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SunLine Transit Agency

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SunLine Transit Agency, a transit operator in Riverside County, California (with over 3.5 million passengers a year), is a transit agency providing bus service in the Coachella Valley area and Riverside–Downtown Area during Peak Hours Only.[1][3]

Three SunLine New Flyer C40LF buses (CNG-powered, branded "SunBus") in Palm Springs
ParentRiverside County Transportation Commission
FoundedJuly 1, 1977 (1977-07-01)
Headquarters32-505 Harry Oliver Trail, Thousand Palms
Service typebus service, paratransit
Routes9 [1]
Fleet68 buses, 27 paratransit [2]
Daily ridership8219 [3]
WebsiteSunLine Transit

History and description

SunLine Transit Agency (STA) was established under a Joint Powers Agreement, initially between Riverside County and Coachella Valley cities (Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, Palm Desert, and Palm Springs) on July 1, 1977. Cathedral City, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and Rancho Mirage were added later. Each of the nine member cities selects one member of the SunLine Board of Directors, with the tenth provided by Riverside County.[4]: 1 

The service area covers 1,120 sq mi (2,900 km2), bounded approximately by the San Gorgonio Pass on the west and the Salton Sea on the southeast.[4]: 13  In addition to its transit operations, SunLine regulates local taxi services (as the SunLine Regulatory Administration, a division of the SunLine Services Group)[5]: 25  and sells CNG and hydrogen to the public from dispensers at its Thousand Palms and Indio operations facilities, under the brand SunFuels.[6][7]: 3 

Routes

STA classified its routes as either trunk or local. The three trunk routes (14, 30, 111) connected major communities, while local routes (15, 20, 21, 24, 32, 54, 70, 80, 81, 90, 91, and 95) circulated within local communities and served to feed trunk routes.[4]: 16–18  In addition, STA operates paratransit services, branded SunDial.[4]: 19 

Current SunLine Transit Routes[1]
Route Terminus 1 Terminus 2 Operations Notes
Dir. Destination Dir. Destination Frequency Hours
1 E Coachella W Palm Springs 20 min 0500–2140 Formerly Route 111
2 N Desert Hot Springs S Cathedral City 20 min 0500–2155 Formerly Routes 14 & 30
3 E Desert Edge W Desert Hot Springs 60 min 0500–2000 Formerly Route 15
4 E Westfield Palm Desert W Palm Springs 40 min 0500–2140 Formerly Routes 24 & 32
5 N Desert Hot Springs S Westfield Palm Desert 60 min 0610–0810; 1600–1800 Formerly Routes 20 & 21; weekdays only
6 E Coachella W Westfield Palm Desert 45 min 0550–1920 Formerly Routes 54, 80, 81 & 90
7 N Bermuda Dunes / Indian Wells S La Quinta 45 min 0515–2015 Formerly Route 70
8 N North Indio S Thermal / Mecca 40 min 0530–2130 Formerly Routes 80, 81, 90 & 91
9 E Oasis W North Shore 60 min 0545–2045 Formerly Routes 90 & 95; loop route
10 E Indio W San Bernardino 120–300 min 0520/0845, 0750/1145, 1250/1545, 1450/1745 aka Commuter Link; weekdays only. One-way trip takes approximately 135 minutes.
Pending SunLine Transit Routes
Route Terminus 1 Terminus 2 Operations Notes
Dir. Destination Dir. Destination Frequency Hours
1X E Indio W Palm Springs ? ? Via SR 111; express service with limited stops, scheduled to commence on September 7, 2021.[8][9]
Former SunLine Transit Routes[10]
Route Terminus 1 Terminus 2 Operations Notes
Dir. Destination Dir. Destination Frequency Hours
14 N Desert Hot Springs S Palm Springs 20–30 min 0605–2215
0505–2115 		[11]
15 E Desert Edge W Desert Hot Springs 60 min 0506–2006
0524–2024 		[12]
20 N Desert Hot Springs S Palm Desert 60 min 0700–1000;1700;1800
0700–1000;1600–1900 		Express route.[13]
21 N Palm Desert
Gerald Ford & Cook 		S Indian Wells
Town Center & Hahn 		60 min 1100–1500
1130–1530 		Weekdays only.[14]
24 E Cathedral City
Ramon & San Luis Rey 		W Palm Springs
Palm Cyn & Stevens 		40 min 0610–1930
0620–1945 		[15]
30 E Cathedral City W Palm Springs 20–30 min 0600–2200
0540–2140 		[16]
32 E Palm Desert W Palm Springs 50 min 0505–2145
0530–2120 		[17]
40 N Palm Springs
Indian Cyn & Vista Chino 		S Palm Springs
Palm Cyn & Sunrise 		20 min 1207–2147
1200–2140 		aka PS BUZZ, free circulator route within Palm Springs.[18]
54 E Palm Desert W Indio 45 min 0555–1800
0635–1920 		[19]
70 N Bermuda Dunes S La Quinta 45 min 0515–1930
0540–2006 		[20]
80 S Indio — 30 min 0600–2000 Southbound Loop.[21]
81 N Indio — 60 min 0525–1930 Northbound Loop. Extra service at 0640, 0645, 0650.[22]
90 N Indio S Coachella 60 min 0500–2100
0532–2132 		[23]
91 E Mecca / Oasis W Coachella 60 min 0500–2100
0505–2105 		[24]
95 E North Shore W Coachella 180–195 min 0415–1945
0520–2055 		[25]
111 E Coachella W Palm Springs 20–30 min 0500–2100
0500–2130 		[26]
220 E Riverside W Palm Desert 135–440 min 0545, 0800, 1520
0815, 1755, 1915 		Commuter Link[27]

