Board picks logo for Stanislaus bus system born of merger. It will be hard to miss
Stanislaus County’s newly merged bus system will have a simple logo: “Ride the S.”
The governing board voted 6-0 on Thursday to bestow that nickname on what is formally the Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority.
The merger brings together the Modesto Area Express, better known as MAX, and Stanislaus Regional Transit, or START. It took effect July 1, but the systems will continue to operate separately while long-term service options are studied.
MAX mainly serves the Modesto area and also takes commuters to Bay Area rail connections. START runs buses around the county, some of them through Modesto. The merger does not include Turlock Transit, but that city is on some START routes.
The chosen design has dark blue paint on most of the bus exterior and a gold “S” stretching from the roof to the wheels. It was one of many options suggested by Moore & Associates of Valencia, Los Angeles County, on a contract for up to $75,000.
“Whoever came up with this ‘Ride the S’ is really clever,” said Jenny Kenoyer, a Modesto city councilwoman and chair of the authority board. It includes local elected leaders and public members.
The first repainted bus could hit the streets by Christmas, and others will follow in the new year.
Another firm, Nelson/Nygaard of San Francisco, is doing the study on future operations on a contract for up to $400,000. The firm expects to report by next fall on the options for routes, schedules and other details.
The consultants are researching travel patterns and demographics now and plan to involve the public in early 2022.
For more information on the Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority, go to stanrta.org.
