SOCIAL SERVICES TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COUNCIL

            MINUTES       February 05, 2025

Present              Voting Attendees:  

Cristina Leal                             ARC- Imperial Valley

Gustavo Gomez                        CTSA–ICTC

Andrew Sanchez                          Imperial Valley College

                        Raul Cordova                           IC Work Training Center

                        Mike Hack                               IC Consumer Senior Citizen

                        Camilo Garcia                          Workforce & Economic Development

Non-Voting Attendees:

Cesar Sanchez                          IVT

Helio Sanchez                          IVT

Jose Guillen                             IVT Medtrans

                         Karla Pacheco                          IVT Access

                          Kathleen Lang                          Healtnet(zoom)

                        Carolina Garcia                        Public Authority Program

                        Jeanett Castillo                         Social Services

                        Esperanza Avila                       ICTC

                        Michelle Soto                           California and Children Services(zoom)

1.       Dr. Lang called the meeting to order at 10:02 a.m. A quorum was present.

2.        Introductions were made.

-          Hybrid meeting.

3.       Minutes were adopted for January 2, 2024 (Garcia, Hack), Motion Carried.

4.       CTSA Reports

Mr. Gomez had the following information

·         We have a county-wide bus stop improvement project that is currently receiving 90% of its design work from our consultant team. We expect the construction team to begin work in the middle of the year. Currently, we are renovating several bus stops in Westmorland, Calipatria, and El Centro, which currently lack seating and shade. We will be replacing them and adding additional bus stops.

·         Calexico ITC was awarded the construction contract last month, and we expect construction to begin soon. This project is for the Calexico Intermodal Transportation Center, aimed at enhancing transportation access in Calexico. We anticipate that construction will last for approximately one year, and we hope it will be operational by the early stages of next year.

·         We currently have contactless payment projects in progress. We are essentially waiting for the approval of some funds associated with the project. We will be implementing contactless payment pads within our fixed-route system. All passengers will be able to use their credit or debit cards and contactless methods like Apple Pay to pay for their transportation fees.

·         We are excited to introduce the IVT Ride micro transit service. We expect to receive software updates this upcoming month. We have purchased tablets related to this service, which will enhance the IVT Ride experience, primarily designed for seniors. Seniors will use the IVT Ride service on a reservation-only basis, while other passengers will have access to the service on an on-demand basis. We hope to launch this project on July 1. The same buses used for IVT Ride will continue to operate.

·         We are excited to announce a new route starting next week on February 10th: the Border Express Route at the new East Port of Entry. This route will connect to 3rd and Paulin in downtown Calexico and will transport passengers to all the main buses heading to IVC, Brawley, and El Centro. We will also be distributing flyers at the East Port of Entry and promoting the route on our social media channels.

·         Our new Unmet Transit Needs (UTN) survey is now available. We have emailed the survey to our SSTAC members and also posted it on our social media platforms. This survey is associated with our efforts to understand and address the public's transit needs, helping us improve our services and potentially develop new routes.

·         Our next SSTAC meeting will feature a consultant who will present a comprehensive analysis of our transit services. This analysis will examine our fixed routes, and all services associated with IVT Transit. It will provide guidance for our transit plans over the next five years.

5.       UTN Letter to the Hearing Panel Reviews               

Presented by Mr. Gomez

·         The master need list has not changed since last year, with the only item amended being ITEM#9: the new Border Express Route and IVC to Calexico in the evening.

·         We welcome suggestions from our SSTAC members. Item #11 will be removed from the list. If there are any changes to the Master List, SSTAC members should have them prepared The Master List has been approved, and the motion to remove Item #11 has been made by Mr. Hack and Mr. Garcia.

·         Once everything is approved, the SSTAC chair, Ms. Lang, can present general comments at the public hearing.

6.       Transit Operator FY 2024-25 Reports:

           Imperial Valley Transit.

           Mr. Sanchez presented the report on the service:

-          We are currently experiencing extensive construction in Brawley, particularly on Main Street. As a result, we've had to implement several detours, but we strive to maintain as many bus stops as possible.   IVC has no school riders. The rider count is low, but it will go back up next week.

IVT Access

Ms. Pacheco presented the report on the service:

·         No changes,  everything is running smoothly

IVT Ride

Mr. Guillen presented the report on all IVT Ride services:

·         Running well

·          Mr. Guillen and Ms. Baca spoke to the Heber nutrition coordinator regarding their riders; they were to coordinate the date and time of pickups.

            IVT MedTrans:

             Mr. Guillen presented the report on the service:

·         We had 16 passengers on round trips from El Centro to San Diego, including two SDSU students.

7.       General Discussion

- Dr. Sanchez will help post the UTN survey and the new Border Express Route Flyer to IVC students

8.       Adjournment

-          The meeting adjourned at 10: 50 a.m.

-          The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at the Imperial County Transportation Commission Office, 1503 N. Imperial Ave., Suite 104, El Centro, CA 92243.