Free Bus Rides Return For Summer On Fridays In Sioux Falls

As Paul Simon famously sang, you can “Hop on the bus, Gus…” and in Sioux Falls this summer, on Fridays, you can do exactly that without spending a single dime.

Sioux Area Metro is bringing back its popular Summer Friday Program, which means free rides on all fixed-route buses and paratransit services every Friday throughout the summer months in the Sioux Empire.

The program kicks off Friday, May 22, and rolls through the Friday of Labor Day weekend. Whether you're heading to Falls Park, grabbing lunch downtown, or trying to track down the best food truck in the Sioux Empire, getting there just got a whole lot easier and cheaper.

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There is one small catch: SAM On-Demand rides are not included, so those will still cost you the standard fare. But if you’re hopping on one of Sioux Area Metro’s nine color-coded fixed routes, you’re good to go.

The objective is to get more people out and about enjoying everything Sioux Falls has to offer during the summer months. From festivals and concerts to shopping, to weekend markets and random “hey, let’s go do something” moments, this is your chance to explore without worrying about gas prices or having to find a parking spot on Phillips Avenue around 12:15 in the afternoon.

Justin Jellinek, Via’s lead of Central Operations, told Dakota News Now, “Our goal is to encourage residents to try the new transit system over the summer to reach the many vibrant events happening across the city. By removing the fare on Fridays, we’re making it even easier for the community to see how efficient and accessible our redesigned network has become.”

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You can download the SAM Transit app for routes, schedules, updates, and complete details on the Summer Fridays Program. Who knows? This summer, you might finally become like “Gus" and hop on the bus!