PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. - In April of this year the Presidio of Monterey began enrolling employees and military members in the Mass Transportation Benefit Program, a Department of Transportation funded program to pay for Department of Defense employee's commute to and from work while using some form of commuter transportation service.
Interest and enrollment surged to a level that enabled Monterey-Salinas Transit to implement ten new bus lines. Monterey-Salinas Transit currently runs express bus lines from: San Jose, Salinas, Prunedale, Marina, Seaside/Monterey, Schoonover/Preston Parks, Hayes /Stilwell Parks, Marshall/Fitch Parks (both in the Ord Military Community) and Pacific Grove/New Monterey.
A lunch bus line has also been established to take Presidio employees into downtown Monterey.
Monterey-Salinas Transit CEO Carl Sedoryk said this bus service saves Presidio of Monterey employees money on gas and is "creating a better quality of life for the citizens of the Monterey Peninsula."
Ridership on these lines averages between 400 and 500 daily and takes nearly that many cars off of Monterey Peninsula roads during peak traffic times, thus removing five million pounds of carbon from the atmosphere by the end of year, according to Sedoryk.
Sedoryk thanked Rep. Sam Farr for his support in creating the legislation behind the program which is bringing over a million dollars annually into the local community. The increase in bus service has also enabled MST to hire 26 new drivers.
Col. Darcy A. Brewer, garrison commander, said at the ceremony, "In short, Presidio of Monterey Express Bus Service is a win-win for the entire Monterey Peninsula. We will continue to promote the program to our employees and service members in an effort to take cars off the road and provide a service to our employees."
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