MARTA Seeks Public Opinion

Big Bear, Ca, February 16, 2012, 4:00pm – The Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority (MARTA) is currently updating its Short Range Transit Plan.  According to MARTA, the plan will guide fixed route and Dial-a-Ride transit services in the Rim area and Big Bear Valley over the next five years. Last summer, extensive market research and outreach was conducted and identified a variety of service alternatives for changes and improvements to transit services over the next five years.  MARTA is seeking community feedback on the proposed alternatives, and will be sponsoring a series of public workshops, which will be held on February 29^th, and March 1^st. The workshops will address: proposed bus route and schedule changes, potential changes to dial-a-ride service, and a revised fare structure. Workshops will be held at the following times and locations.  There will be a brief presentation of the service alternatives and then opportunity for questions and discussion.

February 29th

9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

City of Big Bear Lake City Hall

Training Room

39707 Big Bear Blvd, Big Bear Lake

March 1st

10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Crestline Library

24105 Lake Gregory Dr, Crestline

For more information or transportation assistance, call MARTA at 1-909-875-5200 or visit www.marta.cc.

Snow Day! Friday Closures and Cancellations (and Some Openings) for the Big Bear Valley

Big Bear Valley, CA — This epic storm has resulted in a number of closures and cancellations:
Among these, Bear Mountain Resort is closed today [Friday, January 22], though Bear Mountain lift tickets and season passes are being honored at Snow Summit, which certainly has a resort full of fresh powder for skiers and riders.
MARTA transportation services are not available today.
The offices of the City of Big Bear Lake, the Big Bear City Community Services District, the Big Bear Municipal Water District, and the Department of Water and Power all closed today, as well as the offices of the Bear Valley Unified School District and all local schools, as well as Rainbow Kids Clubs. Also, all Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District offerings through the weekend, including basketball and the Youth Center, are canceled and/or closed. DOVES is closed, though their emergency crisis hotline is available at 800/851-7601.
The Big Bear City and Fawnskin Post Offices are closed today, though the Big Bear Lake and Interlaken/Moonridge Post Offices are open—still, there is no mail delivery as trucks have been unable to get up the mountain.
The Big Bear City Airport is closed to all aircraft until snow removal on runways and taxiways is complete; airport offices are open.
First Mountain Bank and Union Bank are closed, as well as the Big Bear Lake Resort Association and Visitors Center, H&R Block, Gino’s Auto and Tire, Blockbuster, Paper Clip Stationers, and Payless Shoes; this is not a complete list of closures, but includes those who have contacted us here at KBHR.
As for those who are open for business today, these include Easy’s General Store in Sugarloaf, Community Market in Big Bear City, both 7-Eleven locations, McDonald’s (open 24 hours), the Lumberjack Café in Big Bear City, the Big Bear Liquor Market on Pine Knot Avenue and the Triangle Market on the Moonridge Y, Chad’s Place in the Village, Car Quest Auto Parts and the Tool Shop in Big Bear City, Rite Aid in the Interlaken Center (which will remain open until at least 3pm, though the pharmacy is closed), and the Fox Farm Auto Spa (which is available for chain installation). The Bowling Barn will be open this evening, though bowlers are advised to call 878-BOWL to verify operating hours.
Also, this Sunday’s memorial service to honor Ted Fashempour will not be taking place at the PAC, but will be rescheduled.
The Bear Valley Center for Spiritual Enrichment has canceled their regular Sunday service.
The DWP Board meeting, to have taken place on Tuesday morning of next week, has been canceled. Also, today’s meetings of the Airport District and tomorrow’s Sugarloaf Property Owners Association meeting also canceled. This evening’s 7pm AA meeting at St. Joseph’s is canceled. Monday’s H1N1 flu clinic has been postponed; no new date yet.
The Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency facility is operational and staffed with supervisors and key employees throughout this storm event; administrative offices are closed.
For closures posted on Thursday, visit our January 21 cancellations story.

Free Bus Pass Distribution to Seniors on Wednesday Morning

Freebies are being distributed to seniors tomorrow morning, according to Tina Nazarian, coordinator for the Big Bear Senior Center. The San Bernardino County Department of Aging’s Willo Covey will be at the Senior Center on Wednesday, from 10am to noon, to distribute 30-trip bus passes for use on MARTA and coupon books, worth $20, good for use at the Tuesday’s Farmer’s Market at the Convention Center. For more information on tomorrow morning’s bus pass and coupon book distribution, call the Senior Center at 584-0323.

MARTA Is Still Rolling Along After 25 Years; Improved Services in Place, Though Bus Rides Still Offered for $1

Dial-a-Ride services have been available in Big Bear since 1978, though the Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority, or MARTA, was implemented in 1993, through a joint powers agreeement between the City of Big Bear Lake and the County of San Bernardino. The City and the County oversee MARTA with a five-member board, which includes Big Bear Lake City Council members Liz Harris and Bill Jahn, County appointees David Leach of Big Bear and Lex Sensenbrenner, and fifth, at-large member Terisa Bonito (who, with Sensenbrenner, represents the mountain communities to the west of Big Bear). MARTA’s General Manager Kathy Hawksford, who gave an overview of the transit authority to City Council at their March 23 meeting, says that MARTA currently has 23 buses and one trolley. Each year, MARTA has about 166,000 riders with a monthly average of 13,500 passengers, though this number tends to go up in the winter months. As of February, MARTA offers three trips off the mountain from Big Bear each weekday, and $1/ride fixed route bus service, which runs at 30-minute intervals along Big Bear Boulevard. Dial-a-Ride, the initial offering that started it all, is still available in Big Bear though, Hawksford pointed out, is geared toward seniors and disabled patrons; however, for bus riders who live more than a ¼ mile from a fixed route stop, Dial-a-Ride is available, by appointment. MARTA services are in large part funded by the government—at the local, state and federal level—though Hawksford anticipates that cuts will be forthcoming. That said, she told City Council that MARTA’s goals are to remain fiscally sound, increase ridership, and maintain a newer fleet–as “in the past,“ she noted, “our fleet has been bandaged together.” When improved services were added in February, the prices did not increase. “Our board has authorized increases,” Hawksford said. “We’ve held on that, but it is coming.” It was due to the economy, Liz Harris said, that approved increases were not yet implemented; and, she added, “We want our friends and neighbors to know that rides are heavily subsidized.” For more on MARTA, riders can call for service at 878-5200, or visit the MARTA website.

MARTA Adds Increased Service, on Fixed Routes and Off-the-Mountain Trips, Effective Today

MARTA transit services are becoming more convenient, effective today. In addition to adding one more trip off the mountain from Rite-Aid each day, at 11am (in addition to already established 6:30am and 3:10pm trips), 30-minute service will now be available on MARTA fixed routes, on Big Bear Boulevard between the Village of Big Bear Lake and Greenway in Big Bear City. Rather than waiting an hour between midweek pickups on the 25 or so stops on the Boulevard, riders will only have a 30-minute interval between pickups—and the cost to ride on these fixed routes is still only $1. According to MARTA’s General Manager Kathy Hawksford, “We did this with the funding we already had, and we are really excited.” With improved service now in place, the Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority has other plans. As Hawksford tells KBHR, “Our next step will be to improve our stops–as some people have put their own benches out there—so we plan to provide some more shelters, and benches, as well as lighting.”