Here’s your chance to ride Manatee County’s buses for free

To promote public transit in the region, Manatee County Area Transit will offer free rides on April 21.

As part of Try Transit Day, MCAT will offer free fixed route rides from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the Friday. Route 99, which goes into Sarasota, and the Skyway ConneXion express service to Pinellas County are included.

“The promotion is part of the Florida Department of Transportation’s public awareness campaign to encourage commuters to consider alternative modes of transportation, especially for work commutes, which typically involve one vehicle transporting only one person,” according to a news release.

Try Transit Day is a way for the county to highlight the benefits of public transportation including saving money on fuel and improving the environment by cutting down on carbon emissions, according to the county’s transit manager Bill Steele.

“Each year Try Transit Day is one of our most popular promotions,” Steele said. “Public transit benefits the environment and it cuts down on vehicular traffic in our county. Regular transit use allows passengers to save fuel costs, auto insurance and maintenance expense, and relieve the stress from bumper to bumper traffic.”

The county’s transit routes are now a part of Google Transit Maps, which means route information is available on all computers and smart phones connected to the Internet.

This story was originally published April 5, 2017 at 10:20 AM with the headline "Here’s your chance to ride Manatee County’s buses for free."