Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System
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Passengers boarding a YARTS bus at the Merced Amtrak station. | |
| Slogan | Watch the Scenery, Not the Road |
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| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Merced, California |
| Service area | Merced/Yosemite region |
| Service type | Intercity Coach |
| Alliance | VIA Adventures, Inc. |
| Fleet | MCI D4500CT |
| Operator | Merced County Association of Governments |
| Website | YARTS.com |
The Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System, also known as YARTS, is a public transit bus line based in Merced, California. YARTS provides scheduled service into popular locations within Merced, Mariposa, Mono,[1] Madera, and Fresno counties,[2] including Yosemite National Park[1] and Fresno Yosemite International Airport.[3]
History
First proposed in 1992, YARTS was designed as a way to reduce traffic and increase accessibility to Yosemite National Park. In May 2000, after 8 years of planning, the bus line officially commenced service in Yosemite's neighboring communities.[4] To date, the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System has provided over 1,000,000 rides.[1]
On May 23, 2015, YARTS began operating on Highway 41 between Fresno and Yosemite.[2][5]
Operation
YARTS is managed by the Merced County Association of Governments, and governed by a Joint Powers Authority between Merced, Mariposa, and Mono counties. Each county provides two elected supervisors to serve on the governing board.[4]
VIA Adventures
Although the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System maintains a proprietary fleet of motor coaches, the majority of passengers utilizing the YARTS service are carried by VIA Adventures.
VIA Adventures, Inc. is a private charter bus company based in Merced and Tempe, Arizona. Through a contract with YARTS, VIA Adventures handles most of the passenger traffic originating from stops along the Highway 140 route. During the month of July 2011, VIA carried over 10,000 passengers.[6]
Communities Served
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Mariposa County |
Mono County |
Merced County |
Tuolumne County |
Madera County |
Fresno County |
References
- 1 2 3 About - YARTS
- 1 2 Wilkinson, Brian (2015-05-22). "Fresno-Yosemite bus service begins Saturday". Sierra Star. Retrieved 2015-05-27.
- 1 2 3 4 YARTS Highway 41 Bus Schedule
- 1 2 "YARTS celebrates 10 years". Merced Sun-Star. Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
- ↑ George, Carmen (2015-05-20). "New bus route from Fresno to Yosemite starts Saturday". Fresno Bee. Retrieved 2015-05-27.
- ↑ Monthly VIA Report 070110
External links
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