New electric car ride-share program aims to connect rural communities in Fresno County

A new environmentally friendly ride-sharing program is looking to put a fresh spin on an old idea for thousands of people in Fresno County.

Earlier this month, the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency launched a new electric vehicle ride-sharing program that aims to beef up transportation options in and around Fresno’s rural, unincorporated communities.

Electric vehicle ride-sharing services aren’t a new idea in the central San Joaquin Valley. But Moses Stites, general manager of the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency, said the initiative builds on previous attempts to improve transportation in the county’s rural areas by hiring drivers and subsidizing riders’ fares.

In doing so, he said, the new initiative should provide better and more consistent service in rural, unincorporated communities where many residents can’t drive due to their age, medical conditions or disabilities.

“We know a large percentage of them are transit-dependent,” Stites said of the county’s rural residents.

A new ride-sharing program in Fresno County

The county transit agency’s new program — unofficially called the Rural Electric Vehicle Utilization Program (REV-UP) — was soft-launched this month in Biola, an unincorporated community of about 1,400 people located west of Fresno. As the agency hires more drivers, the program is expected to reach other small cities and unincorporated communities across the county, Stites said.

So far, the program has acquired 18 Chevy Bolts using funding available through Measure C, a sales tax dedicated to funding new roads, freeways, sidewalks, trails and public transportation in Fresno County.

“Our goal is to have 50 to 80 cars at some point in time, depending on how the program goes,” Stites said.

Through the program, the county is hiring residents as part-time and full-time drivers through MV Transportation, a subcontractor that currently works with the transit agency. As MV Transportation employees, drivers will receive training and benefits, Stites said.

The challenge at this point, Stites said, is recruiting community members who want to be drivers. So far, two people have been hired and program administrators are recruiting from the immediate area with the help of the Biola Community Services District, he said.

The program also charges lower fees than private ride-sharing companies, making rides more accessible for rural residents, Stites said.

“A lot of the individuals out there don’t have the means to pay the rates that Uber or Lyft would charge,” he said.

Fares are subsidized through a $12,000 donation from the League of Women Voters of Fresno, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to encouraging informed and active participation in government. Those funds will help cover 50% of each rider’s fare.

Francine Farber, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Fresno, said the organization plans to keep subsidizing fares with future donations and contributions.

“We’ll continue to fund this as long as it’s feasible,” she said.

Electric car programs aim to improve transit in Fresno County

The REV-UP program follows other efforts to provide electric vehicle ride-sharing in Fresno County’s rural communities.

One, called Van y Vienen, began in 2017 and served Cantua Creek and El Porvenir. It ended in 2020.

Another electric vehicle ride-sharing pilot program — called the Zev Mobility Project — launched in the county in November 2019. The pilot was supposed to run through July 2021 but it ended early, in March 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project — a grant-funded collaboration between the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, the California Air Resources Board and Green Commuter, a company that provides all-electric vanpooling, car sharing and fleet replacement services — focused on increasing electric vehicle use in the Valley.

It also aimed to provide car-sharing services and job opportunities in disadvantaged communities in Fresno, Merced, and Kern counties.

“For sanitation and safety reasons, we didn’t feel confident that we could ensure that folks were having a COVID-free ride,” said Jaime Holt, chief communications officer for the Valley Air District.

Another program, Green Raiteros in Huron, is ongoing.

REV-UP riders must make a reservation 24 hours in advance by calling 1-855-612-5184. The service is currently available in Biola six days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., subject to driver availability. Sundays could be added to the schedule depending on the public’s response, Stites said.

REV-UP travels to any location and fares are $10 per round trip for the general public and $5 for seniors, disabled individuals, veterans and children. The program charges an additional $1.50 for extra stops and Americans with Disabilities Act caregivers ride for free.