It is easy to get around Santa Cruz by Bus
The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transportation District (Santa Cruz Metro) provides public bus service to Santa Cruz County. Riding the bus is a great way to save money and reclaim your commute time for other purposes (reading, napping, etc.)
Santa Cruz Metro operates 34 service routes in Santa Cruz County, and has four transit centers that serve as hubs for the system.
Riding the Bus in Santa Cruz County
Possible destinations with Santa Cruz Metro are endless as many transit services are overlapping and interconnected. Getting to the Bay Area, out to the Central Valley or down to Southern California can also be done via public transit. This section will provide some basic itineraries to get you where you need to go, but remember these are only a few of many possible trips that are available.
Santa Cruz Hot Spots by Bus
For a scenic trip to the world famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk or a seafood dinner on the Santa Cruz Wharf, take Santa Cruz Metro route 3 or 19 from the downtown Metro Center. Both the Wharf and Boardwalk are about a 15 minute walk from Pacific Station.
For a trip to Capitola’s picturesque wharf and seaside shopping area, simply hop on Route 66 at the Santa Cruz Metro Center. Then transfer to Route 55 at the Capitola Mall.
Gain easy access to this 800 acre freshwater wetland and great birding location by taking Santa Cruz Metro’s route 71 bus. Four miles of paved trails and 29 trail entrances in Watsonville neighborhoods offer opportunities to jog, walk or bicycle.
A great weekend adventure is the Skyline to the Sea Trail to Waddell Beach. Take Santa Cruz Metro route 35A to Big Basin State Park arriving at park headquarters at 9:45am. Santa Cruz Metro’s Route 40 bus departs Waddell Beach for the return trip to Santa Cruz at 5:15pm on weekends.
Check Santa Cruz Metro’s website for current schedules and route details: http://www.scmtd.com
To the Bay Area
Board Bay Area and Central Valley bound transit trips on the Highway 17 Express at either the Downtown Santa Cruz Metro Center or the Scotts Valley Transit Center. Some trips during peak morning and afternoon commute hours also start from and return passengers to the Soquel Park and Ride lot (Paul Sweet Road and Soquel Drive.)
From the Metro Center in Downtown Santa Cruz, board the Highway 17 Express. The fare is $7.00 each way or $14.00 for a day pass. The 17 Express will take you to the Diridon Train Station in Downtown San Jose. While at Diridon Station, board Caltrain to San Francisco 4th&King Station for $7.50 each way. San Francisco MUNI is the public transportation provider in the San Francisco Area. MUNI can provide rides throughout San Francisco.
From the Metro Center in Downtown Santa Cruz, board the Highway 17 Express.The fare is $7.00 each way or $14.00 for a day pass. The 17 Express will take you to the Diridon Train Station in Downtown San Jose. At Diridon Station board the VTA Route 180 or 181 to the Fremont BART Station. The VTA Fare is $3.50 each way. If your destination is Fremont, then your last stop should be at the BART station. If you are traveling to Oakland, use BART to get you here.
To the Central Valley
From the Metro Center in Downtown Santa Cruz, board the Highway 17 Express. The fare is $7.00 each way or $14.00 for a day pass. The 17 Express will take you to the Diridon Train Station in Downtown San Jose. At the Diridon station, purchase tickets for the Amtrak Capitol Corridor at the ticket desk for $26.00 inside the Diridon station. The ticket agent will tell you when and what track the train is departing. Board the train when appropriate to do so. Exit in Sacramento; the Sacramento Regional Transit (Sacramento RT) is the public transportation provider in Sacramento.
To the Monterey Bay
Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) provides customers with easy and convenient connections to a variety of bus and rail lines for travel outside of Monterey County. MST provides direct service from Monterey to Santa Cruz on Line 78. Connections between MST and METRO are also made at the Watsonville Transit Center (475 Rodriguez Street, Watsonville). MST’s Line 27 Watsonville-Marina, Line 28 Salinas-Watsonville via Castroville, and Line 29 Salinas-Watsonville via Prunedale all end at the Watsonville Transit Center. Here, you can transfer to local buses serving Watsonville as well as regional buses to take you points west into Downtown Santa Cruz. Transfer here to other METRO bus lines to visit the mountains, beaches and redwood forests of Santa Cruz County.
Monterey-Salinas Transit Bus #27 makes seven trips each weekday (every two hours) between Marina and Watsonville. Check the schedule for details.
Monterey-Salinas Transit Bus #28 via Castroville and #29 via Prunedale runs every two hours between Salinas and Watsonville. Check the schedule for details.
Other
Greyhound: Greyhound provides service to various locations throughout the Bay Area including San Francisco, Hayward, and Oakland from their Santa Cruz station, located within the Santa Cruz Metro Center. They also have a few buses a day to Monterey as well as service to Southern California and the Central Valley. www.greyhound.com. 831-423-1800
Resources
Bikes on Buses
- Bikes racks holding three bikes each are mounted on the front of Santa Cruz Metro buses for the use of bus riders
- Bus riders must place their bikes and remove them from the racks without the assistance of the bus driver
- Consult Metro’s Bikes and Buses brochure or contact Santa Cruz Metro at 425-8600
- Bay Area Bike Share has more than a dozen stations in Downtown San Jose where you can pick up or drop off a bike. Join for 24 hours, 3 days or by the year at any station kiosk.
Folding Bikes in Buses
- Folding bikes can be transported inside Santa Cruz Metro buses on a space available basis
- Bikes must be folded and stored out of the aisle and controlled by the owner at all times
- Consult Metro’s Bikes and Buses brochure or contact Santa Cruz Metro at 425-8600
