Public Transit & Rail
San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) plays a key role in public transportation. SBCTA distributes many of the funds for public transit and rail and is responsible for oversight of all bus and rail transit operations primarily servicing and operating in San Bernardino County.
SBCTA provides financial support to five bus transit operators, Metrolink and future rail service including Arrow (Redlands Passenger Rail Project) and the Ontario Loop Project. In addition to bus and rail, SBCTA also funds and operates alternative multimodal transportation programs including the IE Commuter rideshare program, Ontario Airport-Lyft ride-hailing program and SB Loop vanpool subsidy program.
SBCTA alongside the bus and rail transit operators, and multimodal programs, regularly collaborate to better serve San Bernardino County residents and commuters. SBCTA applauds the transit operators for their reliable, clean, easy and safe service operations.
Bus
Basin Transit
Servicing the City of Twentynine Palms, Towns of Yucca Valley and the unincorporated communities of Joshua Tree, Landers, Flamingo Heights and Yucca Mesa. For routes, schedules, fares, and other information visit the Basin Transit website or call customer service at (760) 366-2395.
Mountain Transit
Serving the communities of Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs, and Big Bear Lake including service up and down the mountain. For routes, schedules, fares, and other information visit Mountain Transit website or call customer service at (909) 878-5200.
Omnitrans
Servicing the San Bernardino Valley which includes 15 cities and several unincorporated areas. Omnitrans also operates sbX bus rapid transit and paratransit service. For routes, schedules, fares and other information, visit the Omnitrans website or call customer service at (800) 966-6428.
Victor Valley Transit Authority (VVTA)
Providing bus and paratransit services in the cities and unincorporated communities of the High Desert. Commuter service to Fort Irwin National Training Center (NTC) and connecting service from the High Desert to the Inland Empire is also provided. For routes, schedules, fares, and other information visit the VVTA website or call customer service at (760) 948-3030.
Needles Area Transit
The City of Needles administers the Needles Area Transit (NAT) and a dial-a-ride program for seniors and persons with disabilities. For routes, schedules, fares and other information, visit the NAT website or call customer service at (760) 326-5700.
Rail
Metrolink
Governed by Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), Metrolink serves as a LINK between six counties. Eight Metrolink stations are located in San Bernardino County: Downtown San Bernardino, San Bernardino Depot, Rialto, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Montclair and Ontario-East.
For routes, schedules, fares and other information, visit the Metrolink website or call customer service at Call (800) 371-5465 or, for speech or hearing impaired, (800) 698-4833 (4TDD)
Arrow
Arrow service began operating between San Bernardino and Redlands on Monday, October 24, 2022. The trains are brand new, with a sleek, colorful, and modern design. Called Diesel Multiple Units, or DMUs, they are powered by smaller, lower-emission diesel engines for a quieter and more energy-efficient ride.
Operated by Metrolink, Arrow service extends Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line by nine miles and includes four new stations. The new Arrow trains will run between a new station at the University of Redlands and Metrolink’s existing San Bernardino-Downtown Station, with daily connections to and from Metrolink’s San Bernardino and Inland Empire-Orange County lines.
For more information and scheduling, visit metrolinks.com/arrow.
First/Last Mile Transit Shuttles
Getting to Ontario International Airport (ONT) and around Downtown San Bernardino is now easier with two first/last mile shuttles, ONT Connect and SB Connect, powered by SBCTA and operated by Omnitrans as part of their OmniConnect Shuttle Services:
ONT Connect
ONT Connect operates between ONT and Metrolink’s Cucamonga Station, meeting each train for a quick, no-wait connection to ONT terminals two and four and collects riders from the airport for the return trip to the Cucamonga Station. The ride is free for anyone transferring from or to Metrolink or Omnitrans.
SB Connect
SB Connect, a Downtown San Bernardino circular links the San Bernardino Transit Center, which is served by Metrolink, Omnitrans, Victor Valley Transit Authority, Riverside Transit Authority, Beaumont Transit, SunLine Transit Agency, Mountain Transit and the brand new Arrow train from Redlands, with key destinations, including the courts, county offices, and the San Bernardino Government Center. Rides are free to anyone with a valid Metrolink or Arrow ticket or any Omnitrans pass.
For more details including route and schedule, visit Omnitrans’ website.
Transit Equity
Public transit improves equity in many ways, including:
• Improving health by taking cars off the road, reducing car accidents and local pollution as well as providing affordable access to health care.
• Providing a student-friendly budget option for transportation to education.
• Boosting our economy by giving workers better access to jobs and consumers better access to shopping and entertainment.
• Bettering our worldwide environment by reducing emissions.
In honor of Transit Equity Day on February 4th, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority will sponsor free bus and train fares for everyone boarding San Bernardino County transit providers within the county. February 4, 2023 marks the second year that everyone rides for free. Every bus, every train, everywhere in San Bernardino County!
Transit Equity Day is celebrated worldwide on February 4th to mark the birthday of Rosa Parks, who would have turned 110 on February 4, 2023. It was Parks, a Black seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama, who famously refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in December 1955. Her simple act of protest launched a local bus boycott as well as global recognition of social inequalities. As a result of her actions, transit systems and communities worldwide became more equitable.
To learn more about riding fare free on February 4, 2023 and other transit equity initiatives such as Fare Capping and Low-Income Fare Discount Programs, check out your local transit agency’s website:
• Metrolink
• Basin Transit
• Mountain Transit
• Needles Area Transit (NAT)
• Omnitrans
• Victor Valley Transit (VVTA)
Public Transportation Health and Safety
Health & Safety Pledge
Public Transit’s Commitments to Health and Safety
San Bernardino County’s transit agencies have joined a national effort to make every ride safe. And they are asking riders to be part of the program.
Technology Tools to Make Riding Transit Safer and Easier
Another way that San Bernardino’s transit agencies are fulfilling these commitments is with technology tools that give passengers the information they need to use transit safely and easily.
Vehicle Capacity
- Metrolink riders can use the new “How Full Is My Train?” tool on the website to help riders plan ahead and ensure there’s enough room for social distancing aboard the train. metrolinktrains.com/howfull.
- Omnitrans riders can relay bus crowding information using the Transit app’s GO step-by-step navigator, all in real-time.
Contactless Fare Payment Using a Smartphone
- Omnitrans riders can pay their fare from within the Transit app or in Token Transit.
- Metrolink riders can pay their fare using the Metrolink Mobile app.
- VVTA riders can pay their fare using Touchpass.
- Morongo Basin Transit Authority and Mountain Transit riders can pay their fare with the Token Transit app.
Real-time Information
- Metrolink riders can track their train on metrolinktrains.com/traintracker.
- Metrolink riders can also track their train status here.
- Omnitrans riders can get realtime bus arrival information in the Transit app.
- VVTA riders can get realtime information in the VVTA mobile app.
- Mountain Transit riders can get realtime information with the DoubleMap app.
