SRTA, DHCL, and RABA staff are coordinating on regional transit consolidation based on recommendations in SRTA’s 2024 Shasta Coordinated Transportation Plan and 2040 Long-Range Transit Plan. Staff are working on the transit consolidation efforts systematically and bringing items before the SRTA Board of Directors, the RABA Board of Directors, and DHCL’s executive committee for consideration and approval. Consolidation of regional transit services should improve costs and provide better service to riders over time.
Completed consolidation efforts are listed below.
- RABA’s service area now covers all of Shasta County, allowing RABA to directly operate Route 299X and removing Shasta County Public Works as a transit operator.
- Fares were coordinated for greater consistency between RABA and ShastaConnect services.
- RABA continues to be the sole applicant for Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) and State of Good Repair (SGR) funds while working with DHCL on CTSA-related service needs.
- RABA included ShastaConnect services in their contract with Via, so SRTA no longer maintains a contract with the software company for on-demand ride-sharing. Additionally, there is now one mobile app for riders in the region to request transit rides.
- Sunday transit services transitioned from ShastaConnect to RABA on September 1, 2024.
- A memorandum of understanding for transit coordination between RABA and DHCL, including shared use of vehicles, was completed.
- SRTA transferred ownership of all SGR-funded vehicles to RABA.
- SRTA amended the CTSA contract for ShastaConnect services to facilitate a potential contract transfer to RABA.
- SRTA transferred four ShastaConnect SGR projects, totaling $356,827.48 with accrued interest, to make RABA the implementing agency.
- SRTA transferred all remaining SGR funds for RABA projects to RABA as the implementing agency (new).
- SRTA designated RABA as the CTSA for the region as part of the Transit Needs Assessment; RABA board considered CTSA designation at their June 16, 2025, meeting, effective July 1, 2025. SRTA notified DHCL of assigning the DHCL contract for ShastaConnect services to RABA, effective July 1, 2025, with DHCL continuing CTSA operations under the existing contract (new).
- SRTA worked with Caltrans, Shasta County Public Works, and RABA to transfer Federal Transit Administration (FTA) rural transit grants to RABA (on-going).
- Simplified the State Transit Assistance (STA) allocation process under SRTA’s Transportation Development Act (TDA) policies and procedures, providing a streamlined process for allocating all estimated transit-only eligible funding to RABA for administration of transit operations upfront as part of the annual TDA budgeting process.
Remaining on-going efforts to consolidate regional transit include:
- Working with Caltrans, DHCL, and RABA to transfer approved grant-funded projects, including LCTOP, State of Good Repair (SGR), Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), and Senate Bill (SB) 125 Transit Program funds to RABA for implementation.
- Further updating of TDA policies and processes pending recommendations from SB 125 Transit Transformative Task Force report (anticipated Fall 2025) and subsequent state legislative action.