CA: Catch a free ride to Earth Day events with Santa Cruz Metro

ver the years, Santa Cruz County residents and visitors have come to expect many things on Earth Day: face painting, good food, groovy music and plenty of noble environmental causes to donate to. But they’ve also come to count on cheap, reliable transportation options, too.

Santa Cruz Metro will once again offer free fares on all fixed-route, ParaCruz and Highway 17 Express services across the county April 22 to celebrate the natural world and cut down on some of the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving global warming.

“Earth Day serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to protect and preserve our environment,” said Metro CEO Corey Aldridge. “At Metro, sustainability is central to our mission, and we are proud to provide transportation options that help reduce emissions, improve air quality, and support a healthier future for our community. Offering free fares on Earth Day is one way we can encourage people to make a sustainable travel choice.”

Metro plans to host its own Earth Day event at the Watsonville Transit CenterApril 22, in partnership with the city of Watsonville, where attendees will have the chance to meet with Metro staff to discuss sustainable transportation options in the county. Metro also plans to host a booth at the Santa Cruz Earth Day event from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in downtown Santa Cruz along Pacific Avenue, Cooper Street and Abbott Square Market.

Santa Cruz Metro has offered free rides on Earth Day for years as part of its effort to promote public transit and other sustainable transportation options such as carpooling, biking and walking.

In addition to its Earth Day deal, Metro has provided free rides to youth across the county since 2023 through its Youth Cruz Free Program, resulting in a 400% ridership increase among that cohort of local riders, according to Metro officials.

Now, with state and federal grants soon drying up, a group of Metro supporters have launched a campaign that seeks to add a half-cent sales tax increase to local ballots in November in order to sustain service expansion from recent years and expand free rides offerings to elderly and low-income community members.

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