SRJC Students Gain Unlimited Free Bus Rides Throughout Sonoma County

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Santa Rosa Junior College students are in for a free ride. The students can now ride free on any Santa Rosa CityBus, Petaluma Transit or Sonoma County Transit bus anytime, school officials said this week.

Students who show their validated SRJC CubCard to a bus driver when boarding can travel free anywhere in Sonoma County, not just on trips to and from the SRJC campus.

SRJC's Associated Students student government voted in favor of assessing themselves a transportation fee to support the free fare program. The fee is $1 per unit up to a maximum of $10 per semester and $5 during the summer.

The transportation fee in combination with individual transit funding will cover the cost of the free and unlimited rides on Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Sonoma County buses.

"Being a student is stressful enough, and this transportation partnership helps students by taking the hassle out of commuting and finding a parking space on campus," SRJC dean of student affairs Robert Ethington said in a statement.

"SRJC students can now say goodbye to vehicle expenses such as parking fees, gasoline, insurance fees and maintenance costs," Ethington said.

The free fares help reduce the number of single-occupant vehicles on Sonoma County roads, and the community's overall carbon footprint.

The free fares also help provide access to educational services to disadvantaged students, reduce parking demand at SRJC and help recruit and retain students, school officials said.

CityBus Route 1 and Route 7 stop at the Santa Rosa campus and Route 2B serves the college's southwest site on Wright Road in Roseland.

SRJC enrolls approximately 26,000 students each semester.

By Bay City News Service

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