Fares & Passes
NEW FARES EFFECTIVE
SEPTEMBER 1, 2012
New Fares - Fixed Route (Spanish)
New Fares - Dial-A-Ride (Spanish)
New Fares - Students
Frequently Asked Questions
Special Note
There are no fare exchanges allowed on Merced County Transit. You can not trade tokens for All Day Bus Passes. No Exceptions.
Cash Fares - Fixed Route
The base fare is $1.50 for all local rides within a single city or community and $3.00 from any city or community to another.
Half Fares: Seniors (anyone over 60), persons with disabilities (with an ADA eligibility card) and Medicare card holders ride for only half the regular cash fare all day, every day, on all Merced TheBus fixed routes.
Seniors must present identification that shows your age, such as a driver's license, a state issued photo ID card showing your date of birth, or a Medicare card. Medicare card holders may also be required to present proof of identification upon request.
Cash Fares - Dial-A-Ride
The base fare is $3.00 for all local rides within a single city or community and $6.00 from any city or community to another.
Children Fare Policy: Children under 46 inches in height are permitted to ride free as long as they are riding with an adult who pays a fare, whether that be in cash or with a bus pass or other form of payment. Indicators are in place on all buses showing the 46 inch measurement.
Pass Information
Merced County Transit offers a variety of passes tailored to meet a wide range of passenger needs. Seniors (anyone over 60), persons with disabilities (with an ADA eligibility card) and Medicare card holders may purchase passes at half-price.
31-Day Passes are good for unlimited riding on fixed route Merced County Transit Services for 31 days from the date of first use.
All Day Bus Passes are good for unlimited riding on the day they are purchased on all fixed routes. Price is based on whether you'll be using within one city/community or traveling intercity. Note: Atwater/Winton/Merced area is considered a "city/community".
7 Day Passes are good for unlimited riding for 7 days from date of first use on all fixed routes, local and intercity.
Student Passes - Fixed Route service only are available with student identification for 31 days or a full semester. For the first semester of 2012 (August - December) student passes are available for half price.
| Pass Type | Prices (Effective Sept. 1, 2012) |
|---|---|
| All Day Fixed Route Local Pass | $4 |
| All Day Pass Intercity Pass | $8 |
| 7-Day Pass | $20 |
| 31-Day Fixed Route Pass for Seniors and ADA | $30 |
| 31-Day Fixed-Route Pass | $60 |
| 31-Day Student Pass | $45 ($22.50 August - December 2012) |
| Unlimited Student Semester Pass | $180 ($90 August - December 2012) |
Electronic Fare Cards
When you board The Bus, just swipe your electronic fare card and climb aboard. If you need to purchase a pass just tell the driver what you need, feed your cash into the machine and take your electronic fare card and change card.
Fares for Longer Trips
The fares for trips that require two or more buses shall be the sum of the fares to complete the trip.
$50 Multi Ride Pass for Dial-A-Ride
A $50 prepaid ADA Multi-Ride Pass is available to eligible Dial-A-Ride passengers. The following table outlines the amount that would be deducted from the $50 Multi-Ride Pass per a trip based on destination. Note: Atwater, Winton and Merced are considered a "local" trip.
| $50 Multi-Ride Pass | Prices |
|---|---|
| One local ride Dial-A-Ride | $2.50 (using Multi-Ride Pass) |
| One intercity ride Dial-A-Ride | $5.00 (using Multi-Ride Pass) |
| One local ride Fixed Route | $0.75 |
| One intercity ride Fixed Route | $1.50 |
Buying Tickets and Passes
The Bus monthly passes and all day bus passes are available for sale on all buses.
Monthly passes may also be purchased at the following locations:
Merced Transportation Center - 710 W. 16th Street, Merced
Merced County Transit Office - 369 W. 18th Street, Merced
Merced City Hall - 18th St. & "N" St., Merced
Merced Mall - Information Booth
Los Banos Community Center - 645 7th St., Los Banos
How to Operate the Farebox
As you climb the steps to board the bus, you'll see the metal farebox located next to the driver. Please put your cash fare into the top of the farebox. Our drivers cannot make change for you, so please have exact change for your fare.
If you have a bus pass, you'll do things a little differently: the first time you use the pass, just insert it into the farebox card reader. After that, you can use THE BUS' handy swipe card reader to swipe your pass through and save time!
Note:
Riders cannot combine currency or coin with partially used passes.
