Tulare County Area Transit
Tulare County Area Transit was the county-operated bus agency providing service between cities and local community circulator routes in Tulare County, California; transit within the larger cities was provided by agencies operated by those communities, including Dinuba, Porterville, Tulare, and Visalia ; connections are provided to Delano in neighboring Kern County.
TCaT began in 1981 with two distinct systems: rural intercity fixed routes within Tulare County and commuter routes to Visalia; the two systems were consolidated in 2000 and was rebranded to TCaT in 2006. TCaT routes are now operated by the Tulare County Regional Transit Agency, which was formed as a joint powers agency in 2020 by the city and county governments of Tulare County, with the exception of Visalia.
History
The county began offering public transportation as COACH and STAGE in 1981 as Tulare County Transit alongside dial-a-ride point-to-point services for smaller communities in the county. COACH and STAGE were merged in fiscal year 2000–01 and Tulare County Transit was rebranded to TCaT in 2006.MV Transportation has been the operating contractor for TCaT since 2006. Under a regional transit coordination study, it was proposed to reassign TCaT routes to municipal operators, with Visalia taking over 10, 30, and 50, and Porterville operating 40 and 70.
Services
TCaT operates intercity routes seven days a week; most circulator routes operate on weekdays only. No service is provided on specific holidays, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day ) and Sunday service is provided on other holidays.Fixed routes
Fixed routes are divided into intercity and local circulator routes. Routes 70, 80, and 90 are interlined so that a single bus is used for all routes; The bus first operates from Plainview at 6:20 AM on weekdays as Route 90 and runs south to the Porterville Transit Center, arriving by 7:10 AM. Continuing as Route 90, the bus returns north to Lindsay, arriving by 7:41 AM, then turns around and heads south to Porterville via Plainview, Woodville, Cotton Center, Poplar, and Strathmore, arriving by 8:38 AM. The bus then operates as Route 70, making a loop via Springville and returning to Porterville by 9:48 AM. The bus next makes a loop as Route 80 via Terra Bella and Ducor, returning to Porterville by 10:45 AM. After an hour-long break, the bus repeats a similar cycle: first operating both directions of Route 90 twice, then the Route 70 loop via Springville, next the Route 80 loop, and finishing with one last run as Route 90.| No. | Route name | Terminus | via | Terminus | Typ. headway | Notes / Refs. |
| 10 | North County | Visalia | Seville, Cutler, East Orosi, Orosi, Sultana | Dinuba | 60 120 | |
| 20 | South County | Tulare | Matheny Tract, Tipton, Pixley, Teviston, Earlimart, Delano | Richgrove | 60–90 150 | |
| 30 | Northeast County | Visalia | Ivanhoe, Woodlake, Lemon Cove, Three Rivers | Visalia | 30 70 | |
| 40 | Southeast County | Visalia | Tulare, Lindsay, Strathmore | Porterville | 65 120 | |
| 50 | Dinuba – London – Traver – Delft Colony | Dinuba | London, Traver, Delft Colony | Dinuba | 70–240 60–180 | |
| 60 | Lindsay | Lindsay | Savemart/McDonalds, Wellness Center, E. Tulare Rd & Lafayette Ave, City Hall | Lindsay | 30 | |
| 70 | Porterville – Springville | Porterville | Springville | Porterville | 360 | |
| 80 | Porterville – Terra Bella – Ducor | Porterville | Terra Bella, Ducor | Porterville | 360 | |
| 90 | Lindsay – Strathmore – Plainview – Woodville – Poplar – Porterville | Lindsay | Plainview, Woodville, Cotton Center, Poplar, Strathmore | Porterville | 90–270 |
LOOP
The Local Organizations Outreach Program provides transportation to youth mentoring and gang prevention programs at no charge for at-risk youths. LOOP started in November 2006 and operates with four buses.Fares
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in California, TCRTA suspended fare collection on all transit routes and participating sub-agencies, including TCaT, Tulare InterModal Express, Dinuba Transit, Porterville Transit, and Woodlake Transit starting on July 1, 2021. Partial support was provided by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.| Regular | Student | Military, Seniors, Disabled, and Medicare | Children | |
| Single Ride | $2 | $2 | $1 | First two free, additional $2 each |
| Punch Pass | $17 | — | — | — |
| Regional T-Pass | $55 | — | — | — |
;Notes
Transfers
TCaT riders may transfer to Visalia Transit Route 1 without an additional fare. In addition, riders disembarking from the following TCaT routes may transfer to local bus systems without charge:- to TIME, from Routes 20 and 40
- to Porterville Transit, from Routes 40, 60, 70, 80, and 90