SunLine Transit Agency prepares new service maps for public review

SunLine Transit Agency is entering the second phase of its Rides Reimagined project, a comprehensive effort to overhaul the regional transit network following the collection of approximately 1,800 validated community surveys. The project aims to modernize service patterns in the Coachella Valley based on current ridership data and evolving resident needs.

The first phase of public engagement officially closed on March 11 with the agency receiving responses from all nine cities and unincorporated areas within the valley. Agency staff and consultants are now synthesizing this information to prepare for the next step in the redesign process.

Currently in Phase 2, the agency is developing two distinct service scenarios that represent different philosophies of public transit. The first, a ridership concept, focuses on maximizing the number of passengers only on fixed routes and para-transit services. This could mean less coverage but more frequent buses along the busiest routes.

The second, a coverage concept, is designed to reach as many areas of the valley as possible by integrating fixed routes, para-transit, and the SunRide microtransit service. This concept would call for far more bus stops across a wider area, reaching more people but making service less frequent.

Findings from the initial survey and performance data will be used to develop these maps and both concepts will be constrained by current funding, staffing levels, and available capital resources.

Phase 3 is expected to launch in early May 2026, when the public will be invited to weigh in on these two competing maps both online and through in-person events and public meetings.

Following the feedback in Phase 3, the agency will move into Phase 4 later this year to finalize a recommendation for the new transit network. This final stage will determine the long-term roadmap for how buses and on-demand vehicles serve the region.

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