Sequoia Shuttle's 8th season steeped with success, record ridership

Despite operating the fewest days of the past eight seasons, there were some milestones set during the 2014 season of the Sequoia Shuttle.

A new reservation system for the Gateway shuttle was launched, which allows visitors from other countries, out-of-state passengers, and out-of-the-county California residents to make their reservations in advance. The Gateway shuttle ridership showed an all-time-high ridership per day, during the shortest year of service to date.

Visalia Transit partnered with the National Parks System to secure a Kids to Trees Grant to provide the opportunity to transport about 1,700 school-aged children in Tulare, Kings and Fresno County to engage in outdoor exercise. The help from the grant covered the cost of transporattion for groups of six or more via the Sequoia Shuttle. The Shuttle transported over 200 students and about 1,500 seats will be available through this program during the 2015 Season.

To read the staff report, click here.

Outreach meetings on district maps Jan. 20, 28

Have a Voice and help draw the boundaries for 2016 district elections.

The public is encouraged to submit their ideas for how the five district boundaries for the City Council elections beginning in 2016 should be drawn. Public participation kits are available online or at City Hall. Plans are asked to be submitted by Jan. 15 to Doug Johnson of National Demographers Corporation by email at [email protected].

To date, 12 maps have been submitted by citizens. At the Dec. 2 meeting, Johnson presented all maps submitted by the public and each were allowed to speak on their individual maps. In addition, Johnson also presented three considerations for Council discussion.

Two meetings will be held to discuss maps submitted, and the process moving forward. The meetings will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20 at Annie Mitchell Elementary School, and Wednesday, Jan. 28, at Oak Grove Elementary School. Mr. Johnson will facilitate the meetings, show the maps submitted by the public and also discuss the district election mapping process. It's the Council's goal to have a final map approved by June 30.

For more information on the City's District Election process, including links to public participation kits and maps already submitted by citizens, click here.