SunLine outlines 'Rides Reimagined' public process to reshape Coachella Valley routes
February 13, 2026 | Palm Desert, Riverside County, California
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Mona Vabalta, general manager of the SunLine Transit Agency and a Palm Desert resident, briefed the Palm Desert City Council on Feb. 12 on an 18‑month study called Rides Reimagined to rethink where and when buses operate in the Coachella Valley.
Vabalta said SunLine operates across more than 1,100 square miles and reported about 3,000,000 boardings annually, with roughly 15% of riders boarding in Palm Desert. She described SunLine’s mixed service portfolio: fixed‑route buses, complementary paratransit that operates within three‑quarters of a mile of fixed routes, SunRide — the agency’s on‑demand app/phone service priced at $3 per trip — and a subsidized taxi program for older adults and qualifying people with disabilities.
The agency has collected performance data, including ridership patterns and cellphone‑inferred activity locations, and is conducting bilingual public surveys (paper copies are available) and pop‑up outreach at bus stops, senior centers and civic meetings. Vabalta said the public input and analysis will produce two service scenarios for the board to consider in the May–June timeframe: one that concentrates larger buses in denser areas to boost ridership, and a coverage model that extends service more widely across the valley. Staff will present map‑based alternatives to the public and solicit feedback before the board selects a final scenario.
Council members asked about SunRide geofence limits and whether College of the Desert students could use the service beyond campus; Vabalta said COD sits inside a geofence and riders are restricted to travel within each geofence, and she offered to follow up with precise boundary information. Staff also plans outreach at the Palm Desert Library and other community sites.
The presentation did not include formal council action; Vabalta said SunLine staff will return to the public and the SunLine board with service alternatives and a final scenario after completing the engagement process.
Vabalta said SunLine operates across more than 1,100 square miles and reported about 3,000,000 boardings annually, with roughly 15% of riders boarding in Palm Desert. She described SunLine’s mixed service portfolio: fixed‑route buses, complementary paratransit that operates within three‑quarters of a mile of fixed routes, SunRide — the agency’s on‑demand app/phone service priced at $3 per trip — and a subsidized taxi program for older adults and qualifying people with disabilities.
The agency has collected performance data, including ridership patterns and cellphone‑inferred activity locations, and is conducting bilingual public surveys (paper copies are available) and pop‑up outreach at bus stops, senior centers and civic meetings. Vabalta said the public input and analysis will produce two service scenarios for the board to consider in the May–June timeframe: one that concentrates larger buses in denser areas to boost ridership, and a coverage model that extends service more widely across the valley. Staff will present map‑based alternatives to the public and solicit feedback before the board selects a final scenario.
Council members asked about SunRide geofence limits and whether College of the Desert students could use the service beyond campus; Vabalta said COD sits inside a geofence and riders are restricted to travel within each geofence, and she offered to follow up with precise boundary information. Staff also plans outreach at the Palm Desert Library and other community sites.
The presentation did not include formal council action; Vabalta said SunLine staff will return to the public and the SunLine board with service alternatives and a final scenario after completing the engagement process.
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