Manatee County Area Transit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) is the public transportation provider for Manatee County, Florida and is operated by the county. the system had about 6,200 riders per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2025.
| Manatee County Area Transit | |
|---|---|
| |
| Overview | |
| Owner | Manatee County, Florida |
| Area served | Manatee County |
| Locale | Manatee County |
| Transit type | bus service |
| Daily ridership | 6,200 (weekdays, Q4 2025)[1] |
| Annual ridership | (2025)[2] |
| Headquarters | 2411 Tallevast Road Sarasota, FL 34243 |
| Website | www |
Routes
MCAT operates __ local bus routes, most of which operate Monday through Saturday.[3]
| Route | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ellenton Outlet Mall |
| 2 | East Bradenton |
| 3 | Manatee Avenue |
| 4 | 9th Avenue |
| 6 | Cortez Road |
| 8 | Oneco-Bayshore Gardens |
| 9 | 9th Avenue West / 26th Street |
| 12 | State Road 70 |
| 13 | Palmetto |
| 16 | 15th Street East |
| 99 | Bradenton / Sarasota |
| 201 | North County Connexion |
| 203 | SkyWay Connexion |
| 304 | Manatee Avenue West, Manatee Beach |
| PMX | Port Manatee Connection Shuttle |
| Trolley | Anna Maria Island |
| Trolley | Beach Express |
| Shuttle | Longboat Key |
Fares
The regular bus fare is $1.50 on all local fixed routes. Discounted fares of $0.75 are available for students, disabled (with mobility card), seniors, medicare card holders, and active duty and military veterans. There is no fare for children 5 years or younger and seniors 80 and older. There is no fare for the Anna Maria Island Trolley and the Sunday Beach Express. Discounted fares are not available for the Longboat Key Shuttle.
Unlimited ride cards ("M Cards") are available for purchase for 1 day, 7 day, or 31 days. Regular and discounted rates are available. There is also a 31-day regional pass ("R Card") available for purchase. This pass is good for unlimited rides on both MCAT and Sarasota County Area Transit buses.
Riders can also purchase and access their bus passes using the Token Transit mobile ticketing app for both local and regional fares.[4]
Fleet
MCAT's fleet consists of Gillig Phantom, Low Floor, Low Floor BRT, and Replica Trolley. They operate both diesel and diesel-electric hybrid buses.[5]
In 2018, MCAT was awarded $1.9 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration to replace or rehabilitate their fleet of buses.[6]
