Ride Manatee County Buses For Free For Next 18 Months: County

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Riding Manatee County Area Transit buses just got a whole lot easier. Passengers can take MCAT’s fixed-route buses for free over the next 18 months, according to a news release from Manatee County.

The new fare-free transportation initiative kicked off Tuesday.

Fares will still be collected on the Sarasota County portion of the Route 99 service linking downtown Bradenton, the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport and downtown Sarasota, the county said.

At-large Commissioner George Kruse initially suggested looking at free fares in September, pointing out that what is collected represents a small part of the $20 million Manatee County spends on transit — especially after the costs associated with fare collection are calculated, according to the county.

He also noted that riders are already enjoying free fares in Manatee County through the popular Anna Maria Island Trolley.

“If we start treating transit like infrastructure instead of like a service, I think you're going to start seeing a massive improvement in people's lives,” Kruse said.

The Board of County Commissioners asked for a pilot program that could stimulate and encourage the use of mass transit and reduce operational costs by eliminating fares.

On Sept. 27, commissioners approved a resolution to make all fixed-route fares free for riders.

The Riding MCAT page has the latest on routes and rules. MCAT Customer Service is available at 941-749-7116 for more information.