two percent of the operation. The Foothill Route provides two round trips every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between selected foothill communities from Brownsville to Marysville. The Live Oak Route provides two round trips every Monday, Wednesday and Friday into Yuba City and Marysville. The Wheatland Route offers two round trips each Tuesday and Thursday. The Live Oak and Wheatland Routes operate under a fully allocated cost reimbursement agreement with those cities.

From September 1999 through January 2004, Yuba-Sutter Transit operated a commuter service in the Highway 65 corridor of southern Placer County serving what once was a major regional employment center of high technology employers in the Lincoln Airport Industrial Park. Like the weekday evening Dial-A-Ride program, this service was funded in part through a federal Job Access Grant. The Lincoln service, which enjoyed considerable early success, was terminated due to prolonged poor performance brought on by dramatic employee reductions at the industrial park over a period of about two years.

In FY 2012, Yuba Sutter Transit is projected to operate 89,300 vehicle service hours systemwide – an 18 percent increase over the 75,539 hours operated in FY 2007. During this same five year period, systemwide ridership will have increased by 45 percent. For a long-term perspective, systemwide ridership will have increased by 553 percent since FY 1993 following the reintroduction of fixed route service in January 1993 while systemwide service hours have increased by just 174 percent over the same period during which systemwide ridership has increased in all but one year.

Fare revenues have also increased dramatically in the last five years from $883,341 in FY 2007 to a budgeted figure of $1,317,000 in FY 2012 – an increase of 49 percent. During this period, passenger fares were increased only on the Sacramento service (in July 2007 and again in July 2010). Since September 2005, the regular $15 monthly youth pass has been discounted to just $5 using a series of grants from the Feather River Air Quality Management District (FRAQMD) to off-set the lost fare revenue.

Yuba-Sutter Transit is governed by a Board of Directors composed of two elected representatives from each of the four member entities. Since January 1994, the Authority has operated with a three person staff of Transit Manager (25 years), Administrative Analyst (18 years) and Administrative Assistant (2 years). (The previous Administrative Assistant retired at the end of 2009 after 15 years of service). Since March 1988, the Yuba-Sutter Transit staff has also served as administrative staff for the Regional Waste Management Authority concurrent with their transit duties. Approximately one-quarter of the available staff time is budgeted for the waste management responsibilities. Through this shared staffing relationship, both agencies are able to experience a reduction in administrative overhead expenses. In response to a planned retirement, the agency expects to replace the incumbent Administrative Analyst and expand the staff by one position by the end of 2012.

Yuba-Sutter Transit’s operating expenses for FY 2012 are budgeted at $5,715,200. The funding mix for operations is budgeted at 38 percent federal (Federal Transit Administration); 38 percent State and local (Transportation Development Act); 23 percent passenger fares; and, 1 percent miscellaneous income from advertising, interest and contract service payments. The FY 2012 capital budget of $5.1 million includes nearly $2.9 million for the nearly completed remodel and expansion of the existing operations, maintenance and administration facility in Marysville and $2.2 million for vehicle replacements. Most of the funding for these capital expenditures ($3.6 million) is from state bond programs with the remainder coming from federal ($1.1 million) and local ($400,000) sources. Such a mix is quite a change from past years when most of Yuba-Sutter Transit’s capital revenue came from federal sources.

Facilities: Yuba-Sutter Transit relocated in May 1996 to its own facility at 2100 B Street in Marysville which formerly was a Seven-Up Bottling Company plant. That facility has now been remodeled and expanded again to meet the needs of Yuba-Sutter Transit for the next 15 - 20 years. A formerly unused portion of the site that was leased by Seven-Up until January 2010 has been converted to transit use to expand the operating capacity of the site to its ultimate build-out of up to 70 buses. This long-planned project got underway in June 2011 and will be substantially complete in January 2012.

The only Caltrans park and ride lot in Yuba and Sutter Counties opened on the northeast corner of Bogue Road and Highway 99 in August 1997 largely with federal funds obtained by Yuba-Sutter Transit. Caltrans owns and maintains this 88-space lot south of Yuba City. This facility is packed to overflowing every weekday, and Caltrans is now expanding it using federal and local funding again secured by Yuba-Sutter Transit. The project will increase the on-site parking capacity to approximately 150 spaces while providing land for future expansion to up to 300 spaces.

Yuba County opened the McGowan Park & Ride Lot on Powerline Road at McGowan Parkway in December 2008 and the Plumas Lake Park & Ride Lot on Feather River Boulevard east of Highway 70 in October 2009. These long anticipated projects were sited and designed by Yuba County in coordination with Yuba-Sutter Transit. Project funding was derived primarily from development impact fees collected by Yuba County from projects in both the North Arboga Study Area and the Plumas Lake Specific Plan. Yuba County owns and maintains both facilities with Community Service District revenue.

