Santa Cruz, Calif. (April 10, 2024): The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) is supporting Earth Day, by offering free fares countywide on all fixed-route, ParaCruz, and Highway 17 Express services on Monday, April 22, 2024.
Since 2002, METRO has been a leader in adopting a more sustainable fleet of buses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by initially moving to compressed natural gas and hybrid vehicles. In the fall of 2021, METRO furthered its commitment to “going green” by deploying METRO’s first four zero emissions buses (ZEBs) into service and by the end of 2023 the agency had nine ZEBs deployed in the county, with more coming every year. Additionally, in 2023 METRO approved the purchase of 53 hydrogen-powered, fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs), which at the time, was the largest acquisition of FCEBs in North American history.
“I’m proud to be part of an agency that is committed to protecting our local environment and giving back to our community,” said Kristen Brown, METRO Board Chair. “METRO has a long legacy of being a leader in sustainability. That is why we feel it is important to further this commitment by offering free fares this Earth Day and developing programs like One Ride at a Time, that highlight the environmental benefits on using public transportation. I encourage our community to try METRO’s services for free this Earth Day and log their rides via GO Santa Cruz to protect our local environment one ride at a time.”
METRO is celebrating and raising awareness of Earth Day by offering free fares countywide on April 22nd, to assist our community in getting to their Earth Day destinations while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This promotion is a simple reminder that everyone has a role in clearing the air and increasing the health of our community by using alternate forms of transportation whether it be public transit, riding a bike, or carpooling to our destinations.
Additionally, METRO will also be participating in the City of Santa Cruz’s Earth Day event taking place Saturday, April 20th in downtown Santa Cruz. Please feel free to stop by our booth or take a tour of one of our electric buses wrapped with images from the Monterey Bay to learn more about the environmental benefits of public transit.
METRO also gives riders the opportunity to protect Santa Cruz County’s extraordinary natural resources just by simply riding the bus via the One Ride at a Time program. Beginning in January 2023, every ride on a METRO bus donates to partners in protecting the environment, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the Bay of Life Fund through the GO Santa Cruz ridesharing incentive program. To participate, riders simply need to log 25 rides to make a $10 donation to one of METRO’s local environmental non-profit partners.
If you have not used METRO services in the past we encourage you try us out free while reducing greenhouse gas emissions in support of Earth Day on Monday, April 22, 2024.
For more information on METRO visit scmetro.org or to learn more about METRO’s One Ride at a Time program visit scmetro.org/onerideatatime.
