City Council Agenda
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Memo to: |
Manteca City Council |
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From: |
Brandy Clark, Director of Parks, Recreation & Transit |
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Prepared by: |
Juan Portillo, Transit Manager |
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Date: |
August 18, 2026 |
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Subject: |
Hold a Public Hearing and Approve the Manteca Transit Fixed-Route Redesign Network. |
Recommendation:
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Conduct a public hearing and adopt a resolution approving the Manteca Transit Fixed-Route Redesign Network; and authorizing implementation of the proposed redesigned Fixed-Route network effective October 1, 2026.
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Background:
The City of Manteca Transit Division initiated a comprehensive evaluation of its fixed route transit system in Fall 2025 in response to continued residential and commercial growth, changing travel patterns, and evolving community needs. The City retained Fehr & Peers consulting to evaluate existing service, analyze ridership and travel patterns, identify service gaps, and conduct public outreach. The resulting Fixed-Route Redesign Study, included as Attachment 3, the technical basis for the proposed redesign network.
Manteca Transit currently operates four weekday routes and three Saturday routes at 60-minute intervals. Weekday service operates 6:00 am to 7:00 pm (13 hours), and Saturdays 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (7 hours). The weekday ACE Shuttle provides two morning and four afternoon round trips to the Lathrop ACE Station.
The proposed network replaces the existing routes with five redesigned local routes and one express service (ST Sierra Direct Tripper), while adding one trip to the ACE Shuttle. Routes 2, 4, and 5 would operate Monday through Saturday, while Routes 1 and 3 would operate Monday through Friday. The ST Sierra Direct Tripper would provide one weekday morning trip aligned with the Sierra High School bell schedule and would be available to the general public.
The redesign maintains comparable geographic coverage, with discontinued stops remaining within one-quarter mile walking distance of the new proposed network. Of the 59 block groups analyzed, 57 would experience increased access to transit trips, while the remaining two are outside the effective service area under both networks. No block group within the service area would experience a net loss of service.
The proposed network would retain 60-minute service intervals while extending weekday service by approximately 2.5 hours and Saturday service by approximately 3.5 hours. Annual trips available within a one-quarter mile of the service area would increase from 16,965 to 27,655, an increase of 10,690 trips, or approximately 63 percent. Overall, the redesign is intended to provide a more direct, understandable, and better-connected transit network.
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Service Element |
Existing Network |
Proposed Network |
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Local fixed routes |
4 |
5 |
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Weekday service span |
6:00 am-7:00 pm |
Approximately 5:30 am-9:00 pm |
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Saturday service span |
9:00 am-4:00 pm |
Approximately 8:30 am-6:00 pm |
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Service frequency |
60 minutes |
60 minutes |
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Sierra High School service |
None |
One weekday morning trip |
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ACE Shuttle |
6 weekday roundtrips |
Existing service plus 1 additional trip |
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Annual scheduled service trips within the analyzed service area |
16,965 |
27,655 |
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Change in service availability |
N/A |
Approximately 63% increase |
Transit Division conducted a comprehensive public participation process consistent with its adopted Public Participation Plan. Outreach activities included four in-person workshops held on January 29 and May 11, 2026; a virtual workshop on June 3, 2026; onboard, online, and driver surveys; targeted outreach at the Manteca Senior Center and Eskaton Senior Living; and participation at Music on Maple, the Memorial Weekend event, and the Watermelon Street Faire. Staff and the project consultant also presented the proposed redesign concept to the City Council on June 16, 2026, and received Council feedback.
Outreach materials and surveys were provided in Spanish consistent with the Language Assistance Plan in Manteca Transit’s 2024 Title VI Program. This variety of formats and locations was intended to reach a broad cross-section of the community, including minority, low-income, and senior populations. Feedback from riders, residents, businesses, and community organizations helped with the proposed network.
As required, notice of the public hearing was published in the Manteca Bulletin on July 10, 2026, at least 30 days in advance. Following implementation, staff will monitor ridership, passenger satisfaction, and cost effectiveness to evaluate the redesigned network’s long-term viability.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no impact to the General Fund (Fund 100) associated with this item. Manteca Transit operating and capital costs are funded through the Transit Fund using a combination of federal and State grant revenues appropriated through the annual budget adopted by the City Council. The redesigned network may generate additional fare revenue through increased ridership; however, the amount cannot be determined at this time. Staff will monitor ridership, fare revenue, and operating costs following implementation.
Documents Attached:
1. Attachment 1 - Resolution
2. Attachment 2 - Manteca Transit Fixed-Route Redesign Network
3. Attachment 3 - Manteca Transit Fixed-Route Redesign Study (Informational)