The Point: Public transit agencies across southern California commemorate Rosa Park’s birthday by offering free bus and train rides on February 4

In celebration of Rosa Parks’ birthday and her fight for civil rights, Metrolink, Riverside Transit Agency (RTA), and other service transit providers across Riverside County and southern California will be offering free rides on passenger trains and buses this Sunday, February 4 as part of Transit Equity Day. The day provides an opportunity for residents to utilize public transportation for free and explore all the sights, sounds, and destinations that are accessible on transit.  

Transit Equity Day is celebrated annually by transit providers on February 4 to commemorate Rosa Parks’ birthday. Parks’ refusal to give up her seat became the catalyst for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This civil rights movement lead to the Supreme Court decision that declared segregation on transit systems unconstitutional. 

0124 RTA Transit Equity Day

The following transit service providers will be offering free or discounted fares: 

  • Metrolink: No fare is required on February 4. Ride the train anywhere in the six-county system, including the recently launched Arrow service in San Bernardino and Redlands. Ticket vending machines will notify passengers that rides are free of charge. 
  • RTA: No fare is required on February 4. The agency is offering free rides on all local, CommuterLink and GoMicro buses.
  • Banning Connect: No fare is required on February 4 on routes 1 and 5/6.
  • San Bernardino County: San Bernardino County transit operators, including Omnitrans, Mountain Transit, Basin Transit, Needles Area Transit, and Victor Valley Transit Authority, will be offering free rides. 

Need a destination to commemorate Rosa Parks? We recommend visiting The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture to check out the Indigenous Futurism and Judithe Hernandez exhibits or the Civil Rights Walkway on the Main Street Mall in Downtown Riverside.  

To learn more, please visit the RCTC Bus Services and Passenger Rail webpages for more information about transit services offered in Riverside County. 

Bus metrolink Riverside Transit Agency train transit