North County TDA Article 8 Public Hearing Board Recommends GoPass Program

Lancaster – (03/06/2025) On Tuesday, March 04, 2025, Antelope Valley Transit Authority CEO and Executive Director Martin Tompkins presented at the 2025 North County Transportation Development Act – Article 8 Public Hearing on Unmet Transit Needs. The annual hearing was held at the Community Room and AVTA’s office at 42210 6th Street West in Lancaster California. 

The California Transportation Development Act, enacted in 1972 (Senate Bill 325) provides the major source of state funds to support public transit services. The public hearing is held to hear testimony regarding the allocation of Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 8 funds.

During AVTA’s presentation, Martin Tompkins presented AVTA’s 2024 activities to promote LA Metro’s and AVTA’s student bus pass program, the GoPass Program. Tompkins reported to the hearing board that Antelope Valley Union High School District and Antelope Valley College both renewed their GoPass Program for the 2024/2025 GoPass year and that AVTA encourages middle schools in the Antelope Valley to consider the GoPass program for their students. Tompkins also reported that during the 2023/2024 GoPass year, AVTA registered 1,350 total students, counted 25,163 student boardings on the AVTA system, and 1,536 student boardings on non-AVTA transit systems. 

City of Lancaster Vice Mayor, Marvin Crist, who was appointed by the North County TDA Article 8 Public Hearing Board to be the chairman of the board’s proceedings, discussed the agency’s efforts at reaching out to school districts to help the Antelope Valley’s middle school student obtain this valuable bus pass that is free to the students once the school districts adopt the GoPass Program.

“Please let our community know that this board recommends the school districts with middle school students adopt this program for the benefit of their students and families,” stated City of Lancaster Vice Mayor and Hearing Chairman, Marvin Crist. “This free bus pass program is a huge benefit to our communities’ students. We recommend the middle schools adopt this program for their students.” 

In addition to Marvin Crist, Vice Mayor, City of Lancaster, the North County TDA Article 8 Public Hearing Board included Richard Loa, Mayor, City of Palmdale, Eric Ohlsen, Council Member, City of Palmdale, and Dave Perry, representing Los Angeles County Supervisor Barger’s office.

Local school districts interested in considering the AVTA and LA Metro GoPass Program should contact James Royal at AVTA by email at jroyal@avta.com or call 661.729.2255.

AVTA provides local, commuter and dial-a-ride service to a population of more than 450,000 residents in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale as well as the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County. Its total service area covers 1,200 square miles and it is bounded by the Kern County line to the north, the San Bernardino County line to the east, the Angeles National Forest to the south, and Interstate 5 to the West.

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