Stanislaus transit agency plans bigger bus yard. Hydrogen fuel will happen first
A 29-acre site on Crows Landing Road will be the future headquarters of the Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority.
Its board voted unanimously Sept. 25 to spend $8.72 million for the mostly vacant land at the northwest corner with Service Road. It will double the capacity of the current bus yard in downtown Modesto to 200 vehicles.
The agency has secured about $66 million toward the $100 million estimated cost. It could be completed by 2029 if the rest comes together, Chief Executive Officer Adam Barth said. The project could be built in phases if needed.
The larger bus yard will help StanRTA meet a state mandate for climate-safe emissions. It has chosen hydrogen to supplant the diesel fleet in stages by 2040.
The first three of the hydrogen buses will enter service early next year, fueled by a portable system at the current yard. It is on Eighth Street next to the Needham Street overpass.
The agency was created via the 2021 merger of the Modesto Area Express and Stanislaus Regional Transit. It did not include Turlock Transit’s local buses, but the regional service has routes that include the city.
StanRTA also operates routes for Bay Area commuters. One goes to the Dublin BART station, the other to the Altamont Corridor Express stop at the Manteca-Lathrop border.
The new yard will be centrally located in Stanislaus County, said Angela Swanson, capital project manager. The current site was built for 100 buses but now has 139 due to the merger, she said.
StanRTA has a contract with Transdev to drive and maintain the buses, employing 267 people. The new site also will house the agency’s 17 staff members, now in a leased office on 11th Street. The current bus yard is leased from the city of Modesto.
For the public, the main hub will continue to be the Modesto Transit Center on Ninth Street. It was renovated in 2023 and also will serve ACE’s upcoming expansion.
The bus fleet includes full-size vehicles for the fixed routes, as well as smaller models for the dial-a-ride service. A few run on electric batteries, but the long-term plan is hydrogen fuel cells.
The new bus yard will have a 15,000-gallon tank for hydrogen produced elsewhere. Each bus will have a fuel cell that generates electricity when the element passes through it. The only emission is water vapor.
The first use early next year will be under a $6.54 million contract with Linde Services Inc. It will set up a portable fueling station at the current bus yard and make weekly deliveries. The deal is for five years, with an option for two more. Three to five buses will be fueled over that time.
The new site is part of a 57-acre parcel owned by G3 Enterprises. It is planning a warehouse project on the western portion. The sale to StanRTA hinges on the Ceres City Council approving the parcel split Oct. 21. The site has a small house that will be vacated.
The bus yard will be directly across Crows Landing from the Stanislaus County Agricultural Center. It has county, state and federal agencies serving farmers. Just to its north are county social services, the Sheriff’s Office and an animal shelter.
The StanRTA headquarters will have a boardroom available for community events. It will be a new stop on Route 42, which runs between Ceres and downtown Modesto.
The funding began with a $16.1 million state grant for the land purchase, design and environmental study. The state provided an additional $47.5 million toward the construction. StanRTA is seeking the remaining $36.4 million from state and federal sources.
