Politics & Government

Bus Routes Cut, Redrawn

Bus routes are set to be cut and redirected in Temecula.

Some Temecula bus routes will be moved and others cut, according to the Riverside Transit Agency.

Routes 23, 24, 55, 79 and 217 will be affected by the changes starting May 8, the RTA announced.

The part of route 23 running south of Winchester Road will be cut out. That section runs south of the mall on Ynez Road, east and west on Overland Drive, north and south on Jefferson Avenue and Pujol Street and ends in southern Old Town.

Find out what's happening in Temeculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Route 24, which currently runs along Wolf Valley Road, will be extended south to Deer Hollow Road. A portion running along Vail Ranch Road to Camino Piedra Rojo will be cut.

Service for the Temecula Trolley, which follows route 55, will be cut out entirely from mid-June to mid-August.

Find out what's happening in Temeculawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Route 79, which ran from the mall, south on Diaz Road, loops around the commercial area of western Temecula on Business Park Drive, and then returns to the mall on Ynez Road will be rerouted to run north and south on Jefferson Avenue and loop through Old Town on Front and Pujol streets.

Route 217, which now runs from Temecula to Hemet on Winchester Road, will now take I-15 to Newport Road, adding a stop at Mt. San Jacinto College’s Menifee campus before heading to Hemet on Domenigoni Parkway.

A lack of riders caused the agency to cut parts of the routes, according to an announcement. An average of 8,000 people take route 23 each month, according to Jim Kneepkens, an RTA spokesperson. Route 24 gets an average of 5,700 riders per month, route 55 gets 2,900 per month, route 79 gets 6,100 per month and route 217 gets 1,500 per month.

General bus fare is $1.50 or $.70 for seniors and the disabled. A 30-day pass is $50, $23 for the disabled or seniors. Click here for more information on rates.

RTA invited the public to comment on the planned changes during a meeting set for 2 p.m. Feb. 24 at the County of Riverside Administrative Building’s Board of Supervisors Chambers, 4080 Lemon Street, Riverside.


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