[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 127 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN HONOR OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF MONTEREY-SALINAS TRANSIT (MST)

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 19, 2012

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I have the distinct honor and privilege of 
representing California's 17th congressional district and, on behalf of 
all the residents of the Central Coast, I would like to commend to my 
colleagues' attention the 40th Anniversary of Monterey-Salinas Transit, 
(MST).
  The Monterey Peninsula Public Transit System Joint Powers Agency was 
formed by the cities of Carmel, Del Rey Oaks, Monterey, Pacific Grove, 
Seaside and the county of Monterey on October 1, 1972. As the 
predecessor of Monterey-Salinas Transit, it served the Monterey 
Peninsula area, and later expanded to provide service to the cities of 
Marina, Salinas, and Watsonville. With the formation of the Monterey-
Salinas Transit District on July 1, 2010, MST today serves one-fifth of 
the coastline of California from San Jose in the north to Paso Robles 
in the south at 1,300 bus stops in 25 communities throughout Monterey, 
Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obisbo Counties.
  Through the foresight of the MST board members and the ongoing 
support of the Federal government, transit service in the Monterey 
region is consistently at the forefront of technology and innovation, 
with ridership of four and a half million passengers each year, on 
traditional fixed-route buses as well as paratransit minibus service 
for disabled customers, the popular MST Trolley system for visitors, 
``MST OnCall'' demand response services in south Monterey County, and 
the award-winning Carmel Valley Grapevine Express.
  New for 2012 is the MST JAZZ Bus Rapid Transit system, funded in part 
by a $2.78 million Federal Transit Administration Section 5309 Capital 
New Starts grant. MST JAZZ follows a 6.75 mile route on the Monterey 
Peninsula starting in Sand City, running along Fremont Boulevard in 
Seaside, through downtown Monterey and along the visitor-intensive 
Lighthouse Avenue corridor in New Monterey, ending at the world famous 
Monterey Bay Aquarium at the edge of the city of Pacific Grove. MST has 
partnered with the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival, currently 
celebrating its 55th year, to create a distinct brand and marketing 
identity for the new ``JAZZ'' line. The Festival has opened its 
archives for the project and has worked with MST to develop a year-
round linear jazz museum featuring dramatic jazz-themed displays on the 
buses and at each of the 30 custom designed shelters along the route. 
Passenger amenities include benches, bike racks and real-time 
electronic bus arrival and departure signage linked via Global 
Positioning Systems to the location of each JAZZ vehicle along the 
route. While waiting for the JAZZ buses, passengers will be able to 
listen and view on their smart phones actual recordings from the 
Monterey Jazz Festival throughout its 55-year history and learn more 
about the artists who performed for Festival audiences over the 
decades.
  Not only does MST play a significant role in the transportation 
system of the Monterey Bay region, but it helps meet the basic 
transportation needs of thousands of constituents. More than one out of 
every three MST passengers live in a household without an automobile. A 
majority of MST passengers are either low-income and/or elderly. To 
further enhance senior mobility, MST is utilizing Federal Transit 
Administration Section 5317 New Freedoms funds to provide free travel 
training and volunteer assistance through the innovative ``MST 
Navigators'' program to Monterey County residents 65 years and older, 
as well as subsidized trips in local taxicabs at a cost of only $3.00 
for paratransit-eligible clients. Several Monterey Peninsula 
jurisdictions and the city of Salinas have also become funding partners 
with MST to extend this taxi discount voucher program to all seniors in 
their communities.
  In addition, MST is at the forefront of forging partnerships with 
local stakeholders to expand public transit options throughout the 
community. MST's award-winning partnership with the United States 
Army's Defense Languages Institute at the Presidio of Monterey 
transports nearly 50,000 military and civilian personnel each month 
from all corners of the MST service area to work, relieving local 
traffic congestion and enabling the redevelopment of parking lots into 
language classrooms and training facilities vital to the global mission 
of our military. At Naval Postgraduate School, MST has again partnered 
with the military to provide two additional transit lines connecting 
student, faculty and staff housing areas with the college. And, MST's 
latest military partnership provides employees at Fort Hunter Liggett 
in rural southern Monterey County with two more transit lines 
connecting the base with communities in the Salinas Valley and San Luis 
Obispo County. MST's partnerships also extend to local colleges, with a 
University Pass program with California State University-Monterey Bay 
and a free fare zone at Hartnell Community College in Salinas. The 
Monterey Bay Aquarium is also a local funding partner for transit, 
helping to support the MST Trolley visitor-oriented service in downtown 
Monterey and Cannery Row and leading a new initiative designed to 
increase accessibility to the Aquarium for low income and minority 
residents of the Salinas Valley.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to commend Monterey-Salinas Transit for 
providing 40 years of exemplary public service to the Central Coast of 
California and ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to 
wish them well on the next 40 years.

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