FAX: Fresno Area Express

In 1990, the federal government adopted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This legislation required every state and local government to either:

• Demonstrate that their facilities that provide space for programs, services, and activities were fully compliant with existing federal and state access requirements, or
• Develop a plan to address barriers to access by preparing an ADA Self-evaluation and Transition Plan for physical facilities and the policies or practices that require revisions.

In 2019, the Fresno City Council approved the FAX ADA Transition Plan, which identifies remediation of barriers to access for people with disabilities, and an Implementation Schedule. The plan is intended to ensure that FAX remains in compliance with the ADA by scheduling the remediation of barriers to access over time until a point at which remediation is completed. Future updates will provide an updated schedule for remediation.

Public outreach was conducted in 2019. Here is a presentation of the draft plan at virtual meetings. Here is the written transcript of the presentation at the DAC Transportation Subcommittee, and the Audio and Visual Transcript.

If you have any questions about the FAX ADA Transition Plan or the Implementation Schedule, please call 559-621-RIDE (7433) or e-mail FaxOutreach@fresno.gov.

Please provide feedback on the proposed triennial DBE goal before July 21, 2021.

FY21 DBE Overall Goal Public Presentation

None at this time.

Title VI states “No person in the United States of America shall, on the ground of race, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Fresno Area Express is committed to ensuring that no individual or organization is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of its programs, activities or services, or subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin as afforded to them by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. For more information please contact the Complaint Coordinator at 621-RIDE.

• FAX Title VI Program
• FAX Title VI Policy and Procedure
• Política del Título VI de Fresno Área Express
• FAX Title Vl Complaint Form/FAX Titulo VI Formulario de Quejas

New Transit Route in Southwest Fresno and to the North Pointe Business Park Coming Soon 

  Workshop Materials:

• Southwest Community Connector Map – Aerial
• Southwest Community Connector Map – Non-Aerial
• Workshop Presentation – English
• Presentacion para el Taller – Español
• Proposed Option 1 – Route 34 Extension and Frequency Enhancements
• Proposed Option 2 – Freeway Express and new Church Avenue Route
• Proposed Option 3 – Route 32 ends at Downtown Transit Center and new Route 36

The Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is a long-term blueprint of a region’s transportation system.  RTPs are usually conducted every five years and plans for thirty years into the future.

Responsibility for the development of the RTP for Fresno County is assigned to the Fresno Council of Governments (COG), the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for Fresno County.

Fresno COG’s 2022 Regional Transportation Plan charts the 25-year course of transportation looking at such things as public transit, greenhouse gas emission reductions and mobility.  Fresno Area Express (FAX) along with many other transportation stakeholders were seated at the table to develop the 2022 Fresno County Regional Transportation Plan.

Read Fresno COG’s 2022 Regional Transportation Plan

Also developed by Fresno COG, the Fresno County Regional Long-Range Transit Plan (LRTP) will guide transit and multimodal investments and services in the Fresno region through the year 2050.  It builds upon the Fresno COG’s 2018 Regional Transportation Plan and prior transit planning studies and will inform the 2022 RTP.  More importantly, the LRTP will integrate appropriate and effective public transportation planning and projects into the fabric of the region’s overall circulation networks and systems.

The LRTP will:

• Integrate the efforts, projects, and future operations of the major transit providers serving Fresno County through the year 2050.
• Identify a preferred long-range vision for Fresno County’s public transit system
• Provide guidance for future investments, projects, and programs to enhance transit service
• Identify transit projects and alternatives that consider and improve sustainability, preservation, mobility, safety, innovation, economy, health and equity
• Integration of regional bicycle and pedestrian planning with public transit plans and projects.

Draft Final Fresno County Regional Long-Range Transit Plan

Every couple of years, FAX conducts statistically reliable customer opinion and satisfaction surveys among passengers of the system. The purpose of the surveys is to provide information and opinions concerning customer satisfaction and travel behavior regarding the FAX system and to compare the results of these 2022 surveys with results from prior studies, particularly the more recent 2018, 2011, and 2014 FAX surveys. In addition, this year, the survey includes changes that may be related to ridership effects of the COVID pandemic.

Infographic of Fixed Route Survey Results
Infografía de Resultados de Ruta Fija-Español

Infographic of Fixed Route Survey Results-Accessible
Infografía de Resultados de Ruta Fija-Español-Accessible

Summary of Fixed Route and Handy Ride Survey Results
Resumen de Resultados – Ruta Fija y Handy Ride-Español

2022 FAX Fixed Route Customer Satisfaction Survey Report – Full Report
2022 Handy Ride Customer Satisfaction Survey Report – Full Report

The Short-Range Transit Plan (SRTP) is the biennial update to the operating plan and the capital program for Fresno Area Express (FAX) and Clovis Transit.

• Final FCMA SRTP 2022-2026

As a follow-up to the recently completed FAX Fixed Route Restructuring Plan, we are pleased to announce the second part of the project, the FAX Fare Equity Analysis project.

A Fare Equity analysis is an assessment conducted by a transit provider, in this case, FAX to determine whether fare changes, including fare media types, increase or decrease fares, will result in a disparate impact upon Title VI-protected populations.

Such an analysis is required by the Federal Government for transit agencies receiving federal funding that are wanting to implement smart card technologies.

