Survey circulating in Ramona asks for input by Sept. 14 on proposed shuttle route

A local shuttle service is being developed to serve Ramona. It could begin operating as early as 2027. In preparation, a survey is being circulated to determine route destinations, preferred days and times of service, and any service needs within the community. The route is expected to be roughly three miles in the vicinity of the Ramona Senior Center/ Community Center complex at 434 Aqua Lane. Some early suggestions for route stops include grocery stores and farmers markets, schools, health care centers, the Ramona Senior Center/Community Center, Ramona Library and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3783. But input on the route is still being taken through Monday, Sept. 14. The idea for a free shuttle service in Ramona started with residents who saw a need to help seniors, those with disabilities and those with low incomes get to doctor appointments, grocery stores and churches. One of the key advocates, Ramona resident Rose LaRosa, said she's thrilled the project is getting underway. However, LaRosa said she has concerns about including less tech-savvy people in the survey process. 'I'm excited about it getting off the ground, but I'm concerned about communicating about the service with people who really need it,' LaRosa said. With encouragement from LaRosa, Verna Silvia and Lavonna Connelly, Ramona Municipal Water District General Manager Erica Wolski applied for a $10 million grant in September 2023. Then, in April 2024, the grant was awarded by the California Strategic Growth Council. Since then, the project has included arranging an outreach team, collecting bids for transportation services and completing required paperwork, Wolski said. About $1 million of the grant covers two years of shuttle service, and just over $9 million of grant funds are planned for upgrades to the Ramona Senior Center/Community Center, Wolski said. The shuttle service would likely use electric-powered passenger vans that can carry up to 10 passengers, she added. The California Strategic Growth Council includes Gov. Gavin Newsom's cabinet secretaries, including Wade Crowfoot, who heads the California Natural Resources Agency, and Yana Garcia, who heads the California Environmental Protection Agency. The official grant partners are the water district as the lead applicant, the Ramona Senior Center, shuttle service-provider Facilitating Access to Coordinated Transportation Inc. (FACT), and the Ramona Junior Fair, Wolski said. 'We're happy the shuttle is finally coming to fruition,' Wolski said. 'Now we're excited it's close to happening.' Rebecca Cole and Melanie Perry, consultants with Ardurra hired by the water district to conduct the survey and community outreach, gave a presentation about the shuttle survey at the Sept. 3 Ramona Community Planning Group meeting. Cole, a public affairs and community relations director for Ardurra, said the local shuttle would be planned around the community's needs. The goal is to remove barriers to shuttle service accessibility and increase mobility for those who don't drive, Cole said. The survey in English and Spanish can be accessed digitally through a QR code available on a flyer. The direct link is tinyurl.com/RamonaShuttle. Printed copies are also being distributed around town at locations such as the Ramona Library, the Ramona Senior Center/Community Center and grocery stores. Questions include, 'Which type of shuttle service would work best for you?' and 'Which days and operating hours would be most helpful?' FACT will determine the route based on survey responses, Wolski said, and FACT would contract with a vendor to provide driving services. Ramona Community Planning Group member Basil Aruin asked whether the shuttle would have a regular route or whether riders could request service on demand. Cole said one of the survey questions asks if riders prefer to make reservations or have a set shuttle schedule. 'It needs to be reliable and quick,' Aruin said. Nearly $1 million of Ramona's grant will be used to conduct the shuttle survey, plan a route, buy two shuttle vehicles and operate the shuttles for two years, Wolski said. The funds will help keep ridership free for two years, but if the community wants to extend service beyond 40 hours per week, a rider fee may be required, she said. The remaining $9.06 million of the grant will primarily go toward design and construction of improvements at the Ramona Junior Fairgrounds and the Ramona Senior Center/Community Center, Wolski said. Some of the funds have already been spent on the design of the new Junior Fair shade structure, and work is being done to add a solar system and expand the Ramona Senior Center/Community Center with a meeting room, Wolski said. The solar system is needed to offset roughly $50,000 to $60,000 in energy expenses each year, she added. Additionally, plans are in the works to reserve space at a vacant lot at Fifth and A streets for a dog park once stormwater and flooding issues have been resolved, Wolski said.