[IMAGE]Sam-Trans-bus-design-full.jpg[/IMAGE]San Carlos, Calif.-based SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit District) announced the winners of the fifth annual county-wide student art competition, Art Takes a Bus Ride, at its monthly board meeting. The six winning designs, which were selected from more than 400 entries submitted by local students from kindergarten to fifth grade, were judged to best illustrate the theme “SamTrans Connects You to Fun Events.”

The winning entries of all the artists are featured on ad cards inside SamTrans buses and will wrap the exterior of a SamTrans bus. The winning entries featured fun times at the beach, the movies, the park and, for some, school. The young artists used a variety of media, including watercolor, acrylic paint, crayon and colored pencil.

On a typical weekday, nearly 12,000 young people ride SamTrans buses, more than 25 percent of the District’s total ridership. In addition to a discounted youth fare, tokens and monthly youth pass, the District also encourages young people to ride the bus by offering a deeply discounted Summer Youth Pass for riders 17 years old and younger.