Stanislaus County Region Transit Agencies Offering Free Transit During July 2020

The three transit providers in Stanislaus County, including, 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 July 2020 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).

“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 coordinate additional free ride promotional opportunities through June 2021 under the same LCTOP grant program.  These promotional periods include Rideshare Week (October 2020), Election Day (November 3, 2020), Go Green Week (March 2021) and Earth Day (April 2021).

“We look forward to joining our regional partners in promoting free transportation services to citizens throughout Stanislaus County’s 17 communities,” said Leticia Ortiz, Transit Manager for Stanislaus Regional Transit (StaRT), “We are excited to promote public transportation as not only a great way for citizens in rural areas to get to work, to school, or to go shopping, but it’s also environmentally friendly, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” 
 
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 access real-time bus arrival information.
 
“We are thrilled to offer free rides during July to get more people using MAX,” said Adam Barth, Modesto Area Express Transit Manager, “Public transportation is an effective way to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and get around Modesto.”
 
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 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:

Adam Barth
Modesto Area Express (MAX)
​(209) 577-5298

Leticia Ortiz
Stanislaus Regional Transit
(209) 525-7569

Wayne York
Turlock Transit
​(209) 669-2800