Riders thrilled about MST service returning to Gilroy

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- UPDATE ON OCT. 30, 2023 AT 6:33 PM- The Monterey-Salinas Transit officially restarted bus service to Gilroy on Monday morning.

"I'll be taking it because I personally do music and my cousin has a studio in Gilroy, so I think it'd be a good bet to take the bus route," said Quinn Harris lives in Salinas.

Marta Gonzalez who lives in Salinas, who relies on MST as her main source of transportation said it is important that they continue to open more bus routes.

"Its really good because people have more ways to travel to new places," Gonzalez said. "Especially now that that its expensive in this economy, especially with gas,"

Gonzalez says this route will open doors for people who travel to Gilroy to shop at the Gilroy Outlets, and will make it easier for people to get to Mineta International Airport in San Jose.

For $2, Line 59 will go from the Salinas Transit Center to the Gilroy Transit Center for four times a day and five days a week.

Service to Gilroy, Morgan Hill and San Jose had been suspended for the past three years due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

But after several people voicing their interest for the new route, MST decided to open it.

Lisa Rheinheimer who is Assistant General Manager for MST said that riders really wanted service restored to Santa Clara County. Rheinheimer says the route reopened thanks to a federal grant.

"We were going to San Jose before, but we felt like with the limited resources that we have, getting people to the Gilroy Caltrain station or the Gilroy Transit Center really gave people that opportunity to connect," said Rheinheimer

Steven Colburn who is a MST bus driver drove the route from Salinas to Gilroy on Monday morning. He says although not many took the first ride, he expects it to pick up in the afternoon.

"It's it's a needed route it's the connection between the bay area and us." Colbert said.

As of right now MST says they are staffed for the routes they have, And say they are not looking at opening up and future routes in the future.

For a route list, click here.

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The Monterey-Salinas Transit announced that they will have bus service to Gilroy starting on Monday.

Service to Gilroy, Morgan Hill and San Jose had been suspended for the past three years due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

MST says that passengers have been regularly requesting service to Santa Clara County for the past three years.

Officials also said that MST will be offering service to Hollister and the San Francisco Bay Area through a partnership with Valley Transit Authority and state funding.

MST will be having a ribbon-cutting ceremony starting on Monday morning at 8 a.m. at the Salinas Transit Center.