All Aboard: PC Team Hits the Streets to Map the Return of Route 4

The roar of bus engines and the hiss of air brakes on Main Street have returned with Porterville Transit Buses once again making regular stops at campus. As part of our ongoing commitment to student accessibility, PC is officially launching a new marketing campaign to celebrate and promote the return of Bus Route 4 for our students, faculty, and staff. We're also now offering free passes to students in the Basic Needs Center.

For a better understanding of our local bus routes and to ensure our students have the most accurate information possible for their commutes, a dedicated group of around a dozen faculty, staff, and student volunteers spent some of their spring break on a "fact-finding mission" across the city. This wasn’t just a simple ride-along; it was a data-driven effort to make sure the commute to campus is as seamless as possible for our students.

The team spent the day gathering information on the routes available, schedule accuracy, and travel times. We also spent the time gathering video footage and photos to be used in upcoming commercial spots, social media, and other promotion of the bus line. By showcasing the real-world experience of riding the bus, we hope to demystify the process and encourage more Pirates to take advantage of this affordable and convenient transit option.

Throughout our rides, the team was hard at work with stopwatches, smart phone timers and transit maps. The primary goal of this mission was to calculate real-time transit durations from various neighborhoods around Porterville to campus.

The team tested multiple connection points throughout town on all of the available bus routes to determine exactly how long it takes for a student to travel from their front door to the classroom using different lines that link up with Route 4 (the direct line to campus).

We know that, for many of our students, time is the most valuable resource. Whether you are balancing a job, family responsibilities, or a full course load - knowing exactly when you need to leave the house each morning is vital.

The data gathered during these trips will allow PC to provide information to students based on actual travel times rather than just estimates. We want to be certain that taking the bus is not only an efficient choice but a sustainable one.

Stay tuned for more on how taking the bus to campus might be the right choice for you!