Community MCAT Offers Free Service on Try Transit Day

MANATEE COUNTY – Come on and take a free ride, Manatee County Area Transit passengers! Manatee County Area Transit will offer complimentary service Thursday, April 19, as part of a regional Try Transit campaign.

MCAT will offer free rides throughout the service day, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., including Route 99 riders going into Sarasota. The promotion is part of the Florida Department of Transportation’s awareness campaign to get commuters to consider alternative modes of transportation, especially for work commutes typically involving one vehicle transporting one person. 

MCAT Manager Carl Hunsinger said Try Transit Day is a great way to highlight the benefits public transportation offers riders, including saving money on fuel, improving the environment by cutting down on carbon emissions and additional leisure time on the commute to and from work.

”We’re hoping to attract people to our system to experience the benefits and the availability of the service,“ Hunsinger said. ”MCAT benefits the environment and mitigates traffic in our county. Public transit offers much more than saving you the cost of increasing fuel prices.  The indirect savings also includes areas of auto insurance, auto maintenance, and it can relieve you of the stress from bumper to bumper traffic.“

Since taking over as MCAT Manager in October, Hunsinger has promoted several new ideas to make riding with MCAT easier and safer. By June MCAT routes will be loaded into Google Transit Maps so that route information is available on all computers and smart phones with an Internet connection.

The Commuter Services promotion is also part of Healthy Counties, Healthy Families Month highlighting Manatee County Government’s commitment to promoting a culture of health. More than 40 events are planned throughout April to promote healthy choices.

MCAT serves Bradenton, Ellenton, Palmetto and the gulf beach communities. Buses run 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. No service is offered Sunday. The fare is $1.25 each way; transfers are 25¢ each. Accepted forms of payment include U.S. coins and currency or M-Card transit passes.

For information on MCAT routes and schedules visit www.mymanatee.org/mcat or call (941) 747-8621. To register for more information on car pools, transit, biking, walking and running as alternatives, visit www.commuterservicesFL.com