Free Fares for Legally Blind Riders
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FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 4
Alert InformationRoute 4 Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Weekdays/Weekends: Weekdays: A new stop has been added at River & Encinal Ave. River/Front Garage Stop will no longer be served. Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 3A/B
Alert InformationRoute 3A/B Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Weekdays/Weekends: Front & Laurel Stop will be re-activated for service. River/Front Garage Stop will no longer be served. Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
Route(s): 1
FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 1
Alert InformationRoute 1 Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Weekdays/Weekends: A new stop has been added at E. Beach & Union. Freedom Blvd (K-Mart/Vallarta Supermarkets) has been renamed Freedom Blvd & Davis Ave. Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 35/35X/35B
Alert InformationRoute 35/35X/35B Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Route 35 (Highway9/Scotts Valley): Weekdays: The first trip in the morning from Country Club will depart five minutes earlier at 5:10am to enable a connection at Scotts Valley Transit Center to the Highway 17 Express departing to San Jose at 5:49am. Weekdays/Weekends: At River Front Transit Center, trips will now depart at Area 2, Soquel Ave & Front. River/Front Garage Stop will no longer be served. Route 35X (Santa Cruz/Boulder Creek Express) Weekdays: Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route. At River Front Transit Center, trips will now depart at Area 2, Soquel Ave & Front . River/Front Garage Stop will no longer be served. Route 35B (Scotts Valley – Big Basin) Weekends: Service to Big Basin Redwoods State Park does not operate during the Winter. It will resume in Spring 2026.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 2/2N
Alert InformationRoute 2/2N Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Weekdays/Weekends: River/Front Garage Stop will no longer be served. Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
Route(s): 16, 18, 18B, 19, 19B, 20
FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 16/18/19/20
Alert InformationRoute 16/18/19/20 Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Weekdays: Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
Route(s): 79
FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 79
Alert InformationRoute 79 Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Weekdays/Weekends: Three new stops have been added: E. Beach & Union, E. Lake Ave & Tuttle Ave, and E. Lake Ave & Brewington Ave.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
Route(s): 34
FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 34
Alert InformationRoute 34 Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Weekdays: Trips from River Front will depart at :40 after the hour from 6:40am – 3:40pm; the last trip now departs at 5:00pm for Emeline workers ending work at 5:00. From Scotts Valley Transit Center, all trips will depart five minutes earlier at :40 from 6:40am – 5:40pm, which includes a new early morning trip at 6:40am to enable early morning connections at River Front Transit Center. The 8:00am trip to Vine Hill Elementary and Scotts Valley High School will depart five minutes earlier at 7:55am. At River Front Transit Center, trips will now depart at Area 2, Soquel Ave & Front. River/Front Garage Stop will no longer be served. Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
Route(s): 11
FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 11
Alert InformationRoute 11 Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Weekdays/Weekends: River/Front Garage Stop will no longer be served. Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
Route(s): 55
FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 55
Alert InformationRoute 55 Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Weekdays: Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
Route(s): 17
FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 17
Alert InformationRoute 17 Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Weekdays: Many trip departure and/or arrival times have been adjusted by five to ten minutes – earlier or later - along the route to improve schedule accuracy and connections to Caltrain.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
Route(s): 3A
Murray St IB(West) Closure, March 2025
Alert InformationDue to the Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project, Route 3A Inbound (Capitola Mall to Downtown) will operate on a detour starting March 24, 2025, until further notice. The 3A will continue on 7th Ave to Capitola Road, to Soquel Dr, to Seabright Ave, to Broadway returning to normal routing. Please be prepared for additional detours as the project progresses. Visit https://rt.scmetro.org for METRO Real-Time tracking.
- Start: March 12, 2025, 4:15 PM
Route(s): 72
FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 72
Alert InformationRoute 72 Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Weekdays: Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
Route(s): All
2025 Thanksgiving Day
Alert InformationHoliday Service Reminder: Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 27, 2025): No local METRO or ParaCruz service. Highway 17 Express will run on a weekend schedule. Customer Service will be closed. Day After Thanksgiving (Friday, November 28, 2025): Local METRO and Highway 17 Express will run on a weekend schedule. ParaCruz will operate on a weekday schedule. Customer Service will be closed.
- Start: November 24, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: November 29, 2025, 7:59 AM
Route(s): 73
FY26 Winter Service Change, Route 73
Alert InformationRoute 73 Winter Service (eff. 12/18/25): Weekdays: Certain trips will depart Capitola Mall and Watsonville Transit Center up to ten minutes earlier or five minutes later and departure and arrival times have changed along the route. Weekdays/Weekends: Freedom Blvd (K-Mart/Vallarta Supermarkets Stop) has been renamed Freedom Blvd & Davis Ave.
- Start: December 4, 2025, 4:00 PM
- End: January 1, 2026, 7:59 AM
Service Alerts
How it works
Since 2019, customers who are legally blind may ride the METRO fixed-route bus system for free. This program will allow qualifying customers to travel anywhere METRO’s fixed-route buses travel, including on the Highway 17 Express.
To qualify, download the overview guide at the link below. On the back page you will find a form that can be signed off by your medical provider. If you would like to be evaluated by METRO staff, please contact Customer Service at (831) 425-8600 and ask to make an appointment with the Eligibility Coordinator to be verified for the Free Fare Program.
Bus operators have been instructed to allow customers who are legally blind onboard the bus for free. If a bus operator is uncertain about whether a customer qualifies for the program, the bus operator may ask to see a copy of the customer’s ACCESS Card. If the customer does not have one, they will be directed to Customer Service to get the proper documentation.
Download the Free Fare Program Overview Guide
View the Full Free Fare Policy here