Five-story housing complex, ride-share subsidies among changes proposed at GET

A five-story affordable housing complex at the Downtown Transit Center is among a series of major changes proposed by the new chief of Bakersfield's public bus system, along with 24-hour public subsidies for ride-hailing services and an overhaul of the city's fixed-route bus service.

Other proposals set to undergo public review ahead of possible action by the board of Golden Empire Transit District include possible phase-out of the system's on-demand ride service and a significant ramp-up in the use of hydrogen-powered buses.

The ideas originated with GET CEO Michael Tree, a Porterville native who succeeded former chief Karen King in February. Last week he walked the district's board members through a five-year vision plan he said could more than double ridership to 8 million rides per year, in part by lowering headways along major traffic corridors to as frequent as one bus passing every 15 minutes.

Tree's plans have been met with a mix of enthusiasm and hesitance as leaders within and outside GET express admiration for his vision but, on the part of district Chairwoman Cindy Parra, concerns that some of his proposals might be a little over-ambitious. She said something needs to be done to "clean up" the transit center along Chester Avenue but that the GET's governing board must ensure "we're not just spending taxpayer dollars willy-nilly."

Executive Director Stephen Pelz of the Housing Authority of Kern County, one of the district's proposed partners on the housing project, called the 75-unit housing proposal, with ground-floor bus service and retail tenants, a "great idea to connect transit with affordable housing." He said it's too early to estimate the potential cost or income qualifications.

Vice Mayor Andrae Gonzales said he loves the housing project, which would expand downtown's mix of market-rate and affordable rental units.

"It's right in alignment with our goals for the future of downtown Bakersfield," Gonzales said Wednesday. "Primarily, our goal is to have 10,000 people living in downtown Bakersfield by 2030." He added that new housing at the transit center could fit well with the Dolores Huerta Peace and Justice Cultural Center planned just to the west.

In an interview with The Californian Wednesday morning, Tree laid out a list of changes he said would transform GET, a couple of which are already underway. Five new hydrogen buses have been ordered as part of efforts to meet California's zero-emissions goals, he said, and the district recently raised the wages offered to new bus drivers as a way of speeding up hiring following a slowdown during the pandemic and mandated raises for fast-food workers statewide.

GET subsidies for Bakersfield customers of ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft would replace the district's 5-year-old on-demand program allowing passengers to summon a van that, for $5, would taken them anywhere in the city. Tree said the program now costs GET a net $52 per ride.

His idea is to arrange for passengers to instead pay an initial $3 for a ride-share, after which the district would pitch in $7, and that customers would have to cover any remainder, which he figures would average about $4.

Parra said she's not convinced. Not only do drivers wearing a GET uniform appear more trustworthy, but other bus systems around the country have embraced on-demand programs like the district already offers.

"I'm actually looking at the numbers," she said. "I'm going to ask (Tree) if (staff) can give me a little bit more detail on how they're compared." She added that the on-demand program's primary challenge has been insufficient capacity to meet customer demand, and that contracting ride-sharing services should be done on a demonstration basis while leaving GET's existing program in place.

Tree pitched the transition alongside route changes that would shorten headways on some routes while eliminating others altogether. People with disabilities would continue to have access to GET's paratransit system, he said; other customers could transition to the ride-share program.

Increasing frequency along popular routes, and making them more direct, would make more efficient use of the district's assets and personnel, he said, and help GET attract many more passengers. Buses would continue to serve common destinations such as Bakersfield College, Cal State Bakersfield, downtown and major shopping destinations, he said.

His hope was that the route overhaul would be complete by the end of 2024, with public comments coming in prior to board consideration in July. Reaching that goal would entail hiring of dozens of drivers, which he said GET's new starting wage of $20.50, in addition to generous work benefits, should help with.

Tree's proposed expansion of GET's hydrogen-powered bus fleet has followed less than a year after fire destroyed one of its $1 million-plus buses, as well as a more than $3 million fuel dispensing station at the district's headquarters along Golden State Avenue near F Street.

GET continues to maintain its nine other hydrogen-fueled buses, he said, as it awaits delivery of five more of the vehicles. He predicted the district would resume running the vehicles in October, and that within five years its zero-emission fleet will number more than 50.

Tree declined to state the suspected cause of the July 2023 accident. He said GET's insurance provider has covered the cost of the losses.