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Our Mission
Our mission is to protect the earth by providing sustainable transportation options for all.
Our Vision
At Santa Cruz METRO we understand that no matter whose scorecard is being used, the environment is losing.
Since 1968, METRO has focused on reducing harmful carbon emissions in the Monterey Bay by providing fast, frequent, and reliable public transportation options for Santa Cruz County with a vision towards 100%, zero-emission bus service.
As the climate crisis deepens, METRO seeks to further protect the environment by donating our time and a percentage of our contributions from vendors and customers to help organizations in the Monterey Bay so they can be effective in protecting what is irreplaceable, furthering our mission to protect the environment and increase ridership.
At the same time, METRO seeks to develop affordable, transit-oriented housing throughout Santa Cruz County in an effort to improve the quality of life for those who desire to reside in this amazing location of the Monterey Bay.
Staying true to our values during 50-plus years in business has helped us create a transit agency we are proud to run and work for. To stay in business for at least 50 more, we must protect the place we call home.
METRO at a Glance
METRO buses run throughout Santa Cruz County, connecting Santa Cruz, Capitola, Watsonville, and Scotts Valley, as well as the unincorporated areas of Aptos, Soquel, Live Oak, Bonny Doon, Davenport, and the San Lorenzo Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
We also operate Amtrak Highway 17 Express Commuter Service connecting you to locations in downtown San Jose, as well as several Bay Area transit systems.
Quick Facts
- Established in 1968
- 22 Routes
- 119 Buses and 32 ParaCruz Vehicles
- 3.8 million annual trips (FY24)
Planning
Department Overview
METRO’s Planning Department develops and maintains a robust network of transit service for Santa Cruz County. We design bus routes, schedules, and services that meet the diverse needs of our community. Our vision is to create and maintain a transit network that is useful and attractive for many people’s trips and relevant to our community’s needs. Our county’s mix of rural and urban areas plus its dynamic geographic and topographical landscape offer a unique set of transportation challenges. Our planners create solutions to meet them.
Visit our Plans & Projects page to learn more about the numerous planning studies, programs and projects our Planning Department oversees.
Our Partners
To maximize transportation planning resources in our region, we partner with the organizations below. Together, we ensure Santa Cruz County has an effective and sustainable transportation system for generations to come.
Finance
Financial Reporting
Every year METRO completes a comprehensive Annual Budget and a Financial Audit. These are public documents to provide full transparency into METRO’s funding sources and how those funds are used. All METRO financial reports can be found in the Resource Library.
Funding Sources
Grant Funding
METRO relies on both formula and discretionary grant revenue to support its operating and capital budgets. METRO relies upon grants from a number of funding sources throughout the year. In FY 2025, approximately two-thirds of METRO’s operating budget and nearly all of METRO’s capital budget are derived from grants.
The most prominent sources of funding for METRO operations include the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Section 5307 (Urbanized Area) and Section 5311 (Rural) Formula grants, as well as the State of California’s Transportation Development Act (TDA), State Transit Assistance (STA), and State Senate Bill 1 operating assistance grants.
METRO currently has numerous sources of capital funding from external agencies, including FTA Section 5339 Bus & Bus Facilities capital grants, California State Transit & Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), State Transit Assistance-State of Good Repair (SGR), and Local Partnership Program Grants, California Air Resources Board (CARB) and local air district funds, including the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District’s AB2766 Motor Vehicle Emissions Reduction Program, as well as competitive grants from the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG), California Energy Commission (CEC), and California’s Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES).
Operations Funding
Santa Cruz METRO utilizes five primary sources of revenue to operate its public transit services: passenger fares, sales and use taxes, local transportation funds (TDA), federal funds, and other non-transportation related revenues (including advertising income, investment income, and rental income).
Passenger Fares. Passenger fares make up the smallest portion of METRO’s operating revenues and have diminished significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the primary reasons for the diminishing fare revenue is the introduction of METRO’s Youth Cruz Free program, which provides free transit to all youth in Santa Cruz County in grades K-12. Including special transit fares that METRO receives from institutional partners such as the University of California, Santa Cruz, fare revenues represented just less than 10 percent of METRO’s total operating budget in FY2025.
