15 Facts About Foothill Transit

Foothill Transit is a public transit agency that is government funded by 22 member cities in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys.

Foothill Transit operates out of two yards: one in Pomona, and the other in Arcadia ; the administrative offices moved to West Covina in 2007.

Foothill Transit was initially founded by 20 member cities; Pasadena voted to join in 1998.

In 1987, the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission approved Foothill Transit to take over fourteen routes which serviced the San Gabriel Valley that were currently operated by SCRTD.

SCRTD consented to Foothill Transit taking over the bus lines in December 1988 in return for the restoration of funding.

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Trial for the lawsuit against Foothill Transit started in May 1989, was resolved in Foothill's favor by July, and the other twelve lines previously operated by SCRTD were transitioned to Foothill Transit between 1989 and 1992.

The drivers and mechanics unions disputed the transfer of 486 and 488 since SCRTD had made the decision without negotiating with the union; an arbitrator held up the unions' argument, which led to duplicated service on those lines, as "Foothill Transit [had] the legal right to operate buses on the contested routes, but the [SCRTD had] the legal obligation to do so", and the union planned to use that precedent to roll back service to SCRTD on all fourteen lines.

The hourly operating cost under Foothill Transit was reduced by up to half compared to service under SCRTD, and ridership grew, but the contract operator drivers generally earned less in both wages and fringe benefits, and had less influence over working conditions.

Foothill Transit executives made the service essentially strike-proof by insisting that two different companies operate the two bus yards, even if it would cost more in the short term.

Currently, both Foothill Transit yards are represented by unions, but past strikes at the agency have been less than successful due to the ability of one yard to operate the other yard's service.

Contract operator drivers at Foothill Transit were represented by the Teamsters, but a 1994 Los Angeles Times article reported they earned an average of $11 per hour, compared to the average $18.

In 2017, Foothill Transit hired two new contractors, Keolis and Transdev, both of which are French transportation companies, to manage both of their bus storage yards.

In 2002, Foothill Transit began purchasing Compressed Natural Gas powered buses.

In 2010, Foothill Transit was the first transit system to operate an all-electric battery-powered bus from Proterra.

Foothill Transit provides shuttle service for UCLA Football games, the annual Rose Bowl Game, and other special events at the Rose Bowl from the Parsons Corporation parking lot, located on Walnut St and Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena.