The Imperial County Transportation Commission presented proposed changes to IVT ride, the county’s dial‑a‑ride service, that would open the service to the general public, add a mobile booking application, standardize hours across service zones and unify fares, the Commission’s executive director told the Imperial City Council.
David Aguirre, executive director of the Imperial County Transportation Commission, said the current service is limited to seniors (55+) and persons with disabilities and relies on manual dispatching. The proposed model would let the general public use IVT ride through a mobile application and retain phone dispatching for seniors; it would also set a unified fare of $2 per trip for the general public and $1 for seniors and people with disabilities. Senior riders would be allowed to prebook up to two weeks in advance, Aguirre said.
Under the proposal, the service area boundaries would remain the same — Calexico, Brawley, El Centro/Heber/Imperial corridor, and West Shores — but each zone would adopt uniform operating hours (Monday–Friday 6 a.m.–6 p.m.; weekends 7 a.m.–2 p.m.). Aguirre said the county would continue ADA accommodations on vehicles and retain cash payment on-board while the app would accept electronic fare payments. He said dispatch center phone numbers and hours would remain available.
Aguirre described an initial 30‑minute pickup window on app bookings and said the rollout aims to start Sept. 2, 2025. He said outreach to cities, senior centers, nutrition sites and other stakeholders is underway and that marketing materials, QR codes on vehicles and app store listings will be ready ahead of launch.
Council members asked about priority for seniors and people with disabilities if demand rises; Aguirre said seniors retain priority because only they may prebook trips in advance and be placed on the manifest ahead of app-based, same‑day bookings. He also said the app will be available in English and Spanish and that the county intends to continue outreach to current senior riders to ensure familiarity with the new booking tools.
Aguirre also noted the plan includes later additions — smaller ADA‑equipped vehicles and a future electric-vehicle phase — and that Calexico already operates a similar microtransit service using the same app.