SCCTD to Provide Free Public Transportation to Area Older Adults Getting COVID-19 Vaccinations at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds & Expo Center

St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) today announced that free public transportation will be available to area older adults – aged 75 years and older – who have a confirmed COVID-19 vaccination appointment through the St. Clair County Health Department and are traveling to the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds & Expo Center to get vaccinated. These individuals can take the MetroBus and/or MetroLink to the Belleville Transit Center, where SCCTD Express Shuttle Bus Service will be provided to and from the fairgrounds. Service will be available Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., starting Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. To be eligible for a free ride, individuals must have a confirmed vaccination appointment scheduled through the St. Clair County Health Department on the day they are utilizing the public transit system.

“Our goal in providing this free service is simple,” said Herb Simmons, Chair of St. Clair County Transit District’s Board of Trustees. “We want to help increase public access to these vaccinations by providing a safe, efficient, convenient and free-of-charge ride to those in our community. Our hope is to continue to provide this service as additional subsets of the population are able to receive the vaccinations.”

The Belleville Transit Center is served by MetroLink and MetroBus, which includes four fixed bus routes that provide direct access. Those include 1–Main Street-State Street, 15–Belleville-Shiloh-O’Fallon, 16–St. Clair Square and 17–Carlyle Plaza-17^th Street. Metro Transit continues to execute enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols, provide personal protective equipment for all team members and require that all passengers wear face masks while riding on Metro Transit and St. Clair County Transit vehicles.

Individuals can visit the St. Clair County Health Department at www.co.st-clair.il.us and fill out the COVID-19 Vaccine Notification Sign Up form. This free public transportation is being funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.