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Escalon reviews transit services, approves grant paperwork to keep fares free
Summary
City transit manager reviewed Etrans services and pilot programs, reported modest ridership gains and requested—and the council approved—paperwork to access Low Carbon Transit Operations and Transportation Development Act funds that keep fares free and fund service operations.
Escalon City transit manager Ron Ando gave an annual update on Etrans on May 20, outlining the city’s Dial‑A‑Ride, Route 35 trips to Modesto, and recent pilots including an Uber partnership and a Miocar car‑share pilot.
Ando said Etrans has been the city’s public transit system “since 1977” and described three recent additions: Etrans on the go (an Uber voucher partnership that subsidizes up to $10 per trip after a $2 rider contribution), a Miocar rural car‑share pilot with one vehicle at the Escalon Park & Ride, and the three‑trip daily Route 35 connection to Modesto. He reported last fiscal year the system provided 1,279 passenger trips; Dial‑A‑Ride accounted for about 275 trips and Route 35 about 934. He said Miocar had three rentals and Etrans on the go used roughly 70 vouchers in the reporting period.
The update placed the services in the context of funding sources: transportation development act (TDA) local transportation funds, Federal Transit Administration grants, Measure K, State of Good Repair and Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) grants, and other state programs such as SB 125. Ando noted the Miocar pilot runs through June 2026 and staff is considering a contract amendment to add a second vehicle and additional performance metrics.
Members of the council praised the outreach and pilots and asked logistical questions about stops and voucher access. Ando said the Etrans on the go vouchers are available via the city’s transit web page (escalontrans.org) and attach to an Uber profile; the $10 city credit applies when trips originate or end in Escalon.
The council approved two staff requests tied to transit funding. First, it adopted a resolution authorizing execution of certifications and assurances to accept LCTOP funding (used to subsidize fares that make Etrans free) in the amount noted in staff materials. Council members voiced no objections and the motion carried. Second, the council authorized staff to file a Transportation Development Act claim with the San Joaquin Council of Governments for fiscal year 2025–26; staff reported the city’s FY 2025–26 TDA allocation is $502,000, of which policy requires 25 percent be reserved for transit (budgeted here as $122,774), with the remainder proposed for streets and roads ($348,323) and bicycle/pedestrian projects ($11,439). The city also reported $3,624 in State Transit Assistance funds for transit operations.
The transit manager listed short‑range planning and continued partnerships with senior groups and local organizations as next steps; staff said they will bring a short‑range transit plan to council this summer with options to expand service and potential funding strategies.
City staff will return with contract amendments or program details if they propose adding vehicle capacity or changing subsidy levels.
