Palo Verde Transit Route Sets Record During September
Enhancements to Palo Verde Transit Agency’s Gold Route 2--including 60-minute service to and from the Palo Verde College main campus throughout the week—resulted in ridership reaching an all time high of 2,070 passengers trips for the month of September 2008.
The Gold Route 2 originated from the college shuttle, started in fall of 2001, that transported students between Palo Verde College District’s downtown Spring Street Campus to the district’s main campus approximately 6 miles from downtown Blythe.
Since that time, through the development of the local PVVTA fixed route system, the college shuttle was expanded and marketed as the Agency's flagship regional route servicing Mesa Verde, Ehrenberg and the Palo Verde College Main Campus.
Although the Palo Verde College is a major trip generator for the system, the areas of Mesa Verde and Ripley make up a large number of riders on the Gold Route 2, especially on the weekends.
The Agency is at an advantage in addressing the needs of not only college students but also residents of Riverside County’s unincorporated areas like Ripley and Mesa Verde.
PVVTA Board of Directors include 4th District Supervisor Roy Wilson; Lincoln Edmond, President of the Palo Verde College Board of Trustees; Blythe Mayor Robert Crain; Vice Mayor Beverly Mays; and Joey DeConinck, local agricultural businessman and Blythe City Councilman.
Agency staff is hopeful that this trend in ridership will continue across all PVVTA services. Both Agency and college administration staff are looking at ways to address the demand for late evening service in the near future.
PVVTA total system ridership has maintained steadily over the last quarter ending September 30, 2008 with 5000+ passenger trips monthly.