Antelope Valley Transit Authority

The Antelope Valley Transit Authority is the public transport agency serving the Antelope Valley region of northern Los Angeles County, California. It helps people travel around the area with buses and other services.

AVTA runs local bus services in Lancaster and Palmdale, and also offers commuter buses to Los Angeles. In 2022, it made history by becoming the first transit authority in the United States to use only battery electric vehicles for all its buses and support vehicles.

The AVTA is managed as a joint powers authority under California law, with an appointed board of directors making important decisions. A company called MV Transportation operates the actual bus services for AVTA. By the end of 2025, the system had many passengers—about 7,100 people used it each weekday.

History

The cities of Palmdale and Lancaster and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works created the Antelope Valley Transit Authority in 1992 to help people travel around the Antelope Valley. It started with three types of services and added another in 1996 to help people with disabilities get around.

In 2017, AVTA became the first agency in the United States to use a very long electric bus made by BYD. In 2018, it began using special pads to charge these buses while they were moving. In 2019, it started taking people to Edwards Air Force Base and reached big goals for driving without pollution. Service stopped during the pandemic. In 2022, there were issues with the drivers and their work rules, and a new company, MV Transportation, began running the buses.

Routes

Local routes

School Tripper routes

Services operate weekdays only.

Commuter Express routes

Commuter services operate weekdays only in the peak direction.

Bus fleet

Fixed-Route fleet

Accurate as of July 2025.

Microtransit fleet

Fares

The basic cost for a ride on the Antelope Valley Transit Authority buses is $1.50. Some people, like older adults, those with special needs, active military members, and veterans, can ride for free if they show the right ID. Also, up to four children who are shorter than 44 inches can ride for free if they sit with an adult.

Awards

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors praised AVTA for being an efficient way to travel. In 1998, AVTA won a prize for new ideas in transportation from the California Transit Association, and in 1999, it won another prize for its good image.