Sound Transit is launching a fare-free program for young riders in the hopes of educating and recruiting future riders and making schools and jobs more accessible to transit-dependent youth.
Seattle’s Sound Transit is making transit free for youth starting in September in an effort to improve access to schools, jobs, and other activities for students and reduce fare compliance challenges. As Charles Pekow reports in a piece for Smart Cities Dive, “Sound Transit will recoup the lost revenue through funding the Washington state legislature allocated in March, when it passed the nearly $17 billion Move Ahead Washington mass transportation package.”
After the passage of the bill, the state’s transit agencies have scrambled to implement free transit programs before the October 1 deadline. “Some already provide free or reduced-price fares for youth. Some provide free transit cards; others check student IDs when young people board.” In the Seattle area, “Sound Transit launched the program on Everett Transit in July and will expand it to six other transit systems Sept. 1, with Washington State Ferries joining Oct. 1.” State Senator Marko Liias, chair of the legislature’s transportation committee, “said he expects the initiative will lead more high schoolers to take public transit to school, reducing the need for school buses.”
Based on data from the student program, the state will evaluate the possibility of free or reduced fares for other groups of riders.
FULL STORY: Seattle-area kids can ride transit free starting Sept. 1
Sound Transit to Start Enforcing Fare Violations This Month
After two warnings, riders who fail to show proof of payment can be issued fines.
Seattle Brings Free Transit to Public Housing
Linking transit programs to housing can lower administrative costs and streamline the process for riders.
Free Transit for San Diego Youth
The Youth Opportunity Pass program provides free transit to San Diego County youth in an effort to boost ridership and improve transportation options for young residents.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.
Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research