High school students are the most frequent users of Santa Maria’s public transit system, and as the new school year gets underway, are taking advantage of new routes and discounts to get to and from classes.

“Students, particularly in the high school age group, are our biggest current user,” said Transit Manager Gamaliel Anguiano. He said factors such as delays in teens obtaining driver’s licenses, high car prices, and social features on the bus like free Wi-Fi and USB-C charging have increased ridership.

“There’s a social change,” Anguiano noted. “It is an opportunity for students to get together with their classmates just before school, slightly after... and we tend to keep them into their sophomore, junior, senior, and even into their community college years.”

Cathleen Valenzuela, a

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