Manatee County's - MCAT Adds Buses to Serve Seasonal Demand and it's FREE

Manatee County's - MCAT Adds Buses to Serve Seasonal Demand

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (MANATEE COUNTY, FL (February 3, 2023) – Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) is making several changes to the fixed-route bus service beginning this weekend, which will allow transit buses to accommodate the seasonal traffic increases to and from Anna Maria Island. 

Route 3, which serves Manatee Avenue and State Road 64, will now have THREE different buses serving different sections of the route. Passengers will need to transfer at either Village Green Parkway behind the 7-11 or at the Downtown Station.

The 304 bus will travel between Manatee Public Beach and Village Green Parkway at Manatee Avenue every hour all day, Monday through Saturday. Trips will depart Village Green Parkway behind the 7-11 at 0:15 minutes past the hour.

The 302 bus will travel between Village Green Parkway at Manatee Avenue and the Downtown Station every hour all day, Monday through Saturday. Trips will depart Downtown Station at 0:50 past every hour. Trips will depart Village Green Parkway at 0:15 minutes past the hour. After 8:00 p.m., trips from the Downtown Station to Manatee Public Beach will operate the same as currently scheduled.

The 301 bus will travel between the Downtown Station and the Walmart on State Road 64 every hour all day, Monday through Saturday. Trips will depart the Downtown Station at 0:50 minutes past every hour. Trips will depart the Walmart on SR 64 at 0:20 minutes past the hour. 

These changes—which will be in effect beginning February 4, 2023—reflect tried-and-true seasonal route adjustments refined over many years. This formal schedule change will allow passengers to track their bus and plan their trips using the Manatee MyStop mobile application and Google Trip Planner. All changes to MCAT route schedules will be available for pick-up on each bus and online at mymanatee.org/MCAT. Passengers can also call the MCAT Rider Information Line at (941) 749-7116 for more information.

MCAT buses will continue their fare-free service.

For more information on Manatee County Government, visit mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ManateeGov.