Santa Cruz METRO Celebrates National Transit Employee Appreciation Day

For Immediate Release 
Date: March 12, 2026 
Contact: Danielle Frost 
(831) 420-2550 
dfrost@scmetro.org

Public invited to share messages of appreciation for METRO employees online.

Santa Cruz, CA (March 12, 2026) – The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) will celebrate National Transit Employee Appreciation Day on Wednesday, March 18, recognizing the dedicated employees who keep Santa Cruz County moving. From bus operators and dispatchers to mechanics, customer service, facilities, and administrative teams, METRO employees work every day to provide safe, reliable service for riders across the county. 

“METRO employees show up every day with professionalism, care, and compassion for the people they serve,” said Corey Aldridge, METRO CEO. “National Transit Employee Appreciation Day is an opportunity for riders, partners, and community members to recognize the people who make transit possible and keep Santa Cruz County connected.” 

National Transit Employee Appreciation Day is observed annually on March 18 as a chance to recognize transit professionals and the essential role they play in helping people get to work, school, medical appointments, and other daily destinations. 

METRO will be celebrating internally with employees across the organization and invites the community to join in by sharing messages of appreciation. Riders and community members can submit a thank-you note by visiting scmetro.org/kudos. 

After National Transit Employee Appreciation Day, METRO will compile messages collected online and share highlights with staff. 

In addition to this appreciation effort, METRO encourages the public to read its “Inside METRO” employee spotlight articles, which feature short interviews that share the stories and careers of METRO team members. Recent spotlights include “Meet Elmer Torres: The Heart Behind Santa Cruz METRO’s Facilities Team” and “Meet Bonnie (Bus Operator 783),” available at scmetro.org/insidemetro. 

METRO appreciates the community’s support and looks forward to celebrating the employees who serve Santa Cruz County every day. 

To learn more visit scmetro.org/kudos. 

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.