A smart card is a reusable card that is embedded with a “chip” that can be recharged with rides online, at the Ticket Vending Machine  (TVM).  Eventually, smart cards will be able to be recharged online as this functionality is forthcoming in a future release.

Cash and tokens will continue to be accepted at bus fare boxes and there are no plans to replace disposable fare media or passes in use today.

Complete the FAX Fare Equity Survey in English or Spanish
Print Copy of the FAX Fare Equity Survey in English or Spanish
FAX Fare Equity Bus Poster
FAX Fare Equity Fact Sheet
FAX Smart Card Title VI Fare Equity Report

Building upon the findings from the Fresno Clovis Metropolitan Area (FCMA) Public Transportation Strategic Service Evaluation Project from 2014, Fresno Area Express is considering implementing a significant number of service improvements developed during the FCMA effort.

The FAX Fixed-Route System Restructure Study took the initiatives from the FCMA before several large groups of transit stakeholders for their feedback and recommendations. The resulting findings are analyzed within the context of Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Title VI Requirements and Guidelines to produce a series of recommendations to improve service levels of the FAX fixed-route transit system.

The recommendations are slated to be introduced into the FAX fixed-route transit system in the coming months.

FAX Fixed-Route System Restructure Study – Final Draft Report
FAX Route Restructuring – Public Presentation and Workshop on 7/25/2018
FAX Title VI Service Equity Analysis

As a recipient of Federal funds, the Department of Transportation-Fresno Area Express (FAX) must comply with Federal statutes and regulations applicable to all third-party contracts. The contract clauses provided are a Federal requirement for all procurements made using Federal funds and must be adhered to by contractors providing materials and supplies between $3,500 and $135,000.

• Federal Procurement Contract Clause—Material and Supplies between $3,500 and $135,000
• Fresno Area Express Terms and Conditions Parts Only – Revised 4/9/2018

FAX ESTABLISHES GUIDELINES FOR SAFE TRANSPORTATION OF CARTS, CARGO, AND PACKAGES ON BUSES THIS POLICY IS EFFECTIVE MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

Policy
Pursuant to California Code of Regulations, Title 13, Section 1216(c):

“Drivers and motor carriers shall not permit any greater quantity of freight, express, or baggage in vehicles than can be safely and conveniently carried without causing discomfort or unreasonable annoyance to passengers. In no event shall aisles, doors, steps, or emergency exits be blocked.”

Definitions
As defined in this policy, cargo includes carts, strollers, packages, and other carrying devices including but not limited to:

Cargo does not include:

• • Wheelchairs, which are regulated by the Americans with Disabilities Act when used as mobility aids (i.e., a person must be able to sit in their wheelchair).  (Note:  If a person cannot sit in their wheelchair due to cargo, the wheelchair must be properly secured, and the cargo must abide by the restrictions listed in this policy.)

Procedure

A.        Passengers are limited to what they can carry in a single trip without assistance from other people.  Loads that require multiple trips or multiple people (loading or management) are prohibited.

B.        Drivers will be allowed to determine whether or not a passenger’s carry-on items are in compliance with the Department’s policy and will be expected to enforce it.

C.        Passengers must stay with their carts, strollers, or cargo during the entire trip and hold onto their belongings firmly, so they do not become projectiles in the event of an accident or a hard stop.

D.        Items will be limited in size to what passengers can reasonably carry on their laps when seated and/or stowed safely under or in front of their seats.

E.        Cargo that is wet, leaking, or hazardous will not be allowed on the bus under any circumstances.

F.        Baby carriages, strollers, and empty carts should be folded prior to boarding. Walkers and rollators in use should be properly folded and stored so as not to impede the free movement of passengers or the driver in the aisle, doors, step wells, or emergency exits, and must not present a potential hazard or danger to passengers. The wheel well may not be used for storage.

G.        If a grocery cart with packages cannot be folded, then it must be placed on the bus so that it does not impede the free movement of passengers or the driver in the aisle, doors, step wells, or emergency exits, and it must not present a potential hazard or danger to passengers.  Carts and cargo which could be hazardous if they become projectiles in the event of an accident or hard stop are not allowed.

H.        Carts, strollers, or other utility devices will not be allowed if they:

• Cannot easily/quickly negotiate vehicle door entrances and turns for any reason.
• Contain loads that exceed the capacity of the carrying device.
• Include items that are wet, leaking, or considered hazardous for any reason.

Download the FAX Carts and Cargo Public Notice.

For more information, please call FAX at (559) 621-7433

The productivity evaluation is conducted annually to assess the progress of transit operators who receive Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds and to recommend potential productivity improvements.  The California Public Utilities Code 99244 requires that “Each transportation planning agency shall annually identify, analyze, and recommend potential productivity improvements which could lower the operating costs of those operators who operate at least 50% of their vehicle service miles within the area under its jurisdiction.

The FY 2021 Productivity Evaluation covers the period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 and assesses the following agencies:

1. Fresno Area Express (FAX) and Handy Ride
2. Clovis Stageline and Roundup
3. Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA)
4. Consolidated Transportation Services Agencies (CTSA) for the Metropolitan and Rural Areas

2021 Transit Productivity Evaluation