Commuters between downtown Bakersfield and the Tejon Ranch Commerce center near Grapevine have a new way to get to work this week with the opening of the Kern Delta Park and Ride at 1815 McKee Road, Bakersfield.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held yesterday to celebrate the opening of the project, the result of a public/private partnership. Participants include Tejon Ranch, IKEA, Famous Footwear, TA/Petro, Golden Empire Transit, the San Joaquin Valley APCD, and Kern County.

By parking their cars here and taking a bus to and from work, the new Southeast Bakersfield facility will give users a chance to reduce their transportation costs by nearly $200 a month while at the same time reducing air pollution that would otherwise be generated by a modest 2.6 tons per year.

The facility covers three acres, has 350 parking spaces, and has constant security camera surveillance. Buses will be available for riders to travel to downtown Bakersfield or the Tejon Ranch commerce Center.