Porterville kicks off its city-operated transit system with free fares for 90 days

The City of Porterville will relaunch its city-operated transit system on July 1 and as part of its relaunch, the Porterville City Council has authorized a 90-day zero-fare program for Porterville Transit fixed route and ADA paratransit services.

The 90-day period begins July 1 and ends Sept. 29.

The implementation of the zero-fare program will assist in smoothening the administration transition phase between the transit system’s former operator, Tulare County Regional Transit Agency (TCRTA), and the city.

The period aims to reduce potential disruptions or delays to passengers during the transition phase as well as provide an opportunity to collect data on rider patterns without the barrier of fees, according to a press release issued Thursday.

The city will take control of the transit system effective July 1 following the split between the City of Porterville and TCRTA, a partnership that began in 2020.

In May, the city announced that it would be cutting ties with the transit operator effective July 1 after continued disagreements between the city and TCRTA, including the decision by TCRTA to end the partnership between the City and SM Transit, a Porterville-based provider of public transit buses the city had partnered with for nearly 30 years prior to the termination of its services earlier this year.

“We are committed to delivering a reliable, fully functional transportation service by July 1,” City of Porterville Director of Transportation Richard Tree said in May. “That is our top priority.”

Last December, the Porterville City Council voted for the second time to pull its membership from TCRTA, opting to operate its own transit system.

The TCRTA includes representation from Tulare County and the cities of Tulare, Woodlake, Exeter, Dinuba and Farmersville.