Free Transit Starts September 1 for Seattle Youth

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.

1 minute read

August 12, 2022, 8:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Sound Transit Seattle

Michael B. / Flickr

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.

Tuesday, August 9, 2022 in Smart Cities Dive

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Floor-to-ceiling rotating gates at Fairmount subway station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Crime Continues to Drop on Philly, San Francisco Transit Systems

SEPTA and BART both saw significant declines in violent crime in the first quarter of 2025.

April 28 - Mass Transit

South LA Wetlands Park in Los Angeles, California.

How South LA Green Spaces Power Community Health and Hope

Green spaces like South L.A. Wetlands Park are helping South Los Angeles residents promote healthy lifestyles, build community, and advocate for improvements that reflect local needs in historically underserved neighborhoods.

April 28 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Intersection in downtown Sacramento, California with neoclassical building with columns on left.

Sacramento Plans ‘Quick-Build’ Road Safety Projects

The city wants to accelerate small-scale safety improvements that use low-cost equipment to make an impact at dangerous intersections.

April 28 - The Sacramento Bee