Destinations

Destinations served include:[28]

Fares

Up to three kids under 5 ride for free with fare-paying rider.

SunLine Transit Fixed Route Fares[29]
Type Youth[a] Adult[b] Discount[c]
Cash / Base $0.85 $1 $0.50
Transfer[d] $0.25
24-Hour Pass $2 $3 $1.50
10-Ride Pass $8.50 $10 $5
31-Day Pass $24 $34 $17
Coachella Valley Employer Pass — $24 —
Commuter Link (Rte 10)[e] $6 $4
Notes
  1. ^ 5–17 years old
  2. ^ 18–59 years old
  3. ^ Senior citizens ages 60+, disabled, and Medicaid
  4. ^ Included with Day Pass and 31-Day Pass; required for cash and 10-ride pass. Valid for two hours.
  5. ^ Transfer fee applies for transfer to/from SunBus.

Facilities and fleet

Early fuel cell buses
 
XCELLSiS ZEbus refueling at Thousand Palms facility
 
Thor/ISE ThunderPower in service with AC Transit after initial operations with SunLine

The initial fleet included 22 buses in 1977. SunDial paratransit operations started in 1991.[30]: 11  The SunLine Board of Directors adopted a resolution in 1992 to convert their fleet to alternative fuel, and became the first transit agency in the United States to do so in 1994, using compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.[30]: 11 

Starting in 2000, SunLine began limited operations with hydrogen fuel cell buses, installing a hydrogen fuel station using a Stuart Energy electrolyzer to supply the XCELLSiS ZEbus for a 13-month trial.[31] The first revenue operations were conducted with the Thor/ISE ThunderPower fuel cell bus, using an ElDorado National EZ-Rider II chassis, between November 2002 to February 2003.[32] By that time, SunLine also had installed a HyRadix methane reformer to generate hydrogen.[33]: 6  SunLine tested a hydrogen hybrid internal combustion engine (HHICE) bus in early 2005; the bus was subsequently sent to Winnipeg Transit for cold weather testing.[34]

STA plans to convert their fleet to zero-emission buses (ZEB) by 2035, with only ZEBs purchased starting in 2021.[35]: 1, 3  Due to the relatively long fixed routes, the final mix of ZEBs is expected to be mostly hydrogen fuel-cell buses.[35]: 9 

