Needles Area Transit

Needles Area Transit provides deviated fixed route service on a single route within Needles. The service operates hourly, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and for 4 hours on Saturday.

NAT serves most of the area within the City, with the exception of some trailer parks on the north end of the city.

The single NAT route operates as two loops, starting and ending at the same stop on G Street and Broadway, near the city's Chamber of Commerce. At the start of each hour (nn:00), the bus departs on the West Loop, returning to G and Broadway at 25 minutes past the hour (nn:25). At the half hour (nn:30), the bus departs on the North-South Loop, returning to G and Broadway at 55 minutes past the hour (nn:55). Both loops service the city's major shopping center (Needles Towne Center), departing at 20 and 50 minutes past the hour on the return leg along Broadway to the route's origin/end point.{{cite web |url=http://cityofneedles.com/transit/#tab-a3b7c39b08a181f93c7 |title=Route Map |publisher=City of Needles |access-date=1 April 2021}} Deviations from the fixed route are allowed, schedule permitting, if pre-arranged with the dispatcher.{{cite web |url=http://cityofneedles.com/transit/#tab-37022ccd41e7fa7cdb3 |title=How to Ride the NAT |publisher=City of Needles |access-date=2 April 2021}}

In 2014, NAT offered a seasonal route with service to Jack Smith Park, which offers recreational access to the Colorado River. Riders were not allowed to carry rafts, but deflated river inflatables were allowed, as long as they were stowed in a bag.{{cite news |url=https://zachnews.net/2014/04/09/video-alert-needles-ca-needles-area-transit-n-a-t-jack-smith-park-seasonal-express-route/ |title=Video Alert!!: Needles, CA: Needles Area Transit (N.A.T.) Jack Smith Park Seasonal Express route. |author=Lopez, Zachary |date=April 9, 2014 |work=ZachNews |access-date=2 April 2021}}{{cite news |url=https://mohavedailynews.com/news/54020/nat-to-provide-service-to-jack-smith-park/ |title=NAT to provide service to Jack Smith Park |author=Denevan, Jennifer |work=Needles Desert Star |date=April 14, 2014 |access-date=2 April 2021}}

In addition to the single NAT fixed route, the City of Needles operates the Needles Dial-a-Ride (aka Senior Shuttle), with curb-to-curb service for persons age 55 and over or persons with limited mobility, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday; Dial-a-Ride Medical, open to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis, with trips to medical facilities in Bullhead City, Arizona on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and Shopper Shuttle Pilot to major retail stores in Fort Mohave, including Walmart and Safeway, on Wednesdays.{{cite report |url=https://www.gosbcta.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Support-Material-Agenda-Item-No.-12-Needles-SRTP.pdf |title=Needles Transit Services Short Range Transit Plan 2020–2025 |author=AMMA Transit Planning |date=November 2019 |publisher=City of Needles |access-date=2 April 2021 |version=Draft}}{{rp|4}}

Public transportation within Needles started with a 1984 agreement between the city and the Needles Senior Citizens Club. The city entered in to a contract with the Club to provide specialized transportation services, becoming responsible for hiring and providing drivers, and for purchasing the paratransit vehicles. In 2016, McDonald Transit Associates took over operations for the Dial-a-Ride services.{{cite report |url=http://cityofneedles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/CC-09242019.pdf#page=50 |title=Agreement for Dial-a-Ride and Dial-a-Ride Medical/Shopper Shuttle Pilot Program Services |date=September 24, 2019 |publisher=City of Needles |access-date=5 April 2021}}