Sales and Use Taxes. METRO receives a one-half cent sales tax levied on all taxable sales in Santa Cruz County, collected and administered by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA). Additionally, in November 2016, the majority of Santa Cruz County approved Measure D, an additional one-half cent sales tax measure designed to fund a comprehensive and inclusive package of transportation improvements in the County. METRO receives 16% of the Measure D Sales Tax. Sales Tax revenues account for approximately 45% of METRO’s operating revenue sources as per the FY25 Budget.
Local Transportation Funds. The California Transportation Development Act (TDA) provides two major sources of funding for public transportation: the Local Transportation Fund (LTF) and the State Transit Assistance Fund (STA). These funds are for the development and support of public transportation needs that exist in California and are allocated to areas of each county based on population, taxable sales, and transit performance.
STA funding is derived from the statewide sales tax on diesel fuel. Since fiscal year 2014, STA funding had been on the decline. On April 28, 2017, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill (SB) 1 (Chapter 5, Statutes of 2017), known as the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. SB 1 augments the base of the STA program essentially doubling the funding for this program. METRO’s financial position continues to improve with this much-needed influx of operating and capital funding. The combined share of TDA and STA Operating Assistance is approaching 20% of METRO’s operating revenues.
Federal Funds. FTA Section 5307 and 5311 funding provides approximately one-fifth of METRO’s operating revenues each year. This number has increased in recent years as METRO has qualified for expanded funding under the FTA’s Small Transit Intensive Cities (STIC) component, which rewards urbanized area transit operators with a population less than 200,000 that meet or exceed the average level of service for all U.S. Urbanized Areas with populations between 200,000 and 1,000,000.
Operating Grants vs. Capital Grants
Think of the operating budget as “running buses” and the capital budget as “buying buses.” State and federal discretionary (competitive) grants do not typically provide revenue for the operating budget, and local grants that might provide operating funds are few and far between. Nearly all state and federal grant opportunities are for capital improvements and augment METRO’s ability to buy buses and build/maintain facilities.
Formula Grants
State and federal formula grants come to METRO as a result of legislation; usually require an annual application; and always require follow-up information on how METRO used the money. While this is a cumbersome and time-consuming process, METRO always follows the dictated processes and never risks or jeopardizes its state and federal formula grant allocations. These state and federal formula dollars are typically used for operations; are sometimes flexible for use in both operations and capital; but are most often restricted to capital only.
Discretionary (Competitive) Grants
In any given year, there are a number of state and federal discretionary grant programs offered. METRO always submits highly competitive grant applications for programs for which it qualifies.
When grants become available for competition, they are always oversubscribed. Typically, there are nine to ten times as many applications nationwide as actual grant awards, and the amount awarded is a fraction of the amount requested.
In FY20, METRO received $38,361,399 in State and Federal Formula Grants for operating assistance.
In FY20, METRO received $1,836,302 in State & Federal Formula Grants for capital assistance. In addition, in FY20, METRO received $1,560,000 in State and Federal Discretionary Grants for capital assistance.
CARES Act, CRRSA and ARPA Funds
Since 2020, METRO has received:
- $20,560,417 in FFY20 Federal Section 5307 CARES Act funds operating assistance for public transit service within the Santa Cruz and Watsonville urbanized areas. Per the CARES Act, the grant requested 100% federal share. This application utilized CARES Act funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. The application contained two projects, ALI 30.09.08, operating assistance, for all its service for the period 1/20/20 – 1/30/21 within the Santa Cruz and Watsonville urbanized areas.
- FFY21 Section 5307-8 CRRSAA application in the amount of $13,551,006 representing 100% federal share of the total eligible amount. This application utilized CRRSAA funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
- FFY21 Section 5307-8 ARPA application in the amount of $26,020,080 representing 100% federal share of the total eligible amount. This application utilized ARPA funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. This grant requested $26,020,080 of FFY21 Federal Section 5307-8 ARPA funds to support operating costs as defined by NTD Reporting System for the period of 9/1/21 – 5/31/22 within the Santa Cruz and Watsonville urbanized areas.