SunLine Transit Fleet
Current
No.
(qty) 		Manufacturer Model Image Year Fuel Length Notes
560–574
(13) 		Orion V 2006 CNG 40
575–594
(16) 		New Flyer C40LF 2008 CNG 40
601–621
(21)
710–719
(10) 		ElDorado E-Z Rider II 2009 CNG 32
FC2
(0) 		New Flyer H40LFR 2010 Hydrogen 40
FC3
(1) 		ElDorado Axess 2012 Hydrogen 40
(3) BYD K9 2014 Electric 40
FC4–FC5
(2) 		ElDorado Axess 2014 Hydrogen 40
FC6
(1) 		2015
622–627
(6) 		New Flyer XN40 2016 CNG 40
FC7–FC10
(4) 		ElDorado Axess 2018 Hydrogen 40
 
Retired

SunLine has two operations and maintenance facilities: one (including the administrative offices) in Thousand Palms, and another in Indio. As of 2021, on-site refueling and charging capabilities include an electrolyzer that can produce 900 kg/d (2,000 lb/d) of hydrogen at Thousand Palms, which came online in 2019, and six 80 kW AC/DC battery-electric bus chargers, three each at both Thousand Palms and Indio.[35]: 1, 3, 17  Hydrogen dispensers (using delivered liquid H
2) and additional chargers are planned for both facilities.[35]: 7–8 

Hydrogen production started in November 2000. Two electrolyzers and a natural gas reformer were part of the initial installation. One electrolyzer, supplied by Teledyne Brown, generated 40 cu ft (1.1 m3) per hour using 7.5 kW of electricity, supplied by solar panels; the other electrolyzer, supplied by Stuart Energy, produced 1,400 cu ft (40 m3) per hour. The reformer produced 4,200 cu ft (120 m3) per hour.[36] The HyRadix Adéo reformer was installed at the end of 2003.[37]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Routes and Schedules". SunLine Transit Agency.
  2. ^ fleet information
  3. ^ a b "Annual Report 2007" (PDF). Sunline.
  4. ^ a b c d SunLine Transit Agency Short Term Transit Plan, FY 2018/2019 | FY 2020/2021 (PDF) (Report). SunLine Transit Agency. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  5. ^ SunLine Transit Agency Short Term Transit Plan, FY 2016/17 – FY 2018/19 (PDF) (Report). SunLine Transit Agency. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  6. ^ "SunFuel Alternative Fuel Stations". SunLine Transit Agency. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  7. ^ Affordable, Sustainable Transportation in the Coachella Valley: Solutions for the Local Workforce (PDF) (Report). California State University San Bernardino. January 29, 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Your Guide to SunLine Refueled". SunLine Transit Agency. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Proposed Route 1X" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Consolidated Fixed Route Network". SunLine Transit Agency.
  11. ^ "Route 14" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Route 15" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Route 20" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  14. ^ "Route 21" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  15. ^ "Route 24" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  16. ^ "Route 30" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Route 32" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  18. ^ "Route 40 BUZZ" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Route 54" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  20. ^ "Route 70" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  21. ^ "Route 80" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  22. ^ "Route 81" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  23. ^ "Route 90" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  24. ^ "Route 91" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  25. ^ "Route 95" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  26. ^ "Route 111" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  27. ^ "Route 220" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021.
  28. ^ "Destinations". SunLine Transit Agency.
  29. ^ "Fares". SunLine Transit Agency. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  30. ^ a b SunLine Transit Agency Short Term Transit Plan, FY 2017/18 – FY 2019/20 (PDF) (Report). SunLine Transit Agency. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  31. ^ Cooperative Agreement Project Number CA-26-7022 (PDF) (Report). Federal Transit Administration. September 2, 2001. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  32. ^ "SunLine Test Drives Hydrogen Bus" (PDF). United States Department of Energy. August 2003. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  33. ^ Chandler, Kevin; Eudy, Leslie (November 2003). ThunderPower Bus Evaluation at SunLine Transit Agency (PDF) (Report). U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  34. ^ "SunLine Tests HHICE Bus in Desert Climate" (PDF). US Department of Energy. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  35. ^ a b c d Zero-Emission Bus Rollout Plan (PDF) (Report). SunLine Transit Agency. June 24, 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  36. ^ Clapper Jr., William L. "SunLine Transit Agency: Hydrogen Commercialization for the 21st Century" (PDF). SunLine Transit Agency. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  37. ^ Harness, John (2006). "Auto-Thermal Reforming Based Refueling Station at SunLine Services" (PDF). US Department of Energy. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
 
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