The Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority (StanRTA) and Turlock Transit will offer free rides on all fixed-route, commuter, and ADA Paratransit buses during July as part of a joint free-ride promotion.

The free rides applies to local fixed-route services as well as ACE, BART and Stockton Commuter bus services, The Micro Bus in Merced County, ADA Paratransit, and Medivan, but excludes Turlock Transit’s On-Demand Service. All public transit buses in Stanislaus and Merced Counties are accessible to individuals with disabilities as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

Funding for the free-ride promotion is covered by a grant from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) under the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP), as well as federal transit funding.

“We’re able to provide free, safe, and reliable transportation services for residents to travel to educational institutions, employment centers, medical offices, grocery stores, and shopping malls,” said Adam Barth, StanRTA CEO. “’Free Rides July’ helps make it possible for riders to use public transportation without any financial hardship.”

The Stanislaus County regional transit operators have also used the LCTOP grant to provide free-ride promotional opportunities such as Go Green Week in March, Earth Day in April, and Dump the Pump Day in June, with more free fare periods planned through June 2024.

“Our goal is to increase public transit use and improve air quality while at the same time reducing traffic congestion and harmful emissions,” said Wayne York, Transit Manager for Turlock Transit. “We look forward to providing free trips to regional areas of interest, including the County Fair.” 

Residents are encouraged to make the most of this free-ride promotion by planning trips in advance. Trip planning tools are available on the transit operators’ websites which can be found at: www.stanrta.org, www.turlocktransit.com, and www.mercedthebus.com, as well as through smartphone apps such as the Transit app, Google Maps or StanRTA’s custom Track the S app – all available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Stores. These tools make it easy to determine the closest bus stop, the correct route, and access real-time bus arrival information.