In Modesto, cars are king, but that has started to change as more locals take advantage of the public transit system in the city.
Being carless in Modesto usually means using the public transit buses known as the “S” and run by StanRTA.
Ariel Romero, who commutes from where she lives in northwest Modesto to downtown for work, said her experience has been almost entirely positive since ditching her wheels.
“I walk more. I’ve read like 21 books since I started,” Romero said. “It’s good to get outside and it’s more relaxing.”
Three years ago, Modesto Area Express, or MAX, merged with Stanislaus Regional Transit, or StaRT, to create a comprehensive transit system for the whole county.
“We’ve seen awesome growth in ridership over the last year,” Adam Barth, chief executive officer of the resulting Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority, or StanRTA. As of May, ridership is up 38% year over year, according to the StanRTA website .
There are several pleasant surprises that come with taking the bus instead of hopping in a car beyond eliminating wear and tear on your vehicle and the ever-increasing cost of gas. For example, StanRTA provides an entire month of free ridership in July and other free rider days paid for by grants.