CA: Santa Cruz Metro’s ParaCruz service celebrates 20 years

A local transportation agency is celebrating two decades of service for community members with disabilities.

Santa Cruz Metro launched its ParaCruz system 20 years ago and the program continues to play an important role in ensuring all county residents have equal access to public transit options from safe and reliable sources.

“We are honored to mark this significant milestone,” Daniel Zaragoza, Metro deputy director of operations, said in an agency release. “Our dedicated team works tirelessly to offer a lifeline to individuals who rely on our services for their daily transportation needs. This anniversary is a testament to our commitment to improving the quality of life for all residents.”

The ParaCruz program was launched in 2004 and provides door-to-door, shared-ride services within a three-quarter mile corridor on either side of Metro’s fixed-route bus network area. It is meant to enhance mobility for those who are not able to use the bus due to physical, cognitive or psychiatric disabilities. The program operates in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and utilizes a fleet of buses and minivans that connect residents with educational, business, medical, shopping, social and other destinations. Since its inception, ParaCruz has logged almost 1.6 million rides across the county.

“Looking back over those 20 years and the countless rides, I can’t help but think of the smiles, ‘Hello’s,’ conversations, and many laughs I’ve been blessed to share with the extraordinary women and men of Metro ParaCruz,” said longtime ParaCruz user Roger McKowan in a statement shared through Santa Cruz Metro. “Please accept my heart-felt gratitude for what you’ve done for me and countless others over the years.”

ParaCruz, which operates every day from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., gives about 75,000 rides per year and 231 rides each weekday on average. In addition to its daily service, the program is also activated during natural disasters in order to provide around the clock emergency evacuations.

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