Monterey Salinas Transit
Encyclopedia
Monterey-Salinas Transit, (MST), provides bus
service within Monterey County in California. Service is primarily to the greater Monterey
and Salinas
areas, but extends as far south as Paso Robles
and Big Sur
and as far north as Watsonville
and San Jose
. Most lines follow a hub-and-spoke system, originating at the Monterey Transit Plaza
or the Salinas Transit Center
, though some service also originates from the Edgewater Transit Exchange
(in Sand City
) and the Marina Transit Exchange
. MST serves many local shopping areas, places of employment, tourist sites, government buildings, and residential neighborhoods.
Discounted fares (approximately half-price) are available to individuals age 18 or under, individuals age 65 or over, individuals with disabilities, Medicare cardholders, and active-duty military. Children 46" and under ride free. Daily and monthly passes (for one zone or all zones) are available at various locations throughout the county, as are prepaid ticket books.
CSUMB
is a fare-free zone; passengers boarding on campus ride free.
During the summer and select holidays, the MST Trolley (formerly the Waterfront Area Visitor Express, or WAVE), a free shuttle, serves Old Town Monterey, Cannery Row
, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium
. Trolleys also serve Carmel-by-the-Sea during summer and select holiday periods, as well as downtown Salinas during the off season.
MST's demand-responsive transit service, MST On Call, covers areas away from MST's standard routes. MST On Call Marina provides timed transfers at Marina Transit Exchange, while MST On Call South County connects to Line 23 in Gonzales.
MST RIDES is a paratransit
service available to persons who have a disability preventing them from using MST's regular fixed-route service. It operates under its own fare and zone structures.
service is offered on Lines 23 Salinas—King City, 55 Monterey—San Jose Express (Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
), and 79 Presidio—San Jose Express, as well as at the Marina and Edgewater Transit Exchanges. MST provides online trip planning on Google Transit and sends live service alerts via Twitter
. All buses are tracked by GPS, allowing real-time arrival and departure times to be displayed at major hubs, and MST has introduced smart card
fare payment and other technologies to attract new riders.
, at Watsonville Transit Center.
Salinas's Amtrak
and Greyhound
stations are located near the Salinas Transit Center; lines 29 and 49 and the Salinas Trolley will also stop at the Amtrak station upon request.
Lines 55 and 79 connect to both Caltrain
and VTA
buses at the Gilroy and San Jose Diridon
Caltrain Stations. Diridon Station is also a station for ACE
, Amtrak, and VTA light rail. Further, line 55 includes a stop at the San Jose Greyhound station. These connections link the Monterey Bay to Bay Area, state, and national transit networks. (Line 55 also serves as an Amtrak Thruway bus.)
is served by both Lines 3 and 21.
Marina Municipal Airport
is served by MST On Call.
San Jose International Airport
and San Francisco International Airport
are served by transferring to VTA
light rail
and Caltrain
, respectively, from Lines 55 or 79 at Diridon Station
.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service within Monterey County in California. Service is primarily to the greater Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
and Salinas
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
areas, but extends as far south as Paso Robles
Paso Robles, California
Paso Robles is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Paso Robles is the fastest growing city in San Luis Obispo County: Its population at the 2000 census was 24,297; in 2010 it recorded some 29,793 residentsLocated on the Salinas River north of San Luis Obispo, California,...
and Big Sur
Big Sur
Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big...
and as far north as Watsonville
Watsonville, California
Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 51,199 according to the 2010 census.Located on the central coast of California, the economy centers predominantly around the farming industry. It is known for growing strawberries, apples, lettuce and a host...
and San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. Most lines follow a hub-and-spoke system, originating at the Monterey Transit Plaza
Monterey Transit Plaza
The Monterey Transit Plaza is the main transit center in Monterey, California. It is operated by Monterey-Salinas Transit, but also served by Amtrak Thruway buses and the Monterey/Salinas Airbus....
or the Salinas Transit Center
Salinas Transit Center
The Salinas Transit Center is the main transit center in Salinas, California. It is served by Monterey-Salinas Transit.It is located at 110 Salinas Street in downtown Salinas, between Central and Lincoln Avenues...
