Representatives from the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) and San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) accept the Southern California Association of Governments’ 2026 Transportation Innovation Award on behalf of the Experience Metrolink program.
From left: RCTC Commuter and Motorist Assistance Manager Brian Cunanan, RCTC Senior Management Analyst Hanan Sawalha, RCTC Chair and Cathedral City Mayor Raymond Gregory, SBCTA Board President and Yucca Valley Councilmember Rick Denison, and SBCTA Multimodal Mobility Programs Administrators Mairany Anaya and Nicole Soto.
This spring, our Experience Metrolink program received two prestigious awards for reducing cost barriers and expanding equitable access to jobs and services for Inland Empire residents. The initiative earned a Transportation Innovation Award from the Southern California Association of Governments and was named the Sustainable Transportation Environmental Enhancement Program of the Year by the California Transportation Foundation.
The program gives Riverside and San Bernardino County residents the opportunity to ride Metrolink for free for up to 90 days. This trial period helps participants discover how public transit can support their daily travel needs and reinforces the convenience of taking the train to commute to work or school, visit family and friends, and explore destinations across Southern California.
By reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), the program supports the state’s ambitious climate and mobility goals. It is funded through Caltrans' Low Carbon Transit Operations Program and supported by IE Commuter, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority and the Riverside County Transportation Commission.
For nearly two years, we worked closely with our member agencies to develop and launch the program last March. These achievements reflect the strong partnerships that made the program possible.