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Right in the Middle of Central California

With two major railroads, extensive freeways, an international airport and several smaller airparks, the Greater Fresno area (centrally located between Los Angeles and Sacramento) is a transportation hub for Central California.

Connecting freeways make it convenient for motorists to travel throughout the metropolitan area and provide access to most of the city’s neighborhoods. State Route (SR) 99 offers a direct north-south route to Los Angeles (south) and to San Francisco (north). It’s an easy drive to the west side to connect with the Interstate 5 highway via SR 180 West.

Other major arteries include north-south SR 41 and 145, east-west SR 180 and east-west SR 168. These highways provide easy access to the three national parks (Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia) and national forests in the area. The roadway system also makes it convenient for the trucking industry to conduct business and move goods. The Burlington Northern Sante Fe, the Union Pacific and San Joaquin Valley Railroad provide rail service to the Valley.

Fresno Area Express (FAX) is a fast and efficient transit system (with a fleet of more than 100 vehicles) that offers 19 fixed-route bus lines providing service to schools, shopping centers, government offices, hospitals and more.

The Senior Seven Program provides people who are 65 years and older with unlimited access on FAX fixed-route buses. The Handy Ride paratransit service, a shared ride, curb-to-curb service is available upon request for those who are unable to use FAX due to a disability.

Ground travel is also available through the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA), which provides bus service (see ad on page 28) to the elderly, the disabled, low-income residents, and general public residents in rural Fresno County. Greyhound (which operates a terminal on Broadway Street) provides daily service from Fresno to locations throughout the state and nation. Rail travel is convenient from the new Fresno Amtrak Station, which operates 12 trains daily out of its downtown station.

Traveling by air is both fast and convenient thanks to the Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FYI), which is owned and operated by the city of Fresno. Located roughly six miles northeast of downtown Fresno, the airport serves the six-county region with jet service to major destinations and connecting hubs. This past year non-stop service to San Diego, Ontario and Long Beach were added by ExpressJet. On March 18, 2008, Mexicana Airlines will fly non-stop on a daily basis to Guadalajara, Mexico, an increase of two flights per week.

The airport offers approximately 50 daily departures on nine airlines. Passenger amenities are conveniently located within the passenger terminal. These include an ATM, several restaurants, cocktail lounges, gift shops, a barbershop, and a Starbuck’s coffee shop that features extended hours to accommodate early morning and late evening flights.

The number of passengers using the Airport has set new records each of the past five years, and exceeded the 1.3 million mark in calendar year 2007. FYI is also home to three military aviation activities — the California Air National Guard, California Army National Guard and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Air freight service is provided at FYI by FedEx, UPS, Ameriflight and Martinaire.

The Fresno Chandler Executive Airport is also owned and operated by the city of Fresno. Located near the downtown area, the airport serves as a reliever general aviation airport. The Sierra Skypark (located on Herndon Avenue) is a privately owned, public-use airport for general aviation planes – either single or twin engine.