Provide funding for the capital responsibility of modernizing bus stops and shelters in the mountain transit service areas of the big bear valley and rim of the world locations within the SAN…

This $1,875,000 federal Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (CFDA 20.534 - Community Project Funding Congressionally Directed Spending) aims to modernize and upgrade bus stop and shelter infrastructure in the Mountain Transit service areas of the Big Bear Valley and Rim of the World locations in California. The funding will be used by the Omnitrans transit authority to bring the majority of non-compliant bus stop locations up to ADA and local accessibility standards. Key improvements include replacing poles, installing full bus shelters with concrete foundations, adding benches, lighting, trash receptacles, artwork, and route information. The project is expected to increase passenger safety and comfort, improve the overall ridership experience, and potentially grow transit usage while reducing emissions and traffic congestion. The award has an expected completion date of September 30, 2030.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to provide funding for the capital responsibility of modernizing bus stops and shelters in the mountain transit service areas of the big bear valley and rim of the world locations within the SAN bernardino mountains. The majority of mountain transits current bus stop locations are out of compliance with ADA and local governing entities. The goal of modernizing these shelters is to bring them up to compliance standards increase passenger safety and improve upon the overall comfort and satisfaction of our riders.

Activities

Each bus stop will need a different level of improvement ranging from replacing a pole to erecting a full shelter that may include turnouts where necessary. Bus shelters will have graded surfaces with concrete foundations to improve accessibility structures to safeguard riders from the elements bench seating for passengers to rest lighting to increase nighttime visibility trash bins and cigarette receptacles to discourage littering artwork to beautify aesthetics and increase community pride and schedule / map holders to inform riders of our various routes. Mountain transit had previously engaged dactrack to provide a comprehensive evaluation of all bus stops and shelters in the mountain transit service area. Utilizing the dactrack report as our basis mountain transit intends to make improvements in priority of ridership (stops with the highest ridership getting needed improvements first) to make bus stop improvements which will include consultant permit construction and fund management fees until funding is completely expended.

Expected outcomes

The expected benefits of this project is to bring mountain transit bus stop locations up to compliance and improve the overall ridership experience. In turn we anticipate these modifications to increase ridership reducing emissions and mitigating traffic congestion of alternative private transportation options.

Intended beneficiaries

The beneficiary of this project is the local SAN bernardino mountain communities as a whole. Investing in the modernization of our bus stop facilities makes our transit system safer and more reliable overall makes public communal property more aesthetically pleasing and helps promote the utilization of a valuable community service.

Subrecipient activities

Mountain transit is the sole subrecipient of omnitrans.