Public Transit Policy, Analysis, Advocacy and Education
Newsletter of the Southern California Transit Advocates
Vol 8, No. 3, March 2000

Disclaimer: The Southern California Transit Advocates is not affiliated with any governmental agency or transportation provider. Names and logos of agencies appear for information and reference purposes only. 

At 9:25 we arrived at the Bakersfield Amtrak station and met up with Michael. Some in the party began exploring the station (really just a trailer with a small ticket counter, a few chairs, and some information racks). Others availed themselves of the food truck in the parking lot. Due to too much time getting organized, we missed the GET bus that runs on a nearby street (line 8) that would have taken us to the Downtown Transit Center. Russ's uncle and aunt (with whom he was going to spend the night after the trip) met Russ at the station to make sure he had arrived safely. They generously ferried us in their car (three trips!). A little while later, we were gathered at GET's Downtown Transit Center.

The center resembles the LAX Transportation Center, although it's twice as large. It has a horseshoe-like shape with a narrow one-way bus-only roadway on one side. The two islands in between have bus pull-in bays. There are covered (but not enclosed) waiting areas on the islands. The seats are the narrow fold-down variety that discourage people from lying down on them. An information window sells tickets and hands out schedules. There are bathrooms and snack machines. Utilitarian but a graceful design.

To get the members to gather around and decide which of the two plans to use, Dana blew a whistle he carries for safety. It did the job. Initially the vote was tied between the two plans. But when Dana conceded the plan he and Woody had prepared had many tight connections, the deciding vote went for Ed's itinerary. Now the time had arrived to start bus riding!

At 10:21 we boarded line 14, a 1986 Gillig Phantom #8612 (all equipment identification information courtesy of Russ Jones). There were two passengers (ride counts for this report exclude So.Ca.TA members). Among the sights we passed were a street called Buck Owens Blvd. and a multitude of oil derricks. Dana examined the back of his transfer closely and noted that (like Santa Monica) GET's rules are picky about where transfers are accepted ("honored only at established transfer points"). But one also has to wonder if the drivers strictly enforce all those rules. Across a dusty field from a small shopping center, we stopped for several minutes (along with the #14 bus in the other direction) to make a timed transfer with line 18. This bus stop had a cylinder similar to what Culver City recently installed at its stops. It included a list of times buses stop there and a GET system map. We pulled out with no passengers and traveled through mostly rural areas with some sprawl development to California State University-Bakersfield. Michael noted that we had to take our experiences on these Thanksgiving Friday excursions as not being indicative of what these lines are like during regular service days. Indeed, this line might have high usage when school is in session. The end of the line is on the inside edge of a parking lot which we reached at 10:55. There was a covered, somewhat-open waiting area (which resembled the one at UCSB in Santa Barbara we encountered during our '98 DAT trip), plus a couple of vending machines nearby. One of them dispensed chilled candy bars, something we had never seen before. It was pointed out during hot Central Valley summers this may be needed to ensure the candy doesn't melt in the machine.

At 11:01am we boarded line 11, which had two passengers. It was Gillig #8603 (we noticed GET bus equipment numbers are formatted to where the year of acquisition is the first two digits and sequence of receipt is indicated by the last two). One of the passengers deboarded on the other side of the small campus loop and took a bike off the rack. We wound around to the next arterial street south of the campus, with varied suburban surroundings. It was noted the bus stop signs have space for route numbers on them but most do not. And most of the interior ads in the bus were public relations notices for GET. On Ming near New Stine 10 passengers boarded. They stayed until we reached the SouthWest Transit Center.

At first sight, this transit center resembles the one we used last year in Downtown Santa Barbara. A small square building is inside the multi-sided bus loop. Later we would have a better chance to see this facility up close. For now we continued on the #11 across town (the winding route is among the longest in the GET system) to Bakersfield College. While a few bus lines serve this location, it doesn't really count as a transit center. The only amenities are a bus shelter with system map and an emergency phone nearby.

At 12:30pm we boarded line 17, an Orion #9008. This is the freeway express route added about a year ago. Oddly, its number wasn't displayed on the headsign, which simply said "CX Express". There were two passengers (including one in a wheelchair). We noticed that, like the other buses we had ridden, this one had an on-board camera. We went non-stop to the Downtown Transit Center, arriving at 12:45. Nine passengers boarded and we continued to the Southwest Transit Center non-stop. The stop for line 17 there is on Wible Road adjacent to the transit center instead of in it.

Some of us took the opportunity to thoroughly explore this facility. It quickly became clear this is a major point for changing from one line to another, often with 10-12 people waiting for particular routes after arriving on a different route. Its amenities include soda and candy dispensers, a change machine, video games, a drinking fountain, pay telephones, and restrooms; there's also a phone to get transit information for free. We now availed ourselves of Valley Plaza (across a parking lot from SWTC) to have lunch. All the usual suspects were in the food court (Sbarro, Taco Bell, etc.). As it was the traditional start of the Christmas Shopping Season, conditions were crowded. After this break we were eager to get back to the transit center for the next bus.

