Santa Cruz Metro CEO/GM Michael Tree departing agency Feb. 16

The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District's (Santa Cruz Metro) CEO/General Manager Michael Tree will be retiring after almost two years of service on Feb. 16, 2024, due to unexpected personal reasons.

The agency voiced its gratitude for Tree's dedicated service and commitment to Santa Cruz Metro.

During his time at Santa Cruz Metro:

• Tree worked with the Santa Cruz Metro Board and staff on Reimagine Metro, a comprehensive set of service improvements to bring riders faster, more frequent and more reliable bus service. 
• Tree launched Youth Cruz Free, which enables all K-12 students to ride Santa Cruz Metro free of charge.
• He led the agency to receive numerous grant awards, totaling more than $148 million.
• He pushed for the purchase of zero-emissions fleet of 57 hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses.
• He incorporated affordable housing into Santa Cruz Metro owned facilities, including the redevelopment of Pacific Station into a multi-use facility with 128 affordable housing units that is slated to start construction in February 2024 and initial planning for the Watsonville Transit Center redevelopment to include 65 units of affordable housing.

Tree, along with staff, also launched Santa Cruz Metro’s One Ride at a Time program, a rider loyalty program that donates to local environmental non-profit partners that includes buses wrapped with iconic images of the Monterey Bay. To date, the One Ride at a Time program, along with Santa Cruz Metro’s Social Equity and Community Funding Policy, have generated more than $237,000, with $42,000 of that funding thus far distributed to Santa Cruz Metro’s non-profit partners to help protect the local environment, along with 18 40-foot buses and eight articulated buses wrapped with local wildlife images ranging from sea otters, mountain lions and surrounding natural landscapes.

"My decision to leave the agency and the Santa Cruz community comes with a heavy heart but my decision was made for solely personal reasons related to my aging parents,” Tree said. “The Santa Cruz Metro Board and staff are fully committed to Santa Cruz Metro’s vision of increasing ridership, growing our zero-emissions fleet and incorporating affordable housing into Santa Cruz Metro-owned facilities so I am leaving the agency in capable hands that will continue supporting the needs of Santa Cruz County.”

“On behalf of the Santa Cruz Metro Board, I want to thank Michael Tree for his numerous contributions and achievements for the agency,” said Santa Cruz Metro Board of Director Chair Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson. “Michael brought visionary leadership and incredible energy to the role of CEO. The programs and services he initiated during his tenure go beyond providing world-class transportation to Santa Cruz County and rise to the level of true community building. The board and the entire Santa Cruz Metro team are committed to continuing to implement this vision.”

Tree will be relocating to his hometown to be closer to family and join Golden Empire Transit District as its new CEO.