Antelope Valley Transit Authority

The first all electric zero emission bus built in Lancaster, California; layover at Sgt. Steve Owen Memorial Park, July 13, 2017.
Parent	Cities of Palmdale, Lancaster and Metro.
Founded	1992
Locale	Antelope Valley
Service type	bus service, paratransit
Alliance	Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Metrolink (California)
Routes	20
Daily ridership	5,400 (weekdays, Q3 2023)[1]
Annual ridership	1,237,200 (2022)[2]
Fuel type	battery electric
Operator	MV Transportation
Website	www.avta.com

Antelope Valley Transit Authority is the transit agency serving the cities of Palmdale, Lancaster and Northern Los Angeles County. Antelope Valley Transit Authority is operated under contract by MV Transportation, and is affiliated with and offers connecting services with Metro and Metrolink. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 1,237,200, or about 5,400 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2023.

Routes

Bus fleet

History

The cities of Palmdale and Lancaster and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works jointly created the Antelope Valley Transit Authority in 1992 to meet the growing need for public transportation in the Antelope Valley. AVTA began local transit service on July 1, 1992, with three types of services: Transit, Commuter and Dial-A-Ride. A fourth service, Access Services, was created in 1996 to provide the disabled with a local complementary paratransit service in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act. AVTA opened a larger facility in 2004 to accommodate increased demand.

On March 17, 2017, AVTA drivers struck. The dispute was between the driver's union Teamsters Local 848 and the system operator Transdev. After making their statement, the drivers elected to return to service by March 19 while negotiations between the parties continued.^[4] However the drivers went on strike again, May 3 was the third walkout which lasted at least a week.^[5] As the dispute continued, drivers were locked out on August 22.^[6]

In 2017, AVTA became the first transit agency in the United States to operate a 60-foot, articulated electric bus, manufactured by BYD in Lancaster.^[7][8]

In 2018, the Antelope Valley Transit Authority began to charge its electric buses on special wireless charging pads located along bus routes.^[9]

In January 2019, AVTA began commuter service to Edwards Air Force Base. Later that year, AVTA celebrated two significant milestones in its conversion to an all-electric fleet, achieving both a one million (May), then two million (December), zero emission miles driven. The service has been suspended since the start of the pandemic.

In May of 2022, AVTA drivers struck. The dispute was about unfair labor practices with Teamsters Union 848 and Transdev. The contract expired and MV Transportation took over operations as of June 2022.

Discounts

Senior citizens, people with disabilities, active military, and veterans may ride AVTA local buses free of charge with proper ID. Up to 4 children up to 44 inches tall may ride with an adult free of charge.^[10]

Awards

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recognized AVTA as an “Efficient Transit System”. The California Transit Association gave a “Transit Innovation Award” to AVTA in 1998 and a “Transit Image Award” in 1999.

References

External links

• Official website