Arcata and Mad River Transit System

Arcata and Mad River Transit System (AMRTS) is a fixed-route bus service for Arcata, California. The service is funded by California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt and offers free rides to students. Because of this relationship, Arcata has relatively reliable transit service for a city its size.

In 1974, the City Council of Arcata chose to use its allotment of SB 325 money for a public mass transit system. In April 1975, the new bus service within Arcata city limits was inaugurated and named the Arcata & Mad River Transit System.

Routes
The transit service operates four routes: ‘Gold,’ ‘Orange,’ ‘Red,’ and ‘Green & Gold.’ The Green-Gold route opened to ridership on August 21, 2023. The routes operate periodically throughout the year, with the most extensive service being provided when Cal Poly Humboldt is in session; service is very sparse outside of the University’s fall and spring semesters. Additionally, all routes are only operational on weekdays, with the exception of the Orange route, which provides service on Saturdays during the University’s summer break and on holidays.

The Red, Green, and Orange routes operate on 60-minute intervals, beginning and ending each round-trip at the Arcata Transit Center. The Red and Gold routes are operational from 7am-7pm on weekdays when Cal Poly Humboldt is in session, excluding holidays. The Orange route operates on weekdays from 7pm-10pm when Cal Poly is in session, and from 7am-7pm on holidays and Saturdays when Cal Poly is on break. The Green & Gold route (named for the colors of Cal Poly Humboldt) operates on 30-minute intervals, beginning and ending each round-trip at a bus stop near the University’s library. It’s operational from 6:30am-10:30am & 3:30pm-7:30pm on weekdays when Cal Poly is in session.