Stanislaus County Region Transit Agencies Offering Free Transit During Rideshare Week
The four transit providers in Stanislaus County, including Ceres Area Transit (CAT), Modesto Area Express (MAX), Stanislaus County Regional Transit (StaRT), and Turlock Transit announced today that all rides on all fixed route buses will be free for passengers during Rideshare Week 2019 (October 6 through 12) as part of a joint, free ride promotion. This includes MAX to BART Commuter Express, MAX to ACE Commuter Express, and StaRT’s BART Commuter bus services, but excludes ADA Paratransit, Medivan, and Dial-a-Ride services.
Funding for the joint, free ride promotion is made possible through a grant from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) under the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP).
“Groups across California promote Rideshare Week as a way to encourage commuters to consider efficient, sustainable, and enjoyable mobility options,” said Adam Barth, MAX’s Transit Manager. “MAX is free for the week to make the choice easy for residents.”
Ridesharing can be done via a carpool, the bus, biking, walking, or any combination thereof. The goal is to reduce single occupant vehicles in an effort to reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and countless hours wasted on freeways. In addition to this free ride promotion, regional transit operators plan to coordinate additional free ride promotional opportunities through June 2020 under the same LCTOP grant program. These promotional periods include Go Green Week (March 2020), Bike to Work Week (May 2020), and Dump the Pump Day (June 2020).
“We think this is a great opportunity working in tandem with all the systems in our region to offer these free rides for Rideshare Week,” said Annette Borrelli, StaRT’s Transit Manager. “This will give community residents the opportunity to see how easy and convenient it is to get around Stanislaus County. No worries! No stress! Just sit back, relax, and leaving the driving to us.”
Residents are encouraged to make the most of this free ride promotion by planning their trips in advance. Trip planning tools are available on the websites of the transit operators, as well as through smartphone apps such as Google Maps or the Transit app. These tools make it easy to determine the closest bus stop, the correct route, and in some cases real-time bus arrival information.
All public transit buses in Stanislaus County are accessible to individuals with disabilities as required by the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA).
For more information on CAT and its services, visit www.ci.ceres.ca.us/220/Ceres-Area-Transit-CAT or call (209) 527-4991. For more information on MAX and its services, visit www.modestoareaexpress.com or call (209) 521-1274. For more information on StaRT and its services, visit www.srt.org or call 1-800-262-1516. For more information on Turlock Transit and its services, visit www.turlocktransit.com or call (209) 668-5600.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Fred Cavanah
Ceres Area Transit
(209) 538-5790
Adam Barth
Modesto Area Express
(209) 577-5298
Annette Borelli
Stanislaus Regional Transit
(209) 573-0251
Wayne York
Turlock Transit
(209) 668-6039