At 1:57 we boarded line 10, bus #8626, yet another Gillig. Ten passengers were on board for its departure, including one in a wheelchair. We noticed among the ads on the bus was one for the twice-monthly meetings of the GET Board of Directors. And were amazed to note it guaranteed a ride home for attendees if meetings ran late and they had no other means to get home (GET service ends in the early evening). At Pacheco and Hughes we had 6 passengers on board. The area we traveled through was outlying suburban - new developments, empty fields, warehouses, strip malls. This bus had a lot of riders boarding and alighting and it stayed full throughout its run.

On our return to the Southwest Transit Center Dana noticed the overhead cross beams in the structure had plastic spikes atop them to keep pigeons away, just like the Hollywood/Vine Red Line station in Hollywood. He also noticed the birds had learned how to navigate around the spikes. In addition, it became apparent the transit center is a defacto teen hangout. But a security guard patrols the site and the kids usually behave, Dana was assured by one of the adult GET patrons he spoke to about it. A younger patron (about 18-20 years old) stated that GET service doesn't run late enough. While waiting for our next bus we saw a deboarding wheelchair passenger, the third we had seen that day.

At 2:50 we boarded line 15, an Orion #9110, with our first male bus operator. This bus had a slightly different interior arrangement from the norm, with perimeter-style seating on the driver side (much like New York subway cars).And it had real seat cushions! We had 18 passengers and traveled through yet more suburban/strip mall/commercial areas. In a business park we passed a few more oil derricks. A little bit of adventure occurred when the window next to Joe Dunn suddenly popped open (it is only to be used for emergencies). We closed it and soon at a stop the driver came back to double-check that it was well closed. The bus had mostly emptied out before we again reached the Southwest Transit Center at 3:30.

This trip we were leaving the SWTC for good, which had become our home base for much of the excursion, so we figuratively waved goodbye when leaving on line 8 at 3:45. This was an Orion #9006 with three passengers. We wound our way through town and even boarded another wheelchair patron. There was some trouble using the securing latch, so a seatbelt was used to secure the wheelchair. Dana observed the seatbelt is situated such that it tends to block the latch. A few more people boarded along the first part of the route, and many additional passengers boarded at the Downtown Transit Center at 4:15, giving us a fully-seated load. The route goes through a commercial/industrial area east of downtown and impressed us with its strong ridership. We had 12 passengers on a section of Niles St., and then the ridership began to dwindle as people deboarded in residential areas. The line ends in the outskirts of Bakersfield, alongside fields of tumbleweeds near Foothill High School.

We arrived at 4:56. Michael had noticed line 9 has the same layover zone and with luck we could ride it back and see a different corridor (the original plan was to go back on line 8). We were able to transfer to the #9 bus right behind the #8 and catch its 5pm departure. It was relatively late when we did this: sunset was already occurring. Like all other buses, this one had a handset (to call dispatch) on the farebox and a holder for garbage bags. We had 4 passengers. This route, like line 8, explores the outskirts of Bakersfield. One bizarre line 9 deviation is a spur, with u-turn at the end, to serve an adult school. A passenger noted no stop is located on the turnaround street and to reach the school you are dropped off some distance away and have to walk back along Mt. Vernon Ave. (south of Highway 58). Which begs the question: why not have a bus stop on the turnaround street?

Normally, line 9 enters Downtown Bakersfield by crossing the railroad tracks on Q Street. But due to a construction project to make it an underpass, the route is on a long-term detour via N Street. However, a freight train started across that grade crossing just as we approached it, so the driver wound around on some side streets to reach Chester Ave. (the only existing undercrossing in the area). After successfully going under the tracks, we doubled back to catch a passenger on a section of street we had missed due to the freight train. We applauded the operator's actions to make sure no one had been stranded (especially at such a late hour).

We arrived at the Downtown Transit Center at 5:42 to a lineup of most of the bus routes still operating. Our impression was for many of them this was their final run and care was being taken that riders made their connections. For dinner we tried a coffee shop one block from the transit center recommended by Russ's aunt and uncle. Lorene's Ranch House turned out to have fair prices, excellent food, and friendly service. A great meal to cap a great day.

Now Russ needed to catch line 2 to where he was spending the night. Michael kindly accompanied the rest of us as we hurriedly walked the 1/2 mile or so to the Amtrak station to catch our bus. We thanked Michael for coming down before climbing on board. The Thruway bus departed at about 7:25 and by 9:45pm we were back in Los Angeles.

It was worth noting that we made all our planned connections. And that several of the routes had substantial ridership (especially as the day wore on). Overall it was fun and educational. We had a great time, and discussion is already taking place regarding where we should go the day after Thanksgiving this year (Sunline via Metrolink/ SunLink? SCAT/Ojai Trolley via LADOT Commuter Express 422/Conejo Connection?)