Santa Cruz METRO Celebrates Earth Day with Free Fares and Community Events
For Immediate Release
Date: April 07, 2026
Contact: Danielle Frost
(831) 420-2550
dfrost@scmetro.org
Santa Cruz, CA (April 07, 2026): The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) is celebrating Earth Day by offering free fares countywide on all fixed-route, ParaCruz, and Highway 17 Express services on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
As part of this year’s Earth Day celebration, METRO will host a booth at the Downtown Santa Cruz Earth Day event on Saturday, April 18, 2026, and host its own Earth Day event at the Watsonville Transit Center in partnership with the City of Watsonville on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. These events give community members an opportunity to connect with METRO staff, learn more about the environmental benefits of public transit, and explore sustainable transportation options in Santa Cruz County.
Earth Day is an opportunity to reflect on how transportation choices can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support a healthier community. By riding transit, carpooling, biking, or walking, community members can all play a role in protecting Santa Cruz County’s natural environment.
“Earth Day serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to protect and preserve our environment,” said Corey Aldridge, METRO CEO. “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.”
By offering free fares countywide on April 22, METRO aims to help community members reach their destinations while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This promotion serves as a reminder that everyone can play a role in supporting a cleaner, healthier community by choosing alternative forms of transportation such as public transit, biking, walking, or carpooling.
METRO has long supported more sustainable transit in Santa Cruz County through ongoing investments in cleaner vehicle technology and zero-emission buses.
For more information on METRO, visit scmetro.org.
About Us
Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO)
Established in 1968, METRO’S mission is to provide environmentally sustainable transportation to Santa Cruz County. METRO directly operates county-wide, fixed-route and Highway 17 commuter service, with connections to Santa Clara County and Monterey Salinas Transit at our Watsonville
Transit Center. The agency also operates ParaCruz paratransit service. Today, METRO operates a fleet of 104 buses on 20 fixed routes and 32 paratransit vehicles.
Every ride on a METRO bus takes cars off the road, significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and supports economic opportunity and quality of life in our community. Moving into the future, METRO strives to increase transit ridership to 7 million trips annually within the next five years, transition to a zero-emissions fleet with a mix of hydrogen and electric vehicles, and increase affordable housing at METRO-owned transit centers to 175 units in the next 10 years.
For more information, visit scmetro.org.