Fresno Area Express (FAX) recently held several public workshops in Fresno where community members were able to learn about proposed changes and innovations happening at FAX over the next two years.

The public workshops, rider surveys and pop-up events took place over a one-month period and allowed community members and FAX riders to voice their opinions and ask questions about proposed changes to the public transportation system.

Some of the changes FAX has proposed include implementing a grid-based transit network in Fresno based on connecting routes throughout town, providing more transfer opportunities between routes, operating at greater service frequencies and helping passengers to connect to multiple destinations across town.

The proposed would start in August 2020, with changes to Routes 45 and 28 as well as a new Route 3 that would run from Marketplace at El Paseo shopping center on Herndon and Golden State to Willow and Herndon at 40 minute frequencies.

Other changes proposed to start in January 2021 include updates to Route 20 that would run from the Fig Garden Loop to Fresno Yosemite International Airport at 40 minute frequencies, as well as connecting Routes 12 and 35 at 30 minute frequencies. 

Another major change that is proposed to take place in the Spring/Summer of 2021 would be the introduction of Route 29. Pending grant funds, the new route would convert a southern portion of the existing Route 32 to the new Route 29 from Courthouse Park to Amazon and Ulta warehouses. 

Sher Moua, program manager of the Fresno Boys and Men of Color (BMOC) attended some of these public workshops. Moua believes that events like this are a great opportunity for community members to be able to share their opinions with the city. 

“I think it’s really important because these events give the community an opportunity to give input around systems that affect their day-to-day lives,” said Moua. “I know from a FAX campaign that BMOC and Women Empowered (WE) worked on a few years ago, a lot of the riders that ride the bus, ride it to get to work, to go grocery shopping, to go to appointments and to go to school. So having events like this and putting input in is really important.”

Members of the community who attended the FAX public workshops and pop-up events were encouraged to fill out rider surveys and ask any questions about the proposed changes.

 After completing the survey, riders had the chance to be entered into a raffle to win $100 gift cards to either Wal-Mart or Target. The three final winners of the gift cards will also be featured in this month’s FAX newsletter.