, though some service also originates from the Edgewater Transit Exchange
Edgewater Transit Exchange
The Edgewater Transit Exchange is a bus station operated by Monterey-Salinas Transit in Sand City, California. It is located on the north side of Playa Avenue, west of California Avenue, at Edgewater Shopping Center. It offers few facilities besides covered benches; a notable exception is the free...
(in Sand City
Sand City, California
Sand City is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, located on the shores of Monterey Bay, and surrounded on most sides by the larger city of Seaside. Sand City is located northeast of Monterey, at an elevation of 72 feet . The population was 334 at the 2010 census, up from 261 at...
) and the Marina Transit Exchange
Marina Transit Exchange
The Marina Transit Exchange, operated by Monterey-Salinas Transit, is the main transit center in Marina, California. It opened October 1, 2007, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 21....
. MST serves many local shopping areas, places of employment, tourist sites, government buildings, and residential neighborhoods.
Fare Structure
Fares are by route length. For passenger convenience, day passes, 7-day passes and 31-day passes are available for purchase.- $1 local - Includes 3 CHOMP-Monterey, 4 Carmel Rancho-Carmel, 8 Ryan Ranch-Edgewater via Seaside & Del Rey Oaks, 13 Ryan Ranch-Monterey, 14 NPS-Monterey via La Mesa, 46 Natividad, 48 Salinas-Airport Business Center, 70 Presidio-La Mesa, 78 Presidio-Pacific Grove, MST On Call Marina and MST On Call South County.
- $2 primary - Includes 1 Monterey-Pacific Grove, 1x Asilomar-Lovers Point Express, 2 Monterey-Pacific Grove via Forest Hill, 5 Carmel-Monterey, 7 Carmel-Monterey via CHOMP, 9 Fremont-Hilby, 10 Fremont-Ord Grove, 11 Carmel-Edgewater, 12 Monterey-Dunes via NPS, 16 Marina-Monterey, 19 Marina-Monterey, 24 Carmel Valley Grapevine Express, 25 CSUMB Otter Trolley, 26 Watsonville-Aromas, 27 Watsonville-Marina, 36 Laguna Seca-Carmel, 37 Laguna Seca-Seaside, 38 Laguna Seca-Monterey, 39 Laguna Seca-Salinas, 41 East Alisal-Northridge, 42 East Alisal-Westridge, 43 Memorial Hospital, 44 Northridge via Westridge, 45 East Market-Creekbridge, 49 Northridge via North Main St, 69 Presidio-The Dunes, 71 Presidio-Marina Express, 74 Presidio-Preston Park 75 Presidio-Marshall Park Express, 76 Presidio-Stilwell Park Express via Hayes Park, 77 Presidio-Seaside.
- $3 regional - Includes 2x Pebble Beach-Salinas Express, 20 Salinas-Monterey via Marina, 21 Salinas-Monterey via Hwy 68, 22 Big Sur, 23 Salinas-King City, 38 Watsonville-Salinas via Castroville, 29 Watsonville-Salinas via Prunedale, 72 Presidio-North Salinas Express, 73 Presidio-Prunedale Express.
- $10 commuter - Includes 55 Monterey-San Jose Express, 79 Presidio-San Jose Express via Gilroy, 82 Salinas-Ft. Hunter Liggett Express, 83 Ft. Hunter Liggett-Paso Robles Express.
Discounted fares (approximately half-price) are available to individuals age 18 or under, individuals age 65 or over, individuals with disabilities, Medicare cardholders, and active-duty military. Children 46" and under ride free. Daily and monthly passes (for one zone or all zones) are available at various locations throughout the county, as are prepaid ticket books.
CSUMB
California State University, Monterey Bay
California State University, Monterey Bay is a small public university in the California State University system on the site of the former U.S. Army base Fort Ord, on the Central Coast of California. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.CSUMB was founded in 1994 with...
is a fare-free zone; passengers boarding on campus ride free.
MST Service
MST currently operates 58 fixed-route lines, two demand-responsive transit services, free seasonal shuttles, and paratransit service. Supplemental service is offered on relevant lines during major events and is usually free for event ticketholders.During the summer and select holidays, the MST Trolley (formerly the Waterfront Area Visitor Express, or WAVE), a free shuttle, serves Old Town Monterey, Cannery Row
Cannery Row
Cannery Row is the waterfront street in the New Monterey section of Monterey, California. It is the site of a number of now-defunct sardine canning factories. The last cannery closed in 1973...
, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is located on the former site of a sardine cannery on Cannery Row of the Pacific Ocean shoreline in Monterey, California. It has an annual attendance of 1.8 million visitors. It holds thousands of plants and animals, representing 623 separate named species on display...
. Trolleys also serve Carmel-by-the-Sea during summer and select holiday periods, as well as downtown Salinas during the off season.
MST's demand-responsive transit service, MST On Call, covers areas away from MST's standard routes. MST On Call Marina provides timed transfers at Marina Transit Exchange, while MST On Call South County connects to Line 23 in Gonzales.
MST RIDES is a paratransit
Paratransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
service available to persons who have a disability preventing them from using MST's regular fixed-route service. It operates under its own fare and zone structures.
Technological Initiatives
Free onboard Wi-FiWi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
service is offered on Lines 23 Salinas—King City, 55 Monterey—San Jose Express (Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Thruway Motorcoach is Amtrak's system of Amtrak-owned intercity coaches, locally contracted transit buses, through-ticketed local bus routes and taxi services to connect Amtrak train stations to areas not served by its railroads...
), and 79 Presidio—San Jose Express, as well as at the Marina and Edgewater Transit Exchanges. MST provides online trip planning on Google Transit and sends live service alerts via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. All buses are tracked by GPS, allowing real-time arrival and departure times to be displayed at major hubs, and MST has introduced smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
fare payment and other technologies to attract new riders.
Transit Connections
Lines 27, 28, and 29 connect to Santa Cruz Metro, which serves Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
, at Watsonville Transit Center.
Salinas's Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and Greyhound
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
stations are located near the Salinas Transit Center; lines 29 and 49 and the Salinas Trolley will also stop at the Amtrak station upon request.
Lines 55 and 79 connect to both Caltrain
Caltrain
Caltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
and VTA
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is a special-purpose district responsible for public transit services, congestion management, specific highway improvement projects, and countywide transportation planning for Santa Clara County, California, United States...
buses at the Gilroy and San Jose Diridon
Diridon Station
Diridon Station is the central passenger rail depot for San Jose, California. It also serves as a transit hub for Santa Clara County and the Silicon Valley...
Caltrain Stations. Diridon Station is also a station for ACE
Altamont Commuter Express
The Altamont Commuter Express is a regional rail service in California connecting Stockton with San Jose....
, Amtrak, and VTA light rail. Further, line 55 includes a stop at the San Jose Greyhound station. These connections link the Monterey Bay to Bay Area, state, and national transit networks. (Line 55 also serves as an Amtrak Thruway bus.)
Airport Connections
Monterey Peninsula AirportMonterey Peninsula Airport
Monterey Peninsula Airport is a regional airport located three miles southeast of the central business district of Monterey, a city in Monterey County, California, USA. It was created in 1936....
is served by both Lines 3 and 21.
Marina Municipal Airport
Marina Municipal Airport
Marina Municipal Airport is a public airport located two miles east of the central business district of Marina, a city in Monterey County, California, United States...
is served by MST On Call.
San Jose International Airport
San Jose International Airport
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport is a city-owned public-use airport serving the city of San Jose in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is named for San Jose native Norman Yoshio Mineta, who was Transportation Secretary in the Cabinet of George W...
and San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, near the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO...
are served by transferring to VTA
VTA
-Canada:* Vancouver Traffic Authority, a department within the Vancouver Police Department responsible for directing traffic and enforcing traffic-related laws.- Other :* Visual flight rules terminal area charts, a term used in aviation...
light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
and Caltrain
Caltrain
Caltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
, respectively, from Lines 55 or 79 at Diridon Station
Diridon Station
Diridon Station is the central passenger rail depot for San Jose, California. It also serves as a transit hub for Santa Clara County and the Silicon Valley...
.
Bus Names
The MST busses have a variety of names that refer to patriotic, California, and local themes. These names include:- China Rock
- Valley Forge
- Golden State
- Red, White & Blue
- Of Mice and Men
External links
- Monterey-Salinas Transit Official Site
- Routes and Descriptions
- Fare Structure