Antelope Valley Bus Regains Santa Clarita Service Contract

Citing a checkered safety and performance record, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday decided to sever ties with a transit company that had provided bus service to Santa Clarita Valley residents.

The board unanimously refused to award a new contract to Pacific Busing, a Los Angeles-based firm, even though it had submitted the lowest bid. Instead, the board awarded the one-year, $756,851 contract to the only other bidder, Antelope Valley Bus, which had served Santa Clarita Valley bus riders for 10 years before Pacific Bus took over in 1987.

Earlier this month, the city of Santa Clarita--which will provide 85% of the funds for the service--voted to award the contract to Antelope Valley Bus.

During a six-month period ending in June, Pacific Busing violated its contract by substituting smaller buses at least 100 times and failing to provide buses on 33 runs, said Thomas Tidemanson, county Department of Public Works director.

In addition, a California Highway Patrol inspection in December indicated that four of the firm’s six buses had brake problems, said Ted Pendleton, a Department of Public Works civil engineer. The CHP concluded the company was not following an effective maintenance program.

The company’s president, Brian Navis, contended Tuesday that his buses ran smoothly most of the time and many problems have been resolved.

“If I thought the service was terrible, I wouldn’t be spending the time here,” Navis told the board. “I honestly believe the level of service was reasonable.”

The county cited Pacific Bus three times this year for a series of contract violations. The county alleged that Pacific Bus had operated some dirty or non-air conditioned buses, its drivers were sometimes abusive or unfamiliar with the routes and buses were tardy or failed to appear.

“This is the first time I’m aware of where we’ve had a bus contract with significant ongoing problems,” Pendleton said.

When Pacific Busing’s one-year contract expired in late June, Antelope Valley Bus was given a two-month interim contract until the supervisors decided what to do.

Supervisor Pete Schabarum urged Navis to improve his bus track record and resubmit a bid next year.

“When a guy doesn’t perform under a contract, he gets the old heave-ho,” Schabarum said.