Full Notification

Hollister, CA (Friday, July 29, 2022) - Effective Thursday, August 11th 2022, County Express will be temporarily suspending its On-Demand service pilot due to a historic driver storage regionally and nationally, a consequence of the pandemic. County Express On-Demand allows passengers to use a smartphone app to request the next ride available for reservation for pick up and drop off. County Express aims to reinstate this service once driver ranks increase.

Because many students rely on public transit to get to and from school, with the upcoming demand of the 2022-23 school year County Express will lack enough staff to consistently deliver the On-Demand service causing missed trips and delays for passengers. " We would much rather be expanding our transit service since we just completed an update to our transit plan for the next five years. But by reducing our service levels, we increase our reliability, so riders experience fewer delays. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate the public’s understanding during these service adjustments" – Regina Valentine, County Express/San Benito County Local Transportation Authority Transportation Planner.

Passengers needing transportation in Hollister are instead invited to use the County Express Dial-a-Ride service. Dial-a-Ride trips may be scheduled up to 2 weeks in advance or on the day of the ride, as space allows. Dispatch will negotiate a pick-up time as rides are available. Please allow 30 minutes to be picked up and another 30 minutes to reach the destination. The one-way cost is $2.00 for an adult. Discounted fares are $1.25 for youth (5-17), seniors (65+), and persons with disabilities. Modifications to the County Express Tripper Service are also planned. The schedule will be made available at SanBenitoCountyExpress.org.

County Express is working closely with its operations contractor, MV Transportation, to ramp up recruitment efforts to attract new driver applicants. County Express encourages anyone interested in applying to call (831) 636-4161 and ask to speak with Leona Medearis-Peacher, General Manager for MV Transportation.

County Express follows all public health guidelines to support safe travel on the bus. Operators frequently clean and disinfect transit vehicles and County Express has also installed additional safety measures. Passengers on County Express are encouraged to wear a face covering at all times regardless of vaccine status. County Express puts public health first by actively monitoring CDC guidelines and requiring riders and employees to avoid public transit if they have been exposed to COVID-19 or feel ill.

To learn more, visit SanBenitoCountyExpress.org or call the administrative office at (831) 637-7665.