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The Bus to offer free service through end of the year
merced county bus

The Bus is now offering free rides to all passengers through Dec. 31, on all of its routes and services.

The Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) provides grant funds that are able to pay for all individuals who are not already able to ride The Bus for free to enjoy unlimited transportation throughout the holiday season.

In addition, both the Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority (StanRTA) and Turlock Transit are also providing free rides during the month of December. This joint effort will allow residents within both Stanislaus and Merced Counties to travel seamlessly within the region.

Measure V, the local half-cent sales tax in Merced County, already pays for rides for all veterans, seniors, and ADA-eligible passengers. In addition, both Merced College and UC Merced have agreements in place with The Bus which allow all of their students with current student ID cards to also ride fixed-route services for free. Passengers who qualify for these services should continue to show their relevant IDs to ride The Bus.

“During this season of giving, we are pleased to be able to offer free rides to all our passengers as a token of our appreciation for them,” said Serenity Anderson, Director of the Transit Joint Powers Authority of Merced County which operates The Bus. “We hope that residents will take this opportunity to try the various services and routes offered by The Bus and choose to keep riding into the New Year as a regular mode of transportation.”

All bus schedules and hours of operation can be found at www.mercedthebus.com or by calling The Bus at (209) 723-3100. Real-time information regarding fixed-route bus locations, services and arrival times can be found at www.thebuslive.com or by downloading ‘The Bus Live’ app on your smart phone for free. Reservations are required to ride on The Micro Bus and can be made by downloading the free smartphone app, going online at www.mercedthebus.com/themicrobus, or by calling The Bus’ customer service line at: (209) 725-3813. Please note that there will be no bus service on Christmas Day.