The Palo Verde Valley Transit Agency (PVVTA) provides many transit options to serve senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and the general public. PVVTA services are known to the general public under the marketing name “Desert Roadrunner”. PVVTA provides five deviated fixed routes in the Palo Verde Valley, which serve Blythe, Ripley, Mesa Verde, Palo Verde College, California Department of Corrections facilities, and limited service to Ehrenberg, Arizona. ADA Para-transit is also provided after hours on the Fixed Routes through route deviation requests. The routes can deviate up to ¾ of a mile away from the actual mapped routes. Hours of operation for the Fixed Route system are Monday through Friday from 5:00 am to 6:45 pm, and 8:00 am to 12 noon on Saturdays and limited holidays. PVVTA operates a non-emergency medical service to the Coachella Valley from Blythe called the Blythe Wellness Express (BWE).
The Transportation Reimbursement and Information Project provides transportation reimbursement to individuals unable to access PVVTA Fixed Route services. The PVVTA’s transit services are contracted with Transportation Concepts of Irvine, California. Transportation Concepts has been providing transit service for PVVTA since October of 2003. PVVTA also has an agreement with the Independent Living Partnership to administer the (Desert RoadTRIP) that has been in place since 1995.
The Blythe Wellness Express fixed route provides service fixed route/point deviation service between the City of Blythe and medical facilities in the Coachella Valley. The service includes one morning trip leaving the Main Street Park-and-Ride in Blythe at 7:30 am, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and arriving back in Blythe at 5:00 pm.
This route will provide services to Desert Center (upon request) for pick up and drop off of passengers, with a rest stop at Chiriaco Summit. Continue to Sunline Division 2, Indio; John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Indio; Westfield Palm Desert; Eisenhower Medical Center, Rancho Mirage; and Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs. After the last drop off at Desert Regional Medical Center, the bus will deadhead to Sunline Division 2 in Indio and run the route for pickup of passengers and head back to Blythe.
Geographically, the Palo Verde Valley is located approximately 170 miles east of Riverside along Interstate 10 at the Colorado River. The service area is primarily based within the City of Blythe, and the unincorporated Riverside County areas of Mesa Verde and Ripley. Also, part of the greater area is the California State prison facilities of Ironwood and Chuckawalla, approximately 20 miles west of the valley along Interstate 10. Also, PVVTA provides premier service to and from Coachella Valley.
The valley’s population is approximately 18,000 residents. Population growth in the valley decreased at an average of about two percent per year but this trend is slowing over the last year. The valley is agriculturally diverse providing many outdoor jobs and direct support to the local community. Major employers include; the Ironwood State Prison, Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, the Palo Verde College and the Palo Verde Hospital.