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Over half a million people live in Kings and Tulare counties in the Central Valley of California. The development of California's high speed rail system has included plans for a future Kings/Tulare station to spur even more growth.
As part of a long-term vision for the state’s regional transportation network, the Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) is establishing a regional express bus transit service that will improve mobility and access for the people who live and work in this vibrant and growing region. Called the Cross Valley Express, the proposed 60-mile regional transit corridor will address a critical service gap for those traveling east to west across California’s Central Valley.
Arup developed the bus corridor operations plan, which involved defining the service, developing a phased schedule for rollout, conducting a cost estimate, specifying capital design principles, and outlining next steps for implementation. Our transportation planners and advisors collaborated with the local agencies and together envisioned an achievable plan for bus rapid transit operations, and helped secure $59 million in new funding from the State of California thus far.
The proposed corridor is centered around the Kings/Tulare California high-speed rail station. Together with high-speed rail, the Central Valley Express is a future transportation network, conveniently linking the region with the San Joaquin Valley and the statewide rail network.
In addition to connecting to high-speed rail, the bus service will provide an alternative option for many of the 130,000 daily car trips that are already occurring within the corridor. The vision for this program is to promote a safe, affordable, and efficient system that will increase access to public transportation. When implemented, the bus service will promote economic development and prosperity for the region.
Diagram of the proposed route for the Cross Valley Express
A phased delivery approach
The Cross Valley Express will link Kings and Tulare counties from east to west following the historic San Joaquin Valley Railroad freight corridor. The route will extend from the Naval Air Station Lemoore in Kings County to the Lindsay Transit Center in Tulare County, with long-term plans to provide rail service all the way from Huron to Porterville. At the center of the corridor is the planned Kings/Tulare high-speed rail station.
TCAG has worked in close consultation with communities throughout both counties, local transit agencies, regional transportation partners, and the California High Speed Rail Authority to develop a phased vision and implementation plan for service. The Cross Valley Express will be implemented in four phases over 10 years, prioritizing efficient, good value, and high-quality transit service.
Arup worked with TCAG staff to identify the route of the initial service, focusing on Lindsay in southern Tulare County; Visalia – the largest city in the area; Hanford – the county seat for Kings County; and Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, a significant employer at the west end of the route. Working within funding constraints and routing limitations, Arup defined a phased approach that first increases existing service between Hanford and Visalia, then extends to Lindsay, and finally stretches west to NAS Lemoore. Arup identified the cost of each service increase to help the client and stakeholders make an informed decision about the corridor.
The Cross Valley Express is a proposed 60-mile regional transit corridor will address a critical service gap for those traveling east to west across California’s Central Valley.
The bus service will provide an alternative option for many of the 130,000 daily car trips that are already occurring within the corridor.
Going electric
In California, all public transit agencies are mandated to use 100% zero emission bus fleets by 2040. Arup supported the decision making for the future procurement of electric buses and planning for the placement of charging infrastructure for the Cross Valley Express. A double-deck bus was determined by Arup to be the best option, offering room for a larger battery and better comfort for riders.
With electric battery-powered service, operators need to consider the range that a bus can travel between charges. Arup led a live, public demonstration to address energy storage and range concerns for the corridor. Running the bus in real time, we confirmed that the full corridor range could be handled by a battery-powered bus if charging was placed at both ends of the line.
Investment in capital infrastructure
Arup worked with TCAG to create a cost estimate and funding plan for the Cross Valley Express aligned with the phased approach. We outlined the operating and capital costs for the entire system, including bus purchase, passenger shelters and other amenities, traffic signals improvements, and charging infrastructure.
Arup then facilitated TCAG in presenting the project to leadership at the State of California and authored the grant proposal for funding consideration. In 2024, this project received $59.1 million in funding from California Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program. The funding will pay for the first phase of the corridor, to be built out by 2028.
City of Visalia / City of Hanford / CAHSR Authority / Alexander-Dennis Inc. / LSC / NWC Partners
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