New Stanislaus bus service names CEO and cuts fares. One vehicle has a special touch

The newly merged bus service for Stanislaus County announced a permanent CEO and a plan to reduce fares in 2022.

Merger advocates also paid tribute to Jenny Kenoyer, who chairs the new agency board, by naming the first repainted bus for her.

The system resulted from the July 1 merger of Modesto Area Express, better known as MAX, and Stanislaus Regional Transit, or START.

The combined service is overseen by the new Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority. The 123 buses will be painted dark blue, with the “Ride the S” slogan in gold.

Kenoyer is a Modesto City Council member and long-time advocate for transit. The other leaders surprised her Thursday with the announcement that the first repainted bus would be named for her. The words “Jenny Kenoyer” and a small portrait are just under the driver’s side window.

This took place at Tenth Street Place, just a block from the Transit Center, the longtime hub for both systems.

They have continued to have their old routes and schedules since the merger. Most long-term changes await a consultant’s report by summer.

The new agency does plan to adopt a single fare structure as of Jan. 1. It includes an all-day adult pass costing $2, replacing one-way tickets that were $2 on MAX and $1.80 on START. And passengers under 18 will ride for free rather than just getting discounts like the previous systems.

MAX has served mostly the Modesto area, with weekday buses also to Bay Area rail links. START runs to several parts of the county. The new system includes all of the county except Turlock, which continues to have its own buses.

Phil McGuire has served as interim CEO since the merger was approved in January of this year. Adam Barth will be the permanent CEO. He managed MAX before the merger and was director of planning and operations for the new agency.

Barth has been Modesto’s transit director since 2016. Before that, he was transit manager for Fairbanks North Star Borough in Alaska. He earlier worked at Holland America/Princess Cruises in Alaska, including transportation manager.

The first bus was repainted by Concept Auto Body of Ceres at a cost of about $8,900, McGuire said. The others will follow in the coming months under a contract to be awarded by the board, likely at a lower cost because of bulk ordering.

John Holland

The Modesto Bee

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John Holland covers agriculture, transportation and general assignment news. He has been with The Modesto Bee since 2000 and previously worked at newspapers in Sonora and Visalia. He was born and raised in San Francisco and has a journalism degree from UC Berkeley.