Modesto Area Express (MAX) announced Monday, Oct. 21 that all rides on MAX fixed-route buses will be free for passengers on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. This includes MAX to BART Commuter Express and MAX to ACE Commuter Express, but excludes Modesto Area Dial-a-Ride (MADAR) services. All MAX vehicles are accessible to individuals with disabilities as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Funding for the free ride promotion is made possible through a grant from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) under the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP).

“This is a great opportunity for Modesto residents to ride with and thank the brave men and women in our community who have served in our armed forces,” said Adam Barth, MAX’s Transit Manager. “MAX is free for the day to allow us to come together as a community.”

Residents are encouraged to make the most of this free ride promotion by planning their trips in advance. Trip planning tools are available on the MAX website, as well as through smartphone apps such as myStop. These tools make it easy to determine the closest bus stop, the correct route, and in some cases real-time bus arrival information.

MAX has provided 41 free-ride days in 2019 through its Free Rides All July and Free Rideshare Week campaigns. The effort is leading to an increase in ridership. July 2019 bus trips on MAX fixed routes increased by 62 percent over the previous year. Free Rideshare Week (offered from Oct. 6 through 12, 2019) resulted in 56,839 MAX bus trips. This was an increase of 31 percent over the same week in 2018.

MAX was formed in 1973 and is the primary public transportation provider for the Modesto Urbanized Area. MAX serves 20 routes, operates seven days a week, and transports approximately 2,800,000 passengers annually with its fixed-route buses. For more information, visit www.modestoareaexpress.com.