St. Clair County Transit District Continues to Provide Free Public Transportation to those Getting COVID-19 Vaccinations in St. Clair County, Ill.
As COVID-19 vaccinations become available to additional subsets of the population, St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) is reminding areas residents that free public transportation is available to those with a confirmed vaccination appointment through the St. Clair County Health Department. These individuals can take the MetroBus and/or MetroLink to the Belleville Transit Center, where another Special Metro Express Bus provides round trip service to and from the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds & Expo Center. Flexible, on-demand, shared-ride service through the SCCTD Flyer is also available to those headed to the Fairgrounds, as well as to another County Health Department Location at 330 West Main Street in Belleville. Free public transportation is available Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 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.
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-17th Street. The SCCTD Flyer is an app-based, curb-to-transit, microtransit service. Passengers can request a ride by downloading the TransLoc app or by calling ATS Reservations at 618-800-6884. Metro Transit continues to execute enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols, provide personal protective equipment for all team members, and require that all passengers and operators wear face masks while riding on Metro Transit and St. Clair County Transit vehicles.
“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 more and more people are able to receive the vaccinations.”
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.
