Turlock Transit is preparing a five-year plan and is looking for feedback from local residents on how the city’s public bus system can improve services.

In 2017, the City of Turlock implemented a number of changes to the bus system, from installing new electronic fare boxes to extending service hours and a complete overhaul of the bus routes.

The changes were implemented in an effort to satisfy state farebox recovery requirements. Municipalities now have to show that 20 percent of their transit system’s operating expenses are met by fares paid by passengers in order to qualify for state transportation funding.

To meet that requirement, the City could either raise the price of bus tickets or increase the number of fares. The City chose to focus on attracting new riders.

While the new routes improved reliability, there was public outcry at the loss of a few stops — most vocally of the one in front of the Turlock Library.

There will be a series of public meetings next week as part of the Turlock Transit Short-Range Transit Plan process. The SRTP will provide a roadmap for transit investments in Turlock over the next five years.

There will be three meetings held on Monday: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the quad on the campus of Stanislaus State; 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Roger K. Fall Transit Center; and 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Turlock City Hall. There will also be a meeting from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Turlock Sales Yard.

The City is also accepting input by email at transit@turlock.ca.us, by fax at 209-668-5563 or mail at 156 S. Broadway, Suite 150, Turlock, CA 95380.

“If you’re a regular rider, we want to hear how our service is meeting your needs and what we can do to improve it.  If you’re not a regular rider, we’d love the opportunity to share more about the services we provide and understand things we can do to remove barriers to using transit,” stated Transit Manager Wayne York.