Santa Cruz Metro Offers Free Rides for Earth Day

Public transit agency encourages sustainable transportation options for annual environmental celebration.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 10:26pm

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An abstract, impressionistic scene of people boarding a public transit bus, with the bus and surrounding environment blurred into soft, colorful shapes and pools of light, conveying the mood of sustainable transportation on a rainy day.Santa Cruz Metro's free fare offer on Earth Day aims to encourage sustainable transportation choices and reduce emissions in the community.Santa Cruz Today

Santa Cruz Metro will provide free fares on all fixed-route, ParaCruz and Highway 17 Express services across the county on April 22 to celebrate Earth Day and encourage sustainable transportation choices. The transit agency will also host events at the Watsonville Transit Center and the Santa Cruz Earth Day festival to promote its services.

Why it matters

Santa Cruz Metro's free fare offer on Earth Day is part of its ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support a more sustainable future for the community. The agency has seen a significant increase in youth ridership since launching its free fare program in 2023, and is now seeking to expand free rides to other underserved groups.

The details

Santa Cruz Metro CEO Corey Aldridge said the free fare offer on Earth Day is a way for the agency to encourage people to make sustainable travel choices. In addition to the free rides, Metro will host events at the Watsonville Transit Center and the Santa Cruz Earth Day festival to engage with the community and discuss sustainable transportation options.

  • Santa Cruz Metro will offer free fares on April 22, 2026 to celebrate Earth Day.
  • Metro has provided free rides to youth across the county since 2023 through its Youth Cruz Free Program.

The players

Santa Cruz Metro

The public transit agency serving Santa Cruz County, California, committed to promoting sustainable transportation options.

Corey Aldridge

The CEO of Santa Cruz Metro, who stated that sustainability is central to the agency's mission.

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What they’re saying

“Earth Day serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to protect and preserve our environment. 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.”

— Corey Aldridge, CEO, Santa Cruz Metro

What’s next

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.

The takeaway

Santa Cruz Metro's free fare offer on Earth Day is a strategic move to promote sustainable transportation choices and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the community. The agency's commitment to providing accessible and environmentally-friendly transit options has led to increased ridership, particularly among youth, and now it aims to expand these benefits to other underserved groups.