On May 15, Metrolink waived fares for all passengers who boarded with a bike in tow.
May was another active month for Metrolink. From inspiring healthy and sustainable travel choices to connecting riders with the places and events that make our region so special, we were proud to bring back two beloved annual traditions. Promotions like Bike Day and our modified service for the California Strawberry Festival create opportunities to reach new riders while giving our longtime customers more reasons to choose Metrolink.
Bike Day
On Thursday, May 15, Metrolink celebrated “Bike Day” by offering free rides on all trains, including the Arrow service, for passengers boarding with bicycles. May has been identified by the League of American Bicyclists as National Bike Month, and a number of Southern California cities and transportation agencies, including Metrolink, LA Metro, the Ventura County Transportation Commission, and the Orange County Transportation Authority, took part in this year’s celebration.
Free-fare initiatives like Bike Day encourage active and sustainable transportation by highlighting the complementary link between public transit and cycling, which provides a convenient and healthy way to bridge first- and last-mile connections. Nearly 1,450 passengers took advantage of the Bike Day promotion, a 31% increase over the number of cyclists who boarded the previous Thursday. The San Bernardino Line saw the highest engagement, accounting for roughly 30% of the total number of bikes.
California Strawberry Festival
On Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18, Metrolink made it easy for riders to get to the California Strawberry Festival by adjusting service to offer direct access to the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Ventura County Line trains bypassed the Ventura-East Station, stopping instead at the event-adjacent Ventura-Downtown/Beach Station to simplify travel for attending families and strawberry enthusiasts.
A Metrolink train drops attendees off at the Ventura-Downtown/Beach Station, across the street from the Ventura County Fairgrounds, where the California Strawberry Festival took place May 17-18.
In its 39th year, the California Strawberry Festival – a celebration of Ventura County’s leading crop – featured strawberry-themed treats from more than 50 vendors, art displays and live entertainment, offering fun for all ages. Festivalgoers enjoyed Metrolink’s $10 Weekend Day Pass and Kids Ride Free on Weekends promotions, and our ongoing codeshare promotion with Amtrak Pacific Surfliner expanded available train options to and from the event. Cumulative weekend ridership on the Ventura County Line increased by 30% when compared to the preceding weekend. As parking near the venue was extremely limited, Metrolink provided a less stressful option for would-be drivers, while introducing many first-time riders to the system.