You may be surprised to learn that the City’s bus service, Santa Clarita Transit, provides a wide range of transportation services for teens, families and seniors that save money, increase mobility options, reduce commuting stress and travel to surrounding cities.

This summer season, Santa Clarita Transit is excited to offer a variety of services to make it easy, fun and affordable to ride the bus to the beach, travel throughout town or visit other neighboring cities.

Head to the Beach with the Summer Beach Bus

The City of Santa Clarita is proud to bring back the 2015 Summer Beach Bus. This service allows community members to enjoy sun and sand in Santa Monica throughout the summer months. The air-conditioned transit ride provides the perfect opportunity for community members to enjoy a relaxing ride to the beach without the hassles associated with driving. Traveling on Saturdays and Sundays from June 6 through September 6, fares are $3 each way for children and adults, and $1.50 each way for persons with disabilities and seniors 60 years of age and over.

Use Local Routes to Enjoy a Summer Evening on Main Street’s Thursdays @ Newhall

Santa Clarita Transit offers a variety of local bus routes to visit Main Street and enjoy fresh, fun and original events every Thursday night. With street festivals, car shows, food trucks, art, entertainment, shopping and dining, Thursdays @ Newhall has become the local hot spot for community members to enjoy an experience unlike any other in Santa Clarita. To see which route will best get you to the action, please visit SantaClaritaTransit.com and click on the “Getting Around Santa Clarita” tab in the “Routes and Schedules” drop down menu.

Dump the Pump!

On Thursday, June 18, join the City of Santa Clarita and KHTS as we “Dump the Pump” to bring awareness to public transportation. The City of Santa Clarita offers a robust public transportation system that can take you anywhere within the Santa Clarita Valley and to many destinations outside of the valley as well, such as North Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, Century City and Warner Center. Pledge with us to “Dump the Pump” on June 18 by visiting SantaClaritaTransit.com and you will receive a voucher good for free local rides throughout the day. By making the pledge, you will also be entered into a contest with prizes ranging from monthly local bus passes to amusement park admissions.

Visit Other Destinations aboard the 757 NoHo (North Hollywood) Express

The 757 NoHo Express is a valley-to-valley transit service that gets residents just about anywhere they want to go, seven days a week. The route provides frequent opportunities to connect to LADOT Express services, the Burbank Bus, numerous Metro bus services, as well as Metro’s Orange and Red Line services. The added convenience of mid-day return trips aboard the City’s 757 NoHo Express allows community members to connect to major destinations, including Los Angeles Union Station, the Staples Center, Hollywood, Universal City, Van Nuys, Burbank, Pasadena and Long Beach.

Cutting-Edge Technology Keeps Riders “In the Know”

Thanks to the City’s Transit Information Network, residents no longer have to worry about bus arrival and departure times. Riders can receive up-to-the-minute information on the current location of the buses via smartphone apps on both iOS and Android platforms, on their cell phone via SMS text, on the web at SantaClaritaTransit.com or one of 30 arrival display signs installed at key areas throughout Santa Clarita.

Smart phone users can also receive information by scanning the QR Code located at each bus stop or by visiting the mobile website, M.Santa-Clarita.com. Simply enter the five-digit bus stop ID number found at each stop and let the interactive system do the rest. To view this information on a Bus Finder, simply press the button on the blue display unit that directly corresponds with the route and receive real-time schedules and arrival times specific to that stop. A Bus Finder Map is also available online for passengers looking to identify a route’s arrival times prior to boarding the bus.

Santa Clarita Transit is committed to making it easy and affordable to use public transportation. For more information about Santa Clarita Transit, visit us online at: SantaClaritaTransit.com, or give us a call at (661) 294-1BUS (1287).

As always, I welcome your thoughts, ideas and comments. Feel free to email me at: mmclean@santa-clarita.com.

Marsha McLean is mayor of the city of Santa Clarita.