NAT began operating in May 1995; the initial operator was Laidlaw.{{cite news |url=https://mohavedailynews.com/news/115058/city-seeks-new-operator-for-needles-area-transit/ |title=City seeks new operator for Needles Area Transit |author=Smith, Cat |date=May 3, 2006 |work=News West |access-date=5 April 2021}} The operations contract subsequently was taken over by McDonald Transit Associates, the transit affiliate of RATP Dev,{{cite press release |url=https://www.masstransitmag.com/home/press-release/11684027/mcdonald-transit-associates-inc-mcdonald-transit-offers-management-services |title=McDonald Transit Offers Management Services |date=September 1, 2014 |work=Mass Transit Magazine |access-date=2 April 2021}} from 2006 to 2019.{{cite news |url=https://mohavedailynews.com/news/18018/what-must-city-do-to-retain-bus-service-needles-city-council-meets-feb-12/ |title=What must city do to retain bus service? Needles City Council meets Feb. 12 |author=Richards, Robin |work=Mohave Valley Daily News West |date=February 11, 2019 |access-date=2 April 2021}} Transportation Concepts, the transit division of Parking Concepts, Inc., took over the operations contracts for NAT and Dial-a-Ride services starting in October 2019.{{cite news |url=https://zachnews.net/2019/09/30/needles-ca-summary-and-voting-results-from-the-needles-city-council-meeting-5/ |title=Needles, CA: Summary and voting results from the Needles City Council Meeting. |author=Lopez, Zachary |date=September 30, 2019 |work=ZachNews |access-date=5 April 2021}}{{cite web |url=http://cityofneedles.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NAT-schedule-Aug-2020-USE-THIS-ONE-relocate-Best-Wstrn-to-Chevron.pdf |title=Needles Area Transit Rider's Guide |date=October 1, 2020 |publisher=City of Needles |access-date=2 April 2021}}

The NAT office and garage are in the west end of the historic El Garces Intermodal Transportation Facility, which connects with Amtrak.{{cite news |url=https://mohavedailynews.com/news/44502/more-change-orders-for-needles-area-transit-garage/ |title=More change orders for Needles Area Transit garage |author=Denevan, Jennifer |date=April 2, 2015 |work=Needles Desert Star |access-date=5 April 2021}} NAT uses two 18-passenger buses and the Dial-a-Ride service uses a single 9-passenger bus.{{cite news |url=https://mohavedailynews.com/news/40305/nat-dial-a-ride-to-get-new-vehicles/ |author=Flores, Saul A. |title=NAT, Dial-a-Ride to get new vehicles |date=November 18, 2016 |work=Needles Desert Star |access-date=5 April 2021}}

New shelters/benches were installed at bus stops in February 2019, and modern signs informed riders when buses are scheduled to arrive.{{cite news |url=https://zachnews.net/2019/02/19/needles-ca-new-bus-stop-shelters-benches-and-signage-installed-for-the-needles-area-transit/ |title=Needles, CA: New bus stop shelters, benches and signage installed for the Needles Area Transit. |author=Lopez, Zachary |date=February 19, 2019 |work=ZachNews |access-date=2 April 2021}}

In 2019, NAT was seeking funding from SBCTA for a pilot program named Shopper Shuttle. It would have taken residents to Fort Mojave for their grocery needs, as the city lost its only grocery store.https://www.gosbcta.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Support-Material-Agenda-Item-No.-12-Needles-SRTP.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}} The Pilot program was going to start late 2019 and continue until 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://zachnews.net/2019/09/30/needles-ca-summary-and-voting-results-from-the-needles-city-council-meeting-5/|title = Needles, CA: Summary and voting results from the Needles City Council Meeting|date = 30 September 2019}} The pilot program officially began in July 2021.https://www.gosbcta.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-12-09-Transit-Committee-Full-Agenda-1785.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}} In 2021, SBCTA recommended extending the Shopper Shuttle pilot into a limited stop fixed route, twice weekly service, to Bullhead City as a way to reduce cost on the transit system by combining the shopper shuttle with its separate dial-a-ride medical service.{{cite web |title=Transit Committee Meeting, September 2021 |url=https://www.gosbcta.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Support_Material_-_TC_-_Support_Material_Item_No_4.pdf |website=San Bernardino County Transportation Authority |access-date=12 March 2022}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://cityofneedles.com/transit/|Needles Area Transit official website}}
• [https://www.gosbcta.com/commuter-services/public-transportation-providers/ Sanbag info on public transit, including Needles]
• [http://www.sanbag.ca.gov/news/mi_factsheets2006/Needles.pdf funding for needles Transit]
• [http://www.sanbag.ca.gov/news/mi_factsheets2006/ColoradoRiver.pdf additional funding for needles Transit]
• [http://www.sanbag.ca.gov/news/meas-i_allocation.html measure I Fund allocation for needles]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20091009213629/http://www.sanbag.ca.gov/funding/mi_policies/SubareaBoundaries.pdf funding and jurisdiction for transit agency's in San bernardino county]

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{{IE Mass Transit}}

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Category:Mojave Desert

Category:Public transportation in San Bernardino County, California

Category:Lower Colorado River Valley

Category:Bus transportation in California

Category:RATP Group

Category:1995 establishments in California