Golden Empire Transit

Golden Empire Transit
A Hydrogen Fuel Bus at the CSUB Transit Center
ParentGolden Empire Transit District
Founded1973
Headquarters1830 Golden State Avenue
LocaleBakersfield, California
Service areaGreater Bakersfield
Service typebus service
Routes16
Stops1,600
HubsDowntown Transit Center
Southwest Transit Center
Bakersfield College
CSUB
Fleet90 standard CNG buses
10 Hydrogen Buses
49 On-Demand vehicles
Daily ridership11,400 (weekdays, Q3 2024)[1]
Annual ridership3,531,400 (2023)[2]
Fuel typeCNG, Hydrogen fuel
Websitegetbus.org

Golden Empire Transit is the operator of mass transportation in Bakersfield, California. There are 16 routes serving Greater Bakersfield, which includes both the City of Bakersfield and adjacent unincorporated communities. Since 2005, almost the entire bus fleet has been powered by compressed natural gas. In 2021, 5 hydrogen buses were added to the fleet, with an additional 5 planned for purchase in the future. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,531,400, or about 11,400 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

The government agency is an independent transit agency and is not directly associated with either the City of Bakersfield or the County of Kern. However, it co-ordinates with both the city and county, as well as the Kern Council of Governments (which represents most local governments in the county). It is also the direct descendant of the Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway, which originally provided streetcar service to the city.

  1. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.