NCTD modifies Route 306 schedule

The North County Transit District changes, which took effect April 1, include a modified schedule for NCTD Route 306 which connects Fallbrook to the Vista Transit Center.

The changes are expected to improve coordination between Route 306 and NCTD’s Sprinter light rail line as well as other bus routes with stops at the Vista Transit Center.

“The changes that were made to Breeze Route 306 April 1 were weekday schedule adjustments which improve connections with other services,” Kimy Wall, NCTD marketing and communications manager, said. “With the slightly modified schedule riders can make a smoother transition to their connection to the Sprinter at Vista Transit Center.”

The first Breeze bus leaving Ivy Street and Main Avenue on Mondays through Fridays had departed at 5:08 a.m. and arrived at the Vista Transit Center at 5:48 a.m. That bus now leaves Ivy Street and Main Avenue at 5:10 a.m. and arrives at the Vista Transit Center at 5:50 a.m. in the absence of delays.

Sprinter trains leaving Vista for Escondido depart at 26 and 56 minutes after the hour, while the Sprinter trains headed to Oceanside leave Vista on the hour and 30 minutes after the hour. The two-minute change moves the scheduled arrival time at South Mission Road and Ammunition Road from 5:11 to 5:13 with an arrival six minutes later at Fallbrook High School, seven minutes after that at Mission Road and state Route 76 and 5:37 rather than 5:35 at East Vista Way and Hutchison Street.

On weekdays, Route 306 makes 20 trips from Fallbrook to Vista. Service from Fallbrook to Vista is every half-hour until the 7:55 departure from Ivy Street and Main Avenue, which was previously 7:53, and every hour between 8:33 a.m. and 7:41 p.m. with the new schedule before a final departure at 9:17 p.m.

The buses, which now depart at 6:06 a.m., 6:59 a.m. and 7:55 a.m., also have scheduled arrivals at the Vista Transit Center 50 minutes after the hour rather than 48 minutes after the hour, as was the case with the previous schedule – the bus which left Fallbrook at 6:55 a.m. had a 7:46 a.m. scheduled arrival time. The buses which leave Fallbrook at 5:39 a.m., 6:34 a.m., 7:25 a.m., 8:33 a.m., 9:33 a.m., 10:34 a.m., 11:34 a.m., 12:34 p.m., 1:35 p.m., 2:34 p.m., 3:34 p.m., 4:35 p.m., 5:36 p.m., 6:37 p.m. and 7:41 p.m. are expected to arrive at the Vista Transit Center 20 minutes after the hour instead of the previous schedule’s time of 18 minutes after the hour. The schedule is unchanged for the bus which leaves Ivy Street and Main Avenue at 9:17 p.m. and arrives at the Vista Transit Center at 9:53 p.m.

The Route 306 buses, which had left the Vista Transit Center at 35 minutes after the hour, now leave at 37 minutes after the hour, allowing two minutes extra for westbound Sprinter passengers who must cross the tracks to transfer to the buses. The first bus now leaves Vista at 5:37 a.m. rather than 5:35 a.m. and theoretically arrives at Ivy Street and Main Avenue at 6:12 a.m., instead of 6:10 a.m. Buses now also leave Vista at 6:07 a.m., 6:37 a.m., 7:07 a.m., 7:37 a.m., 8:07 a.m., 8:37 a.m., 9:07 a.m., 9:37 a.m., 10:37 a.m., 11:37 a.m., 12:37 p.m., 1:37 p.m., 2:37 p.m., 3:37 p.m., 4:37 p.m., 5:07 p.m., 5:37 p.m., 6:37 p.m., 7:37 p.m. and 8:37 p.m. The final bus out of the Vista Transit Center ideally arrives at Ivy Street and Main Avenue at 9:14 p.m.

The Route 306 schedule for Saturdays, Sundays and holidays is unchanged. The 16 bus trips from Fallbrook to Vista begin at 5:13 a.m. and run through 8:08 p.m. with arrival at the Vista Transit Center 48 minutes after the hour. The 15 bus trips from Vista to Fallbrook begin at 6:08 a.m. and conclude with the bus leaving Vista at 8:08 p.m. and arriving at Ivy Street and Main Avenue at 8:48 p.m.

“NCTD evaluates the current service on a monthly and quarterly basis in a comprehensive review and makes changes every six months,” Wall said.