SC Metro | 41 – Empire Grade – Bonny Doon

Route(s): 18, 19, 20

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 16

Route 16 Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Weekdays: School Term service returns, providing additional service to the UCSC campus, with specific Mon-Wed-Fri and Tues-Thurs schedules.

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM

Route(s): 4

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 4, 34

Route 4 & 34 Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Weekdays: Route 34 will provide new service between River Front Transit Center and Scotts Valley Transit Center via Emeline Avenue and Scotts Valley Drive. This route replaces Route 4 service to the Emeline Complex (Santa Cruz County Health) and Route 35 service along Scotts Valley Drive before 6:00 p.m. Riders from Harvey West to Emeline can take Route 4 to River Front and transfer to Route 34, with timed transfers available in both directions. Route 34 also provides school service to Vine Hill Elementary and Scotts Valley High School on select trips.Fall Service changes start 9/11! Visit https://scmetro.org/alerts for detailed Route 4 & 34 information.

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM

Route(s): 78

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 78

Route 78 Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Weekdays/Weekends: All trips will depart five minutes earlier at :45 after the hour.

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM

Route(s): 11

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 11

Route 11 Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Weekdays/Weekends: Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route. Weekends: Service will operate hourly rather than every 30 minutes.

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM

Route(s): 55

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 55

Route 55 Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Weekdays/Weekends: The Route 55 will now serve Aptos Village along Soquel Dr between Freedom Blvd and State Park Dr instead of Highway 1. As a result, trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route. Weekdays: Will operate every two hours rather than every one hour and forty minutes.

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM

Route(s): 20

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 20

Route 20 Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route.

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM

Route(s): All

2025 County Fair

Santa Cruz METRO is offering free rides on fixed-route and ParaCruz services to the Santa Cruz County Fair, September 10–14, at the Watsonville Fairgrounds. Take Routes 79 or 79F from the Watsonville Transit Center. Wednesday through Friday, departures will run from 10:35am to 9:35pm. On Saturday and Sunday, departures will run from 8:35am to 9:35pm. Return trips from the Fairgrounds will depart hourly, on the hour. Riders may request a voucher from the operator upon arrival at the Fairgrounds for discounted admission. Plan your trip and track your bus in real time using the Transit App. For more information, visit https://scmetro.org/countyfair.

• Start: September 7, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 15, 2025, 4:59 AM

Route(s): 18, 19, 20, 40, 41

2025 Race the Wave

Due to the Race the Wave event on Saturday, September 13, Routes 18-20, 40 & 41 should expect minor detours and delays. Pacifc Avenue & W Cliff Drive will experience rolling closures between 7:30a-8:30a. Plan ahead and check real-time updates through the Transit app or at https://rt.scmetro.org.

• Start: September 10, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 14, 2025, 3:59 AM

Route(s): 2, 73

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 2, 2N

Route 2 & 2N Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Weekdays: The last three evening departures from Santa Cruz are replaced with Route 2N. They will run along the regular Route 2 route from Santa Cruz to Soquel Dr and Freedom Blvd, then will run on Freedom Blvd to Airport Blvd, then Green Valley Rd before returning to Main St. Weekends: The 9:30pm and 10:30pm Route 2 departures from Santa Cruz are replaced with Route 2N.

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM

Route(s): 19, 18

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 19, 19B

Route 19 & 19B Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Weekdays: Service will return to 15-minute frequency including the UCSC loop. Route 19B will operate on weekends only, supplementing 30-minute Route 19 frequency. Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route.

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM

Route(s): 35

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 35, 35X

Route 35 Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Weekdays: To provide a faster, more direct trip between San Lorenzo Valley and Santa Cruz, most Route 35 trips between approximately 7:00am and 7:00pm will operate as Route 35X. Route 35X will bypass Scotts Valley Drive, entering and exiting Highway 17 at Mt. Hermon Road instead of Granite Creek Road. Riders traveling to destinations on Scotts Valley Drive can transfer to Route 34 or Highway 17 Express at Scotts Valley Transit Center. From Santa Cruz, Route 34 provides access to Scotts Valley Drive. For local travel within Scotts Valley on Highway 17 Express, customers may pay local fare or use a transfer from a Route 35 or 35X trip. Route 35X Trips departing from River Front Transit Center will leave from Area 2.

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM

Route(s): 17

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 17

Route 17 Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Weekdays/Weekends: Passengers will be dropped off at River Front Area 2 (Soquel Ave & Front) for easier transfers to Area 1. Buses will continue to depart from Area 4 - Front (Trader Joe's).

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM

Route(s): 73

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 73

Route 73 Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Weekdays/Weekends: Current weekday trips, 9:30pm, 10:25pm, and 11:25pm are replaced with Route 2N, departing from Capitola Mall approximately 15-20 minutes later, and will operate on Freedom Blvd from Soquel Dr to Airport Blvd, then serve Green Valley Rd and Main St instead of Freedom Blvd to Clifford Ave. The last two weekend trips also are replaced by Route 2N and will depart Capitola Mall two minutes later than the Summer Route 73 scheduled at 9:47pm and 10:47pm. Certain other trips have also been adjusted by a few minutes.

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM

Route(s): 3A, 3B

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 3A, 3B

Route 3A/B Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Weekdays: Trips departing River Front Transit Center or Capitola Mall before 5:00pm will serve Soquel Ave past Harbor High School and 7th Ave between Soquel Ave and Capitola Rd. After 5:00pm, the route will take Capitola Rd between 7th Ave and Soquel Ave. Weekends: All trips will run on Capitola Rd between 7th Ave and Soquel Ave.

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM

Route(s): 18, 19

FY26 Fall Service Change, Route 18, 18B

Route 18 & 18B Fall Service (eff. 9/11/25): Weekdays: Service will return to 15-minute frequency including the UCSC loop. Route 18B will operate on weekends only, supplementing 30-minute Route 18 frequency. Trip departure and arrival times have been adjusted along the route.

• Start: September 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
• End: September 26, 2025, 6:59 AM