Antelope Valley Transit Authority
Encyclopedia
Antelope Valley Transit Authority is the transit agency serving the cities of Palmdale
, Lancaster
and Northern Los Angeles County. Antelope Valley Transit Authority is operated under contract by Veolia Transportation, and is affiliated and offers connecting services with Metro
and Metrolink
.
and San Fernando Valley
.
To keep up with the increased need for transit services, AVTA opened its new, larger facility in 2004.
AVTA pays for a much higher share of its costs through fares compared to other transit systems in Los Angeles County.
AVTA offers some of its customers an innovative program designed to assist those in need, as well as a program to show appreciation to our armed forces,
AVTA permits seniors and passengers who have a disability, with proper ID, to utilize its local bus system for free, during regular business hours. Pam Holland, spokesperson for AVTA, says, "This program offers those in need, a hand up, in their everyday life, some of which can't even afford a car, let alone bus fare, now have the freedom, to use our system throughout the Antelope Valley, going grocery shopping, paying their bills, or going to their doctor's appointment for free on our local fixed routes, we are happy to offer this service, as well as, letting our military ride the local transit system for free as well, in appreciation of their sacrifice to our country."
recognized AVTA as an “Efficient Transit System”. The California Transit Association gave a “Transit Innovation Award” to AVTA in 1998 and a “Transit Image Award” in 1999.
Palmdale, California
Palmdale is a city located in the center of northern Los Angeles County, California, United States.Palmdale was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city on August 24, 1962; 47 years later, voters approved creating a charter city in November, 2009. Palmdale is...
, Lancaster
Lancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...
and Northern Los Angeles County. Antelope Valley Transit Authority is operated under contract by Veolia Transportation, and is affiliated and offers connecting services with Metro
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
and Metrolink
Metrolink (Southern California)
Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
.
History
The Cities of Palmdale and Lancaster and the County of Los Angeles joined together in 1992 to create the Antelope Valley Transit Authority to meet the growing need for public transportation in the Antelope Valley. AVTA began local transit service on July 1, 1992 with three types of services: Transit, Commuter and Dial-A-Ride. A fourth service, Access Services, was created in 1996 to provide the disabled with a local complementary paratransit service in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 1998 the Tuesday Medical Shuttle was created, which offered rides to nine major medical facilities in the Los Angeles basinLos Angeles Basin
The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the Peninsular and Transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles as well as its southern and southeastern suburbs...
and San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
.
To keep up with the increased need for transit services, AVTA opened its new, larger facility in 2004.
About AVTA
AVTA has tripled the number of passenger trips in just over a decade of operation. To keep up with the increased need for transit services, AVTA recently opened a new, larger maintenance facility in Lancaster.AVTA pays for a much higher share of its costs through fares compared to other transit systems in Los Angeles County.
AVTA offers some of its customers an innovative program designed to assist those in need, as well as a program to show appreciation to our armed forces,
AVTA permits seniors and passengers who have a disability, with proper ID, to utilize its local bus system for free, during regular business hours. Pam Holland, spokesperson for AVTA, says, "This program offers those in need, a hand up, in their everyday life, some of which can't even afford a car, let alone bus fare, now have the freedom, to use our system throughout the Antelope Valley, going grocery shopping, paying their bills, or going to their doctor's appointment for free on our local fixed routes, we are happy to offer this service, as well as, letting our military ride the local transit system for free as well, in appreciation of their sacrifice to our country."
Awards
The Los Angeles County Board of SupervisorsLos Angeles County Board of Supervisors
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is the five-member nonpartisan governing board of Los Angeles County, California. Members of the board of supervisors are elected by district. They were as of December 2, 2008:*District 1: Gloria Molina...
recognized AVTA as an “Efficient Transit System”. The California Transit Association gave a “Transit Innovation Award” to AVTA in 1998 and a “Transit Image Award” in 1999.