Petaluma Transit giving free weekend bus rides through New Year’s Eve

To help with automobile traffic, elusive parking and the needs of Petaluma’s small businesses ‒ which often depend on holiday shopping to make their whole year profitable ‒ Petaluma Transit is asking locals to leave their sleighs at home and catch a ride downtown on the bus.

Beginning last weekend, Petaluma’s Route 11, which serves the Downtown area and connects east side and west side, with buses running every 30 minutes, will be offering free rides.

The service will likely be getting a workout this weekend, what with Saturday’s big Holiday Open House and Kentucky Street Marketplace sure to bring plenty of folks downtown.

Taking the bus instead of driving will alleviate grinch-like parking and traffic woes. In addition to special holiday music, dancing and booths of all kinds, kids will have an opportunity to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, and have a picture taken with them on or around a festively-adorned antique fire truck.

Petaluma Transit is also hosting a “Stuff a Bus” program, supporting families in need. Visitors to Saturday’s open house on Dec. 2, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., are encouraged to bring a new unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots or a nonperishable food item or gift card for COTS.

A bus will be parked on Western Avenue at Kentucky Street, where your donations can be left for those who are suffering this holiday season.