Golden Gate Transit offers free bus rides to and from Sonoma County through Sunday

Golden Gate Transit logo courtesy of Twitter account @GoldenGateBus on Oct. 19, 2017.

Golden Gate Transit is providing free bus rides through Sunday in and out of Sonoma County.

The free trips are in response to the wildfires that sparked Oct. 8 in Sonoma County and are only for passengers whose trips begin or end in Sonoma County.

Many Golden Gate Transit employees who live in the North Bay have been impacted by the fires, Golden Gate Transit general manager Mona Babauta said.

"The fires have been devastating to our customers. Their pain is our pain," Babauta said in a statement.

Golden Gate Transit drivers and staff are working around the clock to provide service from Santa Rosa. Round trips start and end at the agency's bus facility at 3225 Industrial Way at Piner Road, not far from the Coffey Park area of Santa Rosa where the Tubbs Fire destroyed many homes and businesses.

Trip planning assistance is available at www.goldengate.org or by calling 511. Callers should say "Golden Gate" and "operator" to bypass the recorded message.