Over 400,000 students in L.A. have enrolled in Metro’s unlimited free ride program

More than 400,000 students across Los Angeles have enrolled in the Metro GoPass program, which offers unlimited free rides on buses and trains, Metro announced.

The program is available to students at more than 1,600 participating K-12 and community colleges across 125 school districts, including Los Angeles Unified. As of June, Metro recorded more than 40 million student boardings through the program.

“Transportation needs shouldn’t get in the way of any student’s education,” Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board Chair Janice Hahn said in a statement. “For many students and their families across L.A. County, the free Metro rides through our GoPass program has made all the difference.”

Participating schools distribute Metro TAP cards to their students, which they can use on all Metro buses and trains, as well as for services from 15 other transit agencies, including Culver CityBus, the Glendale Beeline, Long Beach Transit and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus. Students also can use a virtual TAP card on the TAP LA mobile app.

K-12 students make up 67% of those enrolled in the program, while community college students make up 24% and vocational students enrolled in L.A. Unified’s Division of Adult and Career Education make up 9%, according to Metro spokesperson Tracy Smith.

California

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Created in 2021 as a two-year pilot program, GoPass was approved for a one