The Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority (StanRTA) and the City of Turlock (Turlock Transit), the two public transit providers in Stanislaus County, announced that all rides on all fixed-route and commuter buses will be free for passengers during the month of December as part of a joint free-ride promotion.

​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. Funding for the joint free-ride promotion is made possible through transit grant funding, including a grant from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) under the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP).  The grant excludes ADA Paratransit, Medivan, Dial-a-Ride and On-Demand services; as a result, free rides are not extended to those services.

“We’re thrilled to coordinate with our regional partners to provide a bit of relief to all Stanislaus County residents this holiday season,” said Adam Barth, StanRTA CEO. “We look forward to showing the public how using public transit can be a positive, cost-effective transportation alternative to single-occupant motor vehicles.”

​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 both the StanRTA and Turlock Transit, as well as through smartphone apps such as Google Maps, the Transit app or the Track the S app.  These tools make it easy to determine the closest bus stop, the correct route, and in some cases real-time bus arrival information.

When returning to the Transit Center along Alpha Rd., instead of turning right (east) onto East Ave., the bus will turn left (west) on East Ave., then right (north) on Minaret Ave. with a new stop near the Turlock Library and Senior Center. The bus will continue north and turn right (northeast) on Main St. and stop at Crane Park before continuing to Colorado Ave. The remaining portion of the route will remain the same with the bus traveling north on Colorado Ave., then west on Hawkeye Ave. all the way to the Transit Center.

As part of this change the bus stops at East Ave. & Colorado Ave., Colorado Ave. & Marshall St., and Colorado Ave. & E. Canal Dr. (Crane Park) will be removed.

A new route will be established providing fixed route service to Turlock Regal Cinemas and the commercial businesses near W. Main St. and S. Walnut Rd., industrial facilities along Fransil Ln. (including Amazon), as well as Dust Bowl Brewing and adjacent businesses near Fulkerth Rd. and Dianne Dr.

Buses will depart on this route with the same frequency and service span as the other fixed routes. The service frequency will be every 30-35 minutes during the day and operate Monday-Friday (6:00 AM - 9:00 PM) and Saturday (9:00 AM - 7:00 PM).

Minor adjustments to scheduled arrival times have been made across all routes to help improve on-time performance and accuracy.

All routes will continue to depart the Transit Center at the same fixed time, but times at stops along the route may be modified.

These changes are expected to reduce the number of times a driver needs to stop at mid-route "timepoints" to adhere to the schedule, even when no one is boarding or exiting the bus.

​These changes are also expected to better accommodate breaks for drivers and other operational aspects.​

Eligible individuals with disabilities will be able to use the City's Dial-a-Ride service for door-to-door transportation within Turlock for $1.00 each way. Reservations must be made at least one day before the requested trip to guarantee ride availability. Non-ADA eligible riders will have their trip requests fulfilled with the On-Demand service.

If you've used Dial-a-Ride in the past, even one time, and you would like to start using the web portal or the Turlock Transit app to book your trips, please do not activate a new account. Call Turlock Transit at (209) 668-5600 and a staff member will activate your self-service account for you. This ensures its linked to your existing profile.

ADA eligibility is provided by MOVE Stanislaus through an in-person eligibility interview process. To schedule an interview or ask questions about the process, please call (209) 232-5092.

All residents within Turlock or Denair are eligible to use Turlock Transit's same-day, On-Demand service.  Reservations can be made via phone, web portal or the Turlock Transit app. Riders who have never previously used Dial-a-Ride are encouraged to self-register in the app to make it easier to book trips.

Trips that start and end within Turlock will be provided at $5.00 per person, each way. A 50% discount ($2.50) will be provided to seniors, individuals with disabilities, and military veterans. Trips that start or end in Denair will be provided at $2.50 per person, each way to all users.

Riders can opt to receive a phone call or text message alert ten minutes prior to the start of their pick-up window letting them know their ride is on the way.

Starting Friday, December 17, 2021, and continuing until further notice, the main lobby of the Roger K. Fall Transit Center shall be a daytime warming center open to the general public from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.  The purpose of the warming center is to prevent death and injury from exposure to extreme cold/wet conditions.  Overnight warming centers will be provided at separate facilities.

Individuals at the site will have access to restrooms, drinking fountains, and vending machines.  Private security will be present 24/7/365 and there is continuous video recording in the lobby.  All visitors will be required to wear a mask, per a federal mandate. Masks will be provided to individuals at no-cost, upon request, at the ticket window in the lobby during normal transit operating hours.

For more information, please contact Turlock Transit by email or by calling the administrative office at (209) 669-2800.