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County transit agencies offering free rides for Go Green Week
bus
Turlock Transit will provide free rides on all fixed route buses for passengers during Go Green Week, March 14-20 (Journal file photo).

Local public transit providers will be encouraging residents to ‘go green’ one week in March by leaving their cars at home and taking a bus instead.

The three transit providers in Stanislaus County, including Turlock Transit, Modesto Area Express (MAX), and Stanislaus County Regional Transit (StaRT), will provide free rides on all fixed route buses for passengers during Go Green Week, March 14-20. 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). 

“We’re excited to coordinate our efforts with our regional partners to make it easier than ever for all County residents to experience the benefits of transit, particularly for those residents that have never stepped foot on a bus before,” said Wayne York, Transit Manager for Turlock Transit. “We look forward to showing the public how using public transit can be a positive, cost-effective transportation alternative to single-occupant motor vehicles.”

The goal of the free ride promotion is to reduce the use of 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 offer additional free ride promotional opportunities through June 2020 under the same LCTOP grant program.  The next day is Earth Day on April 22. 

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 the county are accessible to individuals with disabilities as required by the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

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.