Golden Empire Transit
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| Founded | 1973 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 1830 Golden State Avenue |
| Locale | Bakersfield, California |
| Service area | Greater Bakersfield |
| Service type | bus service |
| Routes | 16 |
| Stops | 1,600 |
| Hubs | Downtown Transit Center Southwest Transit Center Bakersfield College |
| Fleet | 88 standard buses 19 GET-a-Lift buses |
| Daily ridership | 23,000 (2010) |
| Annual ridership | 7.3 million (2010) |
| Fuel type | CNG |
| Website | www.getbus.org |
Golden Empire Transit is the operator of mass transportation in Bakersfield, California. There are 16 routes serving Greater Bakersfield, which includes both the City of Bakersfield and adjacent unincorporated communities. It, however, does not serve Rio Bravo. Although a part of the city, the area is too rural for urban bus service. Since 2005, the entire bus fleet is powered by compressed natural gas.
The government agency is an independent transit agency, and is not directly associated with either the City of Bakersfield or the County of Kern. However, it does coordinate with both the city and county, as well as the Kern Council of Governments (which represents most local governments in the county). It is also the direct descendant of the Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway, which originally provided streetcar service to the city.
Prior to the mid-1950s, public transportation in Bakersfield was provided by a private company named the Bakersfield Transit Company (formerly the Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway). However, yearly losses resulted in the city acquiring it in 1956, under the new name Bakersfield Transit Agency. The city made little investments in the system. Already suffering from deferred maintenance from the previous owner, the lack of investment resulted in the system sinking into further disrepair. Operating losses were also increasing.
In 1973, voters approved a measure which established the Golden Empire Transit District. It would take over ownership and operation of the Bakersfield Transit Agency. The new transit district started purchasing new equipment. It also eliminated unnecessary routes. In 1986, the transit authority would undergo its first major alteration in the system. Previously, routes were running in circular routes. The company changed to a crosstown system. Buses operated on linear paths, and generally looped back when the bus needed to change direction. They also operated between transit hubs. The first was located downtown (Downtown Transit Center). Later a second was added at the Valley Plaza Mall, in the Southwest (Southwest Transit Center). A third transit center was built in 2011 on Panorama Drive at Bakersfield College. Golden Empire Transit implemented a new system of routes on October 7, 2012. The system transitioned from a crosstown system to an express/local system. Although the agency divides the system into five categories, it is easier to describe it in three. Express service runs between major destinations on the most direct route. It also makes a limited number of stops. Rapid service runs more frequently than express and makes more stops between end points. Local routes stop most frequently. Routes have been straightened for faster service.
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Wikipedia