VVTA operates local fixed-route, county commuter, and ADA complementary paratransit bus services in the Victor Valley area. It has a maintenance facility located in Hesperia. The service structure consists of 23 local fixed and deviated routes, 3 County routes and ADA complementary paratransit service. VVTA was established through a Joint Powers Authority in 1991. The JPA includes the four cities of Adelanto, Apple Valley, Hesperia and Victorville and certain unincorporated portions of the County of San Bernardino including Oro Grande, Helendale, Lucerne Valley, Phelan, Pinon Hills, Wrightwood. Service is also provided to Barstow and Fort Irwin. The Fort Irwin service is branded as the NTC Commuter. The Board of Directors includes council members from the above cities and the San Bernardino 1st District Supervisor. Since 1998, the Board has held a management contract with McDonald Transit Associates, Inc. for administration of the system. In January 2005, the operations contract for all transit service in the Victor Valley area was consolidated under a separate contract with ATC . In 2018, National Express Transit became the system operator.
Barstow Area Transit
Barstow Area Transit formerly ran the transportation service in Barstow and surrounding areas of San Bernardino County, including the communities of Hinkley, Lenwood, Grandview, Yermo, Harvard, Daggett and Newberry Springs. It was merged into VVTA in 2015. MV Transportation, Inc. was contracted by the city to operate Barstow Area Transit. Barstow Area Transit operated Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and on the weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m; the system carried more than 144,000 passengers each year. The system featured three routes: Central Barstow, which was called Route 1 while running as a clockwise loop and Route 2 while running counterclockwise; West Barstow/Grandview/Lenwood, which was called Route 3 while running clockwise and Route 4 while running counterclockwise; and Hwy 58 which traveled crosstown as Route 5.
Routes
VVTA routes are grouped into two different categories: Deviated routes, and County routes. Deviated routes serve a pre-determined route and stops, but can deviate as far as 3/4 mile off that route to pick up passengers with advanced reservation. County routes are similar to Deviated routes, but they serve outlying rural areas and charge a higher fare. County routes do not charge a deviation fee for deviated trips to designated locations within outlying communities. 3-digit numbers are typically reserved for weekdays, especially during rush hours.
Fleet
The VVTA operates 99 active and spare buses in its system as of June 2012, which uses El Dorado, NABI, New Flyer and Ford buses, and MCI for their Fort Irwin Service.
Governance
Victor Valley Transit Authority is administered by a Board of Directors, consisting of five Members. The four board members from the cities are elected council persons assigned to VVTA by their respective city councils. The fifth Board member is the San Bernardino 1st District Supervisor. The Board is required under the JPA Memorandum of Understanding to meet at least one time each quarter of each fiscal year. Board meetings are generally held every month. All meetings are held in compliance with the Ralph M. Brown Act. Board meetings are presided by the Board-appointed Chair. The Board of Directors is responsible for such acts as adopting the budget, approving route and schedule changes, holding the yearly unmet needs hearings, public hearings as required, appointing the CEO/General Manager, appointing a technical advisory committee, establishing policy, and adopting rules and regulations for the conduct of business. The VVTA Technical Advisory committee is the working group for the VVTA Board. It is composed of a staff member from each of the cities and County who is generally appointed by the City Manager, County Supervisor. The TAC takes direction from the Board to make recommendations on policy issues. In addition, TAC reviews monthly all suggested Board agenda items and decides on what actions to recommend to the Board for approval.
