Biola Community Transportation Needs Assessment

Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot Program
Community Transportation Needs Assessment

Fresno County Rural Transit Agency | Biola Community Transportation Needs Assessment

Fresno County Rural Transit Agency logo

Project Details

The Fresno County Rural Transit Agency's (FCRTA) assessment’s grant term ran from December 2020 to October 2021. The assessment consisted of a variety of data collection and community engagement, such as advisory and focus groups, virtual and telephone meetings, community events, and multilingual surveys to engage community groups and members. The FCRTA worked with community leaders to form an Advisory Council to educate and fully engage the community. FCRTA intentionally focused engagement efforts on Spanish and Hmong speaking households, seniors, residents without driver’s licenses, undocumented populations, agricultural workers, people living below the poverty line, residents without internet access, and people without access to a personal vehicle.

To learn more about project implementation, watch this video.

Several masked residents gather around a table at an indoor outreach event wearing masks to protect against COVID-19 Indoor outreach event in which 3 participants sit in metal chairs taking a survey and wearing COVID-19 masks

Outreach event in which participants gather around a table taking surveys and wearing COVID-19 masks Several outreach event participants sit at a table taking a survey in a large indoor room. Participants wear a COVID-19 mask.

Project Outcomes

Final Report

Funding Details

Voucher Total: $36,885

Community Engagement Activities

1 Community outreach event with dinner provided
1 Transportation survey
3-4 Advisory group meetings
2-3 Pop-up events
4-5 Telephone and video meetings

Community Details

The project focused on Biola, an unincorporated rural community with some of the worst air quality in the nation, where the poverty rate is 32.7% and 50% of residents had not graduated from high school. There is no transit service in the community, and as a result, no resident in Biola had used transit to commute to work according to the Census. Residents in Biola have few real transportation options to get around other than driving and vehicle ownership, demonstrating the lack of representation in local planning. Many residents of Biola have Limited English Proficiency and/or agricultural workers who must work long days and non-traditional hours.

Partners