Transportation Solutions
Getting back and forth to work every
day can be a breeze or nightmare, depending on the options available
to you. Here are some resources, information and potential solutions
to your commute problems.
 Traveling "Over
the Hill"
But What If I Need
My Car?
Reading the
Bus Schedule
Getting Children
to School
Finding a Safe
Bicycle Route
How Does a
Disabled Person Get Around Town?
I'd Ride a Bike,
But I Don't Have One
Join
a Vanpool
Got a commute problem? E-mail us with
your commute problem, and we'll get our best commute sleuths to
work on it. Watch this page for more commute brainstorms and solutions.
Traveling "Over
the Hill"
Highway 17 is the dreaded commute
for more than 20% of the workers living in Santa Cruz County. Work
schedules and destinations might seem to make options unworkable.
But, using an alternative commute even one day each week can help
reduce congestion and pollution by 20%.
Commute
Solutions maintains a database of more than 2,000 commuters
looking to team up with other commuters headed in the same direction.
Register and request a match list by calling (831) 429-POOL or
clicking here.
Santa
Cruz METRO Transit District has a Highway 17 Express bus
that makes trips daily from Santa Cruz to the Caltrain station
in San Jose, with a stop in Scotts Valley. Let someone else do
the driving while you enjoy your favorite book or music, study
for that mid-term or catch up on some ZZZ's.
Employee Benefits: Some large employers
offer bonuses, rebates, transit passes and other perks for employees
who carpool or use mass transit. Some also organize and sponsor
vanpools for groups of employees traveling from similar locations.
Contact the human resources department at your company to see if
any such benefits are available.
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But
What If I Need My Car?
Many commuters are reluctant to leave
their car behind - what if you have an emergency? Transportation Services offers
a FREE Emergency Ride Home to people who work for member companies.
Find out if your company is a member by clicking here.
If your company is a member, check out the Emergency Ride Home page,
or contact us or your human resources department for more information.
If your company is not a member contact us to find
out more about how your company can become a member.
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Reading
the Bus Schedule
Which bus do I take? Does the bus
go where I need to go? Get the help you need online at the Santa
Cruz METRO Transit District web site, or have a live person
help you by calling (831) 425-8600 or (831) 425-8993 (TDD only).
Need information for Monterey or the
San Francisco Bay Area? Click on these links to get transit info:
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Getting
Children to School
Many children are delivered to school
daily by private car. And, with many private schools in Santa Cruz,
the trip can be many miles, rather than in the neighborhood.
School-based Carpools: Parents sometimes
informally arrange carpools within their neighborhood. Others have
organized to hire a transportation company to run a regular route
to get children to and from school. Two local companies who can
provide vehicles, drivers and planning assistance include: ABC
Buses (831)438-5385 and Santa Cruz Shuttle Service (831)423-1214.
Santa Cruz METRO Transit District
provides some bus service specifically linked to school
schedules. They also offered discounted fares for students.
With the METRO's Bikes
on Buses program, you can load your bicycle safely on the bus
to get from the bus stop to your final destination.
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Finding
a Safe Bicycle Route
The Bicycle
Committee at the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation
Commission publishes a Santa Cruz County Bike Route Map.
It gives you all the scoop on routes, lanes and other bike-related
facilities. You can get a copy of the map by calling (831) 460-3200.
Monterey County
Monterey County maps can be ordered by calling (831) 755-4812 or (831) 755-5078
or e-mail at christina@tamcmonterey.org.
The Community Traffic Safety Coalition
has many bike safety publications and will provide classroom presentations.
For more information, call the coalition at
(831) 454-7558
Make the link between the bus stop
and your destination with the Bikes
on Buses program with the Santa Cruz METRO Transit District.
Bike
to Work provides programs and incentives for bicycle commuters,
including a Bike Buddy service, matching experienced bike commuters
with novices.
For a humorous look at the joys and
hazards of bicycle commuting, check out CJ's
Bicycle Commuting Page.
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How
Does a Disabled Person Get Around Town?
The Santa Cruz METRO Transit District
also offers ADA paratransit service for those disabled people who
are unable to use regular METRO buses. Information on the program
is at http://www.scmtd.com/paratr.html.
For registration information, please call (831) 425-4664.
Lift Line provides door-to-door transportation
for disabled residents of Santa Cruz County. For more information
about services and fares, call (831) 688-9663 or (831) 425-1558.
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I'd
Ride a Bike, But I Don't Have One
Santa Cruz County is a great place
to commute on a bike. But, sometimes the biggest obstacle can be
buying the bike. Transportation Mmbership Services offers 0%-Interest
Bicycle Loans to the employees of member companies. You
can borrow up to $750 to get yourself outfitted for a bicycle commute.
And, your bike loan is financed over one year with no interest
charged!
If your company is a member, contact us or your human resources department for more information.
If your company is not a member, email
to find
out more about how your company can become a member.
Also, Ecology
Action provides subsides up to $375 for the purchase of an
electric bike. Call 1-866-EZ-PEDAL toll-free for more information.
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| Program Contact: Transportation Programs |
Piet Canin E-mail
Program Director, Transportation Group
831-426-5925 ext. 127
|
|
Solutions
