SunLine Transit Agency expands new transportation service to local veterans

SunLine Transit Agency is now offering a new transportation option called SunRide to Veterans Village veterans and their families.

The SunLine Board of Directors recently approved the expansion of SunRide service in Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs, which went into effect in May. Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, a board member for SunLine Transit Agency, requested that SunLine make a presentation to let veterans residing at Veterans Village know about the service, as a new option that was not available before.

SunRide is an on-demand rideshare service, similar to Uber or Lyft, that allows passengers to get around their neighborhoods, including grocery stores, doctor offices, parks, city offices, and fixed bus routes (1WV, 2, and 4) which allow passengers to travel to other cities in the Coachella Valley.

"It connects somebody from here to the nearest fixed-route bus stop that's most convenient to their final destination," according to Jill Plaza, Taxi/Contracted Transportation Services Administrator for Sunline.

The service operates within specific zones or boundaries Monday through Friday between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The average wait time for a ride is between 10-15 minutes and all of the vehicles are wheelchair accessible.

The service costs $3 per person, per ride and includes the cost of a fixed route transfer. SunRide accepts cash, credit card, or a transfer for a fixed bus route. Bus passes are not accepted as a form of payment for the SunRide service.

"As we expand service, we'll be looking at fares and fare structures and seeing how want to diversify those," according to Jill Plaza, Taxi/Contracted Transportation Services Administrator for Sunline.

SunRide trips can be booked by downloading the app, or by calling a customer service phone number. The app allows users to see how close their ride is, since all stops are virtual.

There are 7 zones that SunRide currently operates in: Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs/Desert Edge, Indio, Mecca/North Shore, Palm Desert and Palm Springs.

A representative with Perez's office attended today's presentation, along with Cathedral City Mayor Rita Lamb, and representatives from SunLine, who gave an overview of how the service works and answered questions.

Veterans Village of Cathedral City is a newly opened community of 60 apartments for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Veterans Village was constructed by Urban Housing Communities with the in collaboration and partnership with Riverside County, the City of Cathedral City, the VA, the State of California and Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, and was opened last November the day before Veterans Day. One of the key features of this community is having on-site social workers, case managers and wraparound services providing support in veterans’ lives, and SunRide is the latest service that can be a community resource to the veterans.

“I am very proud that SunLine Transit Agency has put Veterans Village into the expanded service area for SunRide. This is something beneficial, especially for veterans who may have limited or no access to transportation," said Supervisor Perez in a press release.

Watch News Channel 3 at 5:00 p.m. for more on the story.