On March 18, Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) recognizes National Transit Employee Appreciation Day and celebrates the employees who make public transit possible across Santa Cruz County. METRO employees help connect people to work, school, medical appointments, and essential services every day. This day is a chance for our community to pause and say thank you to the people behind every ride.
When people think about transit, they often picture the bus pulling up to the stop. What is less visible is the full team it takes to provide safe, reliable service. Bus operators, dispatch, operations support, maintenance, facilities, customer service, ParaCruz, and administrative staff all play a role in keeping METRO running. These teams coordinate schedules, keep vehicles in good working order, support riders, maintain transit centers, and handle the planning and communication that helps the system serve Santa Cruz County.
METRO is proud to serve the community, and we are equally proud of the people who show up each day to do the work. National Transit Employee Appreciation Day is our moment to recognize that effort and to invite riders and community members to share appreciation directly with the employees who keep service moving.
Share a message of appreciation
METRO is collecting messages of thanks from riders and community members. You can submit a message online using the kudos form.
Meet the people behind METRO
METRO also invites the community to learn more about the people behind the service through our Inside METRO employee spotlights. These short interviews highlight the personal stories and careers of METRO team members.
Recent spotlights include:
· Meet Elmer Torres: The Heart Behind Santa Cruz METRO’s Facilities Team
· Meet Bonnie: A Bus Operator with a Poet’s Soul and a Rider’s Heart
· Meet Steven: A ParaCruz Driver Bringing Compassion, Dedication, and a Smile
These stories reflect the range of roles that power transit, from frontline service to behind the scenes support.
Thank you, riders
To our riders, thank you for choosing METRO. Your support helps strengthen public transit in Santa Cruz County and means a great deal to our employees. Every “thank you” shared
with an operator, a staff member, or through the kudos form helps remind our team that their work is seen and appreciated.
Join us on March 18 by sharing a message of thanks and helping Santa Cruz County celebrate the people who keep our community connected. For more information or to give kudos, visit: https://scmetro.org/kudos/
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