Central Unified students attending Glacier Point Middle School and Justin Garza High School will have more transportation options because of FAX route changes.

FAX has expanded Route 45 to serve the two schools and increased the frequency of buses from 45 minutes to 30 minutes, Mayor Jerry Dyer announced Monday.

FAX also has made changes to other routes to better serve passengers, he said.

Route 34 is being extended south to serve North Pointe Business Park employees, and the route frequency has been increased from 20 minutes to 15 minutes.

Routes 3 and 20 buses now will come along every 30 minutes instead of every 45 minutes.

The route changes took effect on Monday.

Better Service

Dyer and Council Vice President Annalisa Perea said that the changes will enhance transportation options for students and other residents.

“Fresno is a city on the move, and we are proud to have a transportation system that keeps pace with those needs,” Dyer said in a news release on Monday. “Today’s announced expansion will help to serve the growth in our community while ensuring that riders have the timely, efficient transportation they deserve.”

“These expanded routes will undoubtedly enhance accessibility and promote a safe and efficient transportation system for our students and families. We look forward to the positive impact this will have on student attendance and engagement, ensuring a brighter future for all,” Perea said in the news release.

How Much Will It Cost?

Assistant city manager Gregory Barfield, who oversees FAX, said the transportation agency is using a combination of air pollution mitigation funds, Measure C revenues, and other grant funds to cover the costs of the expanded service.

The cost of expanding and increasing frequencies on the four routes is estimated will total $5.8 million over the next three years, of which all but $415,000 will be covered by Congestion and Air Quality grants, Barfield said. The remainder will come from Measure C funds, he said.

After three years, “we expect increased ridership to pay for the service,” Barfield said.

Fresno Unified, Fresno State, and State Center Community College District students can ride FAX buses for free if they show their student ID. The districts provide subsidies to FAX for free rides.

Central Unified did not immediately respond Tuesday to a query about whether the district is considering a similar arrangement.

But Barfield said that such talks are upcoming, now that FAX has extended service to two of the district’s three comprehensive high schools and two of the three middle schools. Last year FAX service was extended to Central East High School and Rio Vista Middle School, he said.

“The district and us will be talking about a pass program,” Barfield said.

Free WiFi on City Buses

Last week, Dyer and Fresno City Council President Tyler Maxwell announced that riders on all FAX buses would have free WiFi access.

New Route Maps and Schedules