FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. – A variety of adjectives can be used to describe public transit in and around Fresno County.
For some, “equitable” isn’t one of them.
Measure S, the half-cent sales tax for transportation projects and programs that goes before voters in November, aims to get it a little closer to that.
KVPR looked into different transit options for residents across Fresno County and found the availability, affordability and convenience of transit depends in large part on where one lives.
In Clovis, residents have enjoyed a free bus service since the pandemic. This applies to the fixed-route Stageline service that operates six days a week except Sundays at 30-minute intervals, and to the door-to-door, dial-a-ride Round Up service offered for those with qualified disabilities.
In rural communities, bus fares range from 75 cents to $6 per one-way trip depending on the distance traveled. Inner city routes are scarce. Rather, they link to neighboring towns while offering between one to three daily roundtrips to Fresno.
For example, if a Mendota resident wants to go shopping in Fresno or has an appointment to see a medical specialist, he or she must first ride to downtown Fresno before catching another bus – or multiple buses – to the specified store or doctor’s office.
This can take several hours, depending on the frequency of routes. And since only two buses operate between Mendota and Fresno each day – not counting holidays – there isn’t much wiggle room for delays or cancellations.
“What we have now is inhumane,” Mendota mayor Victor Martinez said. “We believe that all public infrastructure should look the same. Should look the same here as in Clovis, in San Francisco, everywhere. Our people deserve it. We are in the United States.”
While Measure S won’t completely eliminate the equity gaps in Fresno County public transit, advocates of the tax measure say it would help smooth some of the rougher edges.
The measure sets aside a quarter of the projected $7.4 billion in tax revenues over the next 30 years to Fresno Area Express (FAX), Clovis Transit and the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency.
That in itself is a 1% increase over Measure C, the existing transportation tax that expires next year.
However, Measure S also ensures free bus service for seniors 62 and older, people with disabilities, active-duty military personnel, veterans, students and children – a provision not included in Measure C.
Free bus fares use 1% of Measure S
Free bus fares are expected to take up less than 1% of the total revenues from Measure S, according to campaign manager Andy Levine.
The money for free bus fares doesn’t come out of the portion of tax revenues allocated to public transit agencies. Rather, it comes from the 4% set aside for access and innovation programs.
Also under Measure S, all transit agencies will be required to expand hours and increase frequency of services, including on nights and weekends; provide non-emergency medical transportation; increase paratransit service; add lighting and weather protections at bus stops; and add university and college transit options.
Money from the tax can also be spent on microtransit, carshares, rideshares or vanpools – services that rural mayors believe would benefit communities where Uber and Lyft currently do not operate.
“We would like to have a point-to-point service through the rural county transit,” Firebaugh Mayor Freddy Valdez said. “If I need to go to Walmart, it would pick me up, take me to Walmart to get my medication. I can call it and come back to Firebaugh. I don't have to wait four hours at Walmart until they pick me up again.”
The existing system does not adequately serve the needs of rural residents, Valdez said.
“If you miss a bus, if you miss a FAX transit line somewhere, and you don't get back to your bus, you're calling someone to go and get you,” he added. “I've had to pick up people in Fresno because they were scared and didn't know where they ended up.”
Critics of Measure S want transportation tax revenues spent elsewhere. Many supported an alternate measure that didn’t gather enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
The alternate measure proposed to trim public transit revenues to 18% from the 24% currently allocated under Measure C.
“[Measure S] is a public transportation tax, funding buses that people don’t ride,” Fresno County Board of Supervisors chairman Garry Bredefeld said.
During a recent “No on Measure S” press conference, Valley Watchdogs PAC chair Brooke Ashjian joked he was late because he “took the bus” and was “the only one on it.”
Ten million rides on Fresno FAX
Ridership figures, such as those published by the Fresno Council of Governments, do not support those claims.
The county’s largest public transit system, Fresno FAX, counted nearly 10.4 million rides during the 2025 fiscal year.
Clovis Stageline and Round Up combined for 303,787 total rides, while the Fresno Rural Transit Authority reported 177,724.
Overall, the total ridership throughout Fresno County represented a 7.8% increase over the previous year. However, it remained 3% below pre-pandemic levels.
Most people who ride the bus in and around Fresno are those without other transportation options.
“Our typical rider is a female,” Fresno FAX director Gregory Barfield said in a 2023 interview with The Fresno Bee. “She’s riding the bus to go to school, work and her medical appointments. She typically has two or three children with her and she’s making less than $13,000 per year. So she is dependent on transit. This is the only vehicle to get where she needs to go.”
Public transit agencies in Fresno County depend on Measure C, as well as matching funds in the form of state and federal grants, for the bulk of their operating budgets.
If Measure S doesn’t pass in November and there is no replacement for Measure C, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said Fresno FAX will be forced to reduce services – especially on weekends and at night.
“Our buses will not run after 8 or 9 p.m.,” Dyer said.
Service reductions would also occur in Clovis, according to Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua, in addition to layoffs to transit drivers and the elimination of both free fares and the paratransit Round Up service.
“I believe we have a duty to help those who need public transit, and for us as affordable a service as possible,” said Mouanoutoua, who is running for Fresno County Supervisor against Measure S critic Diane Pearce. “I used to ride buses, so that's why I understand.”