Yuba-Sutter Transit currently serves 288 designated bus stops. A total of 82 bus stop benches and 40 bus stop shelters have been placed at key points and high boarding locations throughout the system. Twelve of the bus stop shelters are agency-owned or controlled and 28 are provided by a private company (Stott Outdoor Advertising) in exchange for the right to sell and place advertising on those shelters. Another six advertising shelters are expected to be installed in 2012. Of the 82 benches, Stott provides and maintains 70 commercial advertising benches. Stott owns and maintains the advertising shelters and benches at no cost to Yuba-Sutter Transit in exchange for the exclusive right to sell and place advertising on them while paying Yuba-Sutter Transit a small commission on the sale of each ad. Enclosed bike lockers are also available for rent at most commuter bus stops.

Vehicles: In 1995 and 1996, eight 28 passenger fixed route buses were delivered to replace six 16 passenger 1985 buses that had previously been used in this service. The move to larger and more traditional appearing buses greatly improved the quality and visibility of the fixed route service which contributed to a tremendous increase in ridership over the next few years. Six 35 passenger fixed route buses were delivered in February 2001 allowing for a major expansion of this service and bringing the fixed route fleet to fourteen vehicles. In 2009, the old 28 passenger buses were replaced with twelve modern low floor buses which allowed for the January 2009 service improvements and expanded the fixed route fleet to 18 buses. The six 35 passenger buses are scheduled for replacement in 2013 with eight heavy duty, low floor buses.

In 1999, ten 19 passenger Dial-A-Ride vehicles were delivered to replace nine 1989 buses but five of the 1989 models were retained to support the federal Job Access Grant funded Highway 65 and weekday evening Dial-A-Ride services. Those five buses were finally replaced in 2004 with five 14 passenger buses using the Job Access program as a key funding source. The ten 1999 model Dial-A-Ride buses were replaced in FY 2010 with ten 16 passenger buses. In addition to Dial-A-Ride service, these versatile little buses are also used on rural routes; to augment the local fixed route fleet; and, to provide supplemental capacity for the Sacramento Commuter service as necessary. The five 14 passenger buses are now scheduled for replacement in 2012.

Yuba-Sutter Transit’s fleet of thirteen specially equipped commuter buses includes three 45 passenger buses that were purchased in 2002; six 41 passenger buses that were delivered in 2006 along with a seventh that was delivered in 2008; and, three 57 passenger, tour-style commuter buses that were placed in service in May 2010. Three more high capacity buses are now scheduled for delivery in the summer of 2012 to replace the three oldest commuter buses.

Services: The last seventeen years have been full of activity following the 1994, 1998, 2003 and 2008 Yuba-Sutter Short Range Transit Plans. The 1994 plan resulted in expanded Sacramento Commuter and Midday services; Marysville’s Route 4; the former subsidized vanpool and weekday evening taxi subsidy programs; new fixed route buses; bus stop shelters; bike racks on buses; and, an annual summer youth bus pass program.

The 1998 update resulted in the expansion of the Marysville route, the operation of fixed route service on Saturdays and further expansion of the fixed route system including the operation of half-hour service frequencies on two highly used routes in April 2001. In addition to these other improvements, Yuba-Sutter Transit also implemented one year experimental Beale AFB and Sutter services in 1998 along with a one-year Downtown Trolley demonstration service using two historic trolley replica buses that were purchased and operated primarily with funding from the Feather River Air Quality Management District.

The 2003 plan resulted in the implementation of a monthly youth pass; more deeply discounted monthly fixed route passes; additional Saturday service; expanded Sacramento services including the addition of a noon hour Sacramento Midday schedule; and, fixed route service to the Yuba City Marketplace and River Valley High School on Harter Parkway in western Yuba City.

The current five year transit plan that was adopted in 2008 is more modest in terms of service recommendations compared to recent versions assuming limited service growth only in response to increased ridership demand. It did include the 2009 implementation of half-hour weekday service on Route 2 (which was first envisioned in the 2003 plan); the 2009 introduction of modern low-floor local fixed route buses; and, the 2008 and 2009 integration of the McGowan and Plumas Lake Park & Ride Lots into the Sacramento service. Rather than service expansion, the 2008 plan primarily focused on the provision of the necessary infrastructure (equipment, facilities and staff capacity) to both support the operation that has expanded so much over the years and prepare for the next 15 to 20 years of growth. The 2008 plan is expected to be updated in 2013 and much public input will be sought over the next year on the direction of Yuba-Sutter Transit through the end of the decade.

The future of public transit in Yuba and Sutter Counties appears to be much brighter than in many other areas given the recent, current and expected near-term economic and legislative conditions. While most transit operators have cut service and raised fares (some more than once) over the last four years, Yuba-Sutter Transit has been able to avoid such scenarios due to continued strong ridership growth and a historically conservative fiscal and operational approach. For example, Yuba-Sutter Transit operates limited or no service in the evenings, on weekends or on holidays when many others have reduced or eliminated such service and Yuba-Sutter Transit’s operating cost of less than $65 per hour of service is among the lowest of any in California.

The November 2006 passage of State Proposition 1B and the 2009 federal stimulus program established a strong foundation for future capital funding. Unfortunately, the regular federal funding authorization for critical operating and capital funding expired in September 2009 and has since been provided through a series of continuing resolutions at the past funding level. In addition, local and state funding has taken a severe hit in the last three years due to the economic downturn and a series of State budget decisions. As a result, agency attention over the next few years is expected to be focused on catching up with the rapid growth of the past especially in terms of facility and staff capacity; fine-tuning and maintaining the existing system; and, preparing for future growth in response to demonstrated service demand from projected population growth and demographic changes in the region.

Funding for the future expansion of transit services will continue to be a critical issue with the recent approval or consideration of large scale developments in Yuba County, Yuba City and Sutter County as the vast majority of these projects are in areas that are not now served by Yuba-Sutter Transit. The resulting demand for services of every kind will severely stretch what is still in most cases just a lifeline service especially at a time when local, state and federal funding seems to become more uncertain by the day. In addition, future growth in operating revenue sources may not keep pace with expected increases in both service demand and operating costs. To compound the problem, impact fees have yet to be required from new developments for the necessary vehicles or operating costs to expand service though Yuba County did collect fees for the development and operation of their two park and ride lots.

The Plumas Lake development in southern Yuba County is the most problematic of those that are now under construction in the region because of its size (12,000 units), location (entirely outside the existing service area), design (low density, single-family residential) and primary target market (out-of-area commuters). Another major growth area is Edgewater in East Linda though this and a number of neighboring developments are at least within the existing service area. While lacking the concentration of these large Yuba County developments, thousands of new homes along with many hundreds of thousands of square feet of new commercial projects have been constructed, approved or are under consideration in Yuba City as well. Planning is also well underway in both counties for a number of major plans and projects including the Yuba County General Plan Update; the Lincoln East Specific Plan in Yuba City; and, Sutter Pointe in south Sutter County.

Despite the lack of recent population growth, Yuba and Sutter Counties have both been among the fastest growing counties in California in the last five years and all indicators suggest that this may be the case for years to come. This population boom may soon become a significant problem as little funding has been identified in Yuba-Sutter Transit’s multi-year capital and operating plans for transit service expansion. Many of these new residents, attracted by the lower cost of living and proximity to other employment centers in the Mid-Valley, will commute to work in Placer, Sacramento and Yolo Counties and beyond to further complicate the issue.

Even without population growth, the demand for specialized services for seniors and persons with disabilities is expected to continue to grow in the future. The dedicated specialized service now provided through the Alta California Regional Center for the developmentally disabled is very limited and subject to annual funding cuts and Yuba-Sutter Transit's own Dial-A-Ride service already operates at or near capacity levels during certain peak periods. The need for increased specialized services will become more acute as the population grows (especially outside the current service area) and ages in the future.

For many years, Yuba-Sutter Transit has been an active partner with both counties in the welfare-to-work effort taking the lead on related public transportation issues and successfully competing for numerous federal Job Access grants. County matching fund contributions for these grants ended in 2004 shifting the local financial burden for any grant funded services exclusively to Yuba-Sutter Transit. While Yuba-Sutter Transit will continue to play a key role in assisting those seeking pre-employment training and entry level employment, the scope and sustainability of these grant funded services are certainly in question. The 2005 reauthorization of the Job Access program resulted in much lower federal funding levels for existing grant-funded services and a much less secure outlook for the future of these federal funds.

Having been instrumental in securing a state grant to study the unique transportation needs of agricultural workers, Yuba-Sutter Transit was an active participant in the regional Agricultural Worker Transportation Study under the direction of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. A second round of funding was secured for the 2010 implementation of a regional vanpool program for agricultural workers throughout the mid-valley and this program is now being expanded to include general public vanpools as well.

In summary, Yuba-Sutter Transit has undergone an amazing metamorphosis since January 1993 to where the agency is now a vital component of the local service network. It must still be prepared, however, for further adjustments as the region continues to grow and change in the future because Yuba-Sutter Transit now has an important role to play in the continued renaissance of Yuba and Sutter Counties. Among public transportation service providers, Yuba-Sutter Transit certainly operates one of the widest range of service offerings at one of the lowest local cost of any urban area in California; but the mix, level and priority for these services must continually be evaluated in light of local funding and policy priorities as well as passenger demand.

• Yuba-Sutter Transit System Fact Sheet (January 2012) & Summary of Key Events (January 2012)
• Yuba-Sutter Transit Ride Guide and Individual Service Brochures
• FY 2011 Operating and Capital Budgets
• FY 2011 - FY 2015 Transportation Improvement Plan Program of Projects
• FY 2035 Capital Improvement Plan (Revised 6-17-10)
• Website: www.yubasuttertransit.com