YARTS bus in Yosemite National Park
Credit: YARTS
January 3, 2019 - MERCED – Effective January 1, 2019, Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) service has a new fare rate structure that reflects a fare increase - the first in more than 10 years. The increase was approved in October 2018 by the Joint Powers Authority Board and the Authority Advisory Committee, which is made up of members of the public, local businesses, as well as agencies that work closely with Yosemite National Park. The new rates were sought in order to cover the increasing costs associated with providing the popular bus service to Yosemite from Merced, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Tuolumne and Mono counties.
“We were fortunate to maintain operating costs for the service as long as we did,” says YARTS Assistant Manager Cindy Kelly. “Our main goal is to provide a safe and reliable alternative mode of transportation to Yosemite. These new fares will allow us to do just that.”
YARTS is a regional public transit service that provides a year-round alternative to driving to Yosemite from Merced and Mariposa along Highway 140, and from Highways 120, 395 and 41 during summer months. In 2018, the service transported more than 26,000 passengers to and from the National Park.
A roundtrip ticket from Merced, Sonora, or Jamestown to Yosemite has increased from $25 to $32 and from Mariposa to Yosemite from $12 to $16. For a complete YARTS fare schedule, route information, or to reserve tickets, please visit www.yarts.com or call (877) 989-2787.
YARTS is a California Joint Powers Authority comprised of Merced, Mariposa and Mono Counties in partnership with Caltrans, Federal Highway Administration, National Park Service and the United States Forest Service. The Merced County Association of Governments provides administrative services and operational support for YARTS.
Source: MCAG
