Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (SCMTD), or simply Santa Cruz METRO, provides bus service throughout Santa Cruz County, California. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,650,300, or about 9,100 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.
Santa Cruz METRO was created in 1968 as a special district within Santa Cruz County with taxing authority.[3] Service was initially to the cities of Santa Cruz, Capitola and Live Oak. Santa Cruz METRO extended service to Watsonville, Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley in 1974.
In 1979, voters approved a measure to change the financing of Santa Cruz METRO from a property tax to a 1/2 cent sales tax.
A strike in September 2005 lasted for 35 days and stranded up to 23,000 riders.[4]
In 2011 fixed route service was severely cut then restored mere months later.[5]
In 2012 Santa Cruz METRO received grant funding to construct the Judy K. Souza Operations Facility.[6]
On February 12, 2024, METRO has relocated from the Pacific Metro Center to the new Riverfront Transit Center, which is serving as a temporary transit center until 2026. The existing transit center will be demolished and redeveloped into housing units with a new transit center underneath.[7]
Routes
Route 1 – Soquel/ Cabrillo/ Airport
Route 2 – Capitola/ Cabrillo/ Main
Route 3A/3B – Capitola Mall/ Live Oak
Route 4 – Harvey West
Route 4W – River/ Harvey West
Route 11 – UCSC via West Gate – High
Route 17 – Highway 17 Express
Route 18 – UCSC via Main Gate – Mission
Route 19 – UCSC via West Gate – Bay
Route 20 – UCSC via Main Gate – Delaware/Western
Route 35 – Highway 9/Scotts Valley
Route 35B – Highway 9/ Scotts Valley to Big Basin State Park
