Merced County’s transit system is wrapping up a program aimed at getting people to ride the bus instead of driving. For the month of August, the county convinced people to “try the bus on us” by offering fare-free rides countywide. Now the agency is turning its focus to how to extend the bump in ridership—likely to reach about 20,000 additional rides during August—throughout the rest of the year and beyond.
Rich Green, transit manager for The Bus, said the free services coincide with the county’s “Spare the Air” month, the start of the new school year for many students, and the implementation of new bus schedules.
