The San Mateo County Transit District is joining public transit agencies across the country to celebrate “Communities in Motion,” a month-long campaign to encourage the use of public transit. “We’ve planned some fun events to show our appreciation to current riders for their patronage and, hopefully, attract new riders,” said Marketing Manager Patrick Boland.

Two dozen senior citizens participated in the campaign’s kick-off event, with a field trip from San Carlos to Half Moon Bay on a SamTrans bus. The purpose of the trip was to give the participants the tools they need to ride the bus on their own. The group learned the ins and outs of riding the bus by taking a trip to a pumpkin patch.

SamTrans will reach out to Spanish-speaking riders on Oct. 13 at the Health Fair of San Mateo County at Fair Oaks Community Center in Redwood City. Visitors will receive bilingual transit information, get a chance to check out a SamTrans bus first hand, and try out the bike rack.

On Oct. 24, SamTrans’ Art Bus will visit Daniel Webster School in Daly City. The exterior of the bus is decorated with the eight winning entries in the District’s annual student art contest. The school is alma mater to this year’s grand prize winner Kezia Maximillian, whose colorful chalk drawing of happy riders waiting for a bus was selected from more than 300 entries.

On Halloween, District staff will work in partnership with the Peninsula Congestion Relief Alliance to pass out trick-or-treat goodies on selected buses and trains.

The San Mateo County Transit District is the county’s people-mover. In addition to operating SamTrans bus service and serving as the administrator for Caltrain, the agency also provides Redi-Wheels paratransit service for persons with disabilities, who are unable to ride regular fixed-route service. The district operates shuttles that link transit centers with major employment sites; and, is the managing agency for the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, which administers the expenditure of Measure A funds.