The document provides an overview of several recent studies related to transportation in Kern County, California. These include a Bicycle Master Plan, Long Range Transit Plan, HOV/BRT Study, Commuter Rail Feasibility Study, Short Haul Rail Freight Study, and Goods Movement Strategy. The plans examine expanding bicycle infrastructure, improving and expanding bus and potential rail services, increasing high-occupancy vehicle lanes, and addressing goods movement needs over the next 20 years to accommodate projected population and employment growth. Recommendations include new bike lanes, rapid bus routes, express bus routes, HOV lanes, potential future light rail or commuter rail, and highway expansion projects.

1. Overview of Recent Studies

2. Overview of Recent Studies
• Kern County Bicycle Master Plan
• Long Range Transit Plan
• High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)/ Bus Rapid
Transit (BRT) Study
• Commuter Rail Feasibility Study
• Kern County Goods Movement Strategy
• Short Haul Rail Freight Study

3. Kern County Bicycle Master Plan
• Goal
– Assess existing bicycle
facilities
– Develop a plan for new
bicycle amenities
– Provide
recommendations for
complete streets

4. Kern County Bicycle Master Plan
• 664 miles of new bikeways including:
– 30 miles of Class I bike paths
– 297 miles of Class II bikes lanes
– 46.6 miles of Class III bike routes
– 186 miles for Class III bike routes on State routes

5. Long Range Transit Plan
• Goal
– Document the
relationship between:
• Population growth
• Employment growth
• Transit ridership demand
• Current operations
– Improve Customer Service
– Improve Cost-
effectiveness

6. Expanding Access to High Quality Transit

7. GET Long Range Transit Plan
• Short-Term Recommendations
– New Transit Center at CSUB
– Increased service to CSUB and BC
– Faster cross-town trips: Express routes, “Rapid”
routes, More direct routes
• Mid- Long- Term Recommendations
– Accommodate projected growth
– Phase out downtown and southwest Transit Centers
– Convert “Rapid” routes to full Bus Rapid Transit
– Introduce “enhanced” KRT intercity express bus routes

8. 2005 Transit Priority Areas – 5,600 Households

9. 2012 Transit Priority Areas – 127,600 Households

10. 2035 Transit Priority Areas – 415,000 Households

11. Employer
Subsidized Transit
• 19,000 employee
trips per year
• 1.4 Million Miles
Less Travel Annually

12. Kern Regional Transit (KRT)
Service Analysis
• Goal
– Determine whether KRT
might be able to take
advantage of the GET
changes to:
• Improve service for its
own customers
• Reduce operating costs

13. Kern Regional Transit (KRT)
Service Analysis

14. Draft High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)/
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Study
• Goal
– Examine the long-range
feasibility of
implementing HOV
lanes and/or BRT
services
– Assess the
performance, benefits,
and potential impacts
of HOV and BRT

15. High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)/
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Study
• Short- and Mid-Term Recommendations
– Improve rapid bus with:
• Traffic signal priority systems and queue jump lanes
• Exclusive HOV and bus lanes
– Introduce express bus service along SR 178/24th
Street/Rosedale Highway
– Construct truck climbing lanes eastbound SR-58
– Add express bus services
– Introduce ramp meters at identified interchanges
– Designate new peak period-only HOV lane

16. One Approach:
Phased Light Rail
Today
Bus Rapid
Transit
Long Range
Light Rail

17. Centers/Corridors Concept

18. Commuter Rail Feasibility Study
• Goal
– Examine a set of alternatives
for providing commuter rail
service within:
• Bakersfield metropolitan area
• Surrounding portions of Kern
County
• Eastern region of the county
– Identify corridors that may be
feasible for future service and
potential station locations

19. Commuter Rail Rosamond
Feasibility Study
Expansion of MetroLink
to Rosamond
Added stops to Amtrak
Northwest of Bakersfield
Possible Future South
Valley Commuter Rail
Link to Study: Delano
http://www.kerncog.org/docs/studie
s/KernCOG_Commuter_Rail_Draft_R
Wasco
eport_20120720.pdf
Bakersfield

20. Short-Haul Rail Freight Study Phase II
• Goal
– Expand on Short-
Haul Rail Freight
Study Phase I
– Focus on San
Joaquin Valley Rail
(SJVR) operations
– Profile existing
traffic base based on
shipper comments
– Forecast growth in
traffic base 10 years
into the future

21. Short-Haul Rail Freight Study Phase II
• Recommendations
– Proactively identify rail quality service issues &
solutions
– Engage KEDC, SJVR and communities to craft
solutions to attract rail-dependent industries.
– Develop multi-use facilities along Buttonwillow
and Oil City corridors
– Explore rail intermodal options
– Explore potential future uses for the southern
portion of the Arvin Subdivision

22. Kern County Goods
Movement Strategy 21%
• Goal
Survey
– Use data from SR-58, SR-
99/I-5, SR-223, 166, 119, 46 29% Locations
& 65 Origins & Destinations
Studies to inform future
project development
activities
– Propose future truck-
related capital
improvements through 9%
2035
– Determine the impact of
current and future
transportation projects on
goods movement

23. Kern County Goods
Movement Strategy
• Stakeholder Project Ranking
– SR-58 – From I-5/SR-58 to Allen Road – add through
lanes
– SR-58 – From Union Avenue to Cottonwood Road –
add through lanes
• Other Project Ranking – (not a complete list)
— Southbound SR-99 off-ramp – Panama Lane to Wible
Road - add auxiliary lane
— SR-119 – From Golf Course Road to aqueduct – add
through lanes
— SR-178 – From SR-184 to Rancheria Road – add
through lanes