Wednesday is the International Car Free Day, and Victor Valley Transit is taking part by offering fare free transit on all Fixed, County, and Direct Access buses (Route 15 and NTC Commuter not included) on Wednesday, September 22, 2021.
Car Free Day is a worldwide event that encourages greener methods of travel; meaning ways to get around other than driving alone by car. The purpose of Car Free Day is to bring awareness to the benefits of travel options such as transit, bicycling and walking. For those that need to drive, Carpooling and vanpooling are great options too, as they are both lighter on the wallet and the environment than driving alone in a car.
Reduce your Carbon Footprint
Using more sustainable ways to get around helps reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion. The more people who travel using bicycles, buses, trains, carpools and vanpools, the fewer pollutants are released into the atmosphere.
Please take the pledge to be car free on Wednesday and ride Victor Valley Transit for FREE!
The TSA has made the decision to extend the face mask requirement for riders of public transit through January 18, 2022. We understand this may be frustrating for some and great news for others, but no matter where you stand, we thank you for continuing to wear your mask when you ride Victor Valley Transit.
Official Statement from the TSA:
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is extending the face mask requirement for individuals across all transportation networks throughout the United States, including at airports, onboard commercial aircraft, on over-the-road buses, and on commuter bus and rail systems through January 18, 2022.
On January 31, TSA announced the initial face mask requirement with an expiration date of May 11. On April 30, TSA announced an extension to the face mask requirement through September 13, 2021.
Airline travelers should check with their airline on additional inflight restrictions prior to taking their trip. All commuters and travelers should check with the CDC website for additional guidance. Exemptions to the face mask requirement for travelers under the age of 2 years old and those with certain disabilities as well as civil penalty fines will also remain in place.
Travelers with questions regarding airport security screening procedures may send a message via Facebook or Twitter to @AskTSA for live assistance from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on weekdays or 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on weekends/holidays. Individuals who require screening assistance due to a disability, medical condition or other special circumstance may contact TSA Cares at least 72 hours in advance of their flight by calling (855) 787-2227. For additional information about TSA procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of our “Stay Healthy. Stay Secure.” campaign, visit tsa.gov/coronavirus.
There will is a Public Hearing at the Barstow City Hall at 9:30am on September 20, 2021. The meeting will be in-person, and on Zoom as well for those who cannot make it that day. For more information, please see below or visit www.vvta.org/board/sept2021.
Due to the rise in the number of positive COVID-19 cases, the Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Monday, August 16, 2021, at 9:30 am at Barstow City Council Chambers at 220 East Mountain View St., Barstow, CA has changed from an in-person meeting to Zoom.
This Zoom meeting may be accessed using this information:
At the July 2021 Meeting of the Board of Directors, three outstanding Victor Valley Transit employees were recognized for service above and beyond to help both passengers and members of our community.
Monica Perez
On Monday, June 28th, a passenger missed her bus connection at the Barstow City Hall, and after two hours, due to the extreme temperatures, she began to dehydrate. She then noticed a distinctive jacket and wanted to verify that she was at the correct location to return to her home and approached VVTA Supervisor Monica Perez. The passenger shared that Mrs. Perez immediately noticed her dire condition and drove her to her residence at the Barstow Veterans Home, which saved her from an Emergency Room visit or worse. Mrs. Perez’s compassion and desire to assist a passenger above and beyond the call of duty intersected into what could have turned into a tragic event.
Ramon Armenta & Jonathan McDowell
On July 2nd, after making a bank withdrawal, High Desert resident Sean Zullo accidentally dropped his wallet on Main Street with cash inside and had lost all hopes of recovering his belongings. However, during this time, VVTA Bus Operator Ramon Armenta happened upon the wallet fully intact and turned it into the Operations Manager Jonathan McDowell. Mr. McDowell then drove to the address listed on the identification and successfully return the wallet to its rightful owner. Mr. Zullo has expressed time after time his heartfelt gratitude for both Mr. Armenta and Mr. McDowell for their honesty, time, and effort.
VVTA thanks Mrs. Monica Perez, Mr. Ramon Armenta, and Mr. Jonathan McDowell for their outstanding leadership and for exceeding expectations.
The safety of our friends, partners, associates, staff, and riding public is paramount to Victor Valley Transit. Considering the recent rise in Covid numbers due to the Delta Variant, VVTA has made the very difficult decision to cancel our scheduled Ribbon Cutting at the Victor Valley Transportation Center on Monday, August 2. If or when a new date is decided, VVTA will make a formal announcement.
Our Buses will still operate out of the Transportation Center beginning Sunday, August 1st. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The new Route Schedules are now online! The following VVTA Bus Routes will change starting August 1st to facilitate the change from the current Hub at 7th & Lorene in Victorville to the Victor Valley Transportation Center. Please click on the links below to view and/or download:
Beginning Sunday, August 1st, 2021, All routes that currently connect at the Lorene & 7th Transfer Center will be rerouted to the Victor Valley Transportation Center (VVTC) in Old Town Victorville. The VVTC has an enclosed building that has restrooms and vending space; and provides an ideal setup for the new Victorville transfer point. The following describes the affected routes, plus the new Route 56.
ROUTE 15
Route 15 will be slightly modified to utilize D Street to more directly access the VVTC. An additional northbound early morning Route 15 trip between Victorville and Barstow will be added on weekdays.
ROUTE 22
Route 22 will be shortened to terminate at the VVTC. Route 22 service will no longer operate along 7th Street through Victorville.
ROUTE 31
Route 31 will be extended to serve the VVTC. The realignment of Route 31 includes adding service along Amethyst Road, Hook Boulevard, and Roy Rogers Drive, while reducing service along Palmdale Road east of Amethyst Road. Some of the areas no longer served by Route 31 will be served by the new Route 56.
ROUTE 32
Route 32 will be rerouted to utilize Mojave Drive to more directly access the VVTC. The route will also serve portions of current Route 51 along Del Rey Drive, Forest Avenue, Condor Road, and Village Drive, providing bi-directional services along these street segments that have only one-way service today. Segments that will no longer be served by Route 32 will be served by new Route 56.
ROUTE 41
Route 41 currently serves the VVTC as it travels between Apple Valley and the current transfer point near Costco. The route will be shortened and all segments west of D Street will no longer be served by Route 41. New Route 56 will serve 7th Street.
ROUTE 50
Changes to Route 50 will streamline the route and allow it to serve the Hesperia Road and 7th Avenue corridors. Portions of the current Route 50 that will not be on the proposed Route 50 will be served by the new Route 56.
ROUTE 50X
The modification of this route will be to move the stop in Victorville from the current transfer point near Costco to the VVTC. Route 50X will resume service in Fall 2021.
ROUTE 51 (DISCONTINUED)
As part of relocating the Victorville transfer point from Lorene Drive and 7th Street near Costco to the VVTC, Route 51 will be completely restructured and renumbered to Route 56. For service along discontinued Route 51 please see routes 32, 50, 55, and 56.
ROUTE 52
Route 52 will be extended to serve the VVTC. The realignment of Route 52 includes adding service along Mojave Drive and Amargosa Road, while reducing service along Hook Boulevard/Roy Rogers Drive. Some of the areas no longer served by Route 52 will be served by new Route 56.
ROUTE 55
Route 55 will be streamlined to allow it to serve the Rodeo Drive and 3rd Avenue corridors. Portions of the current Route 55 that will not be on the proposed Route 55 will be served by new Route 56.
ROUTE 56 (NEW)
This new route will serve most of the areas in Victorville that are not served by other routes. This route is the only route that will continue to serve the Costco located near the current transfer point.