- $584,617 in FFY20 Federal Section 5311 CARES Act funds for operating assistance for public transit service within the Santa Cruz and Watsonville rural areas. Per the CARES Act, the grant requested 100% federal share. This application utilized CARES Act funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
- $524,932 in FFY21 Federal Section 5311 CRRSAA funds for operating assistance for public transit service within the Santa Cruz and Watsonville rural areas. Per the CRRSAA, the grant requests 100% federal share. This application utilizes CRRSAA funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
Learn more about METRO’s funding sources here.
Resource Library
Title VI Discrimination Policy
METRO ParaCruz Service Eligibility and Appeals Process
Bikes on Fixed Route Buses Policy
- Attachment A – Professional Verification of Disability Status Form
- Attachment B – Request for Reduced Children’s Fare with Discount Fare Card Form
- Attachment C – Confirmation of Legal Blindness Form
Website Privacy and Use Policy
Social Media Management Guidelines
Social Equity and Community Funding Policy
- Attachment: Community Funding Request Form
Public Records Requests
Inspection of Public Records
Public Records maintained by METRO are available for public inspection during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 am-5 pm. Requests to inspect or copy public records should be specific, focused, and not interfere with the ordinary business operations of the METRO. Written requests are encouraged unless the requestor seeks records that are maintained for immediate public inspection.
METRO may refuse to disclose any records, which are exempt from disclosure under the Public Records Act (Govt. Code Section 6254 et. seq.). Inspection of records will be allowed upon conditions determined by METRO. Copies of records that are not exempt from disclosure will be made available upon pre-payment of the copying costs ($0.10 per page).
How to Submit a Written Public Records Request
Online Submission
Submit a request online through our Online Customer Service Report
Downloadable Submission Form
Download a PDF Public Records Request Form: Print the form, fill it out completely, and then choose one of the following options:
- Mail or hand-deliver to METRO Administrative Office:
Santa Cruz METRO, 110 Vernon Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, Attn: Legal Department - Email completed PDF attachment to:
public_records@scmtd.com - Fax:
(831) 469-3658, Santa Cruz METRO, Attn: Legal Department - Call Rickie-Ann Kegley, Paralegal at:
(831) 420-6080, ext. 160
Information Needed for a Request
Please include the following information in your request:
- Name of the requestor
- Name of the organization (if any)
- Mailing address
- Contact telephone number
- Specific description of the records requested
Legal Claims Against METRO
Filing a Legal Claim
METRO’s Legal Department investigates and adjusts all claims filed against METRO. To file a claim, a claim form must be filled out in its entirety and must be submitted to METRO’s Legal Department before it can be considered by METRO’s Board of Directors.
Filing Requirements
To file a claim for money or damages against METRO, you must comply with Government Code Section 911.2, which states:
“A claim relating to a cause of action for death or for injury to person or to personal property or growing crops shall be presented as provided in Article 2 (commencing with Section 915) of this chapter not later than six months after the accrual of the cause of action. A claim relating to any other cause of action shall be presented as provided in Article 2 (commencing with Section 915) of this chapter not later than one year after the accrual of the cause of action.”
Completing the Claim Form
- Read the form carefully and answer all questions completely.
- Be sure the form is signed, dated, and includes a monetary amount.
- Vehicle and property damage claims require the registered owner’s completion and signature. To expedite processing, please also include a copy of the vehicle registration.
- Provide a detailed explanation of the incident, its cause, and why METRO is responsible.
- If you have any information or evidence that supports the claim, please include it with your claim or contact METRO’s Claims Investigator at (831) 420-6080, ext. 1603.
- Attach all supporting documents. If the property damage is between $500 and $5,000, please attach two estimates or a paid receipt, and any other documentation supporting the amount of your claim.
WARNING: Providing you with this information and form should not be construed as an admission of liability by METRO. While METRO will investigate the accident/incident and may enter settlement negotiations with you, METRO does not waive your obligation to comply with the statute of limitation for the filing of claims against a public entity. If you desire to consult an attorney, you should do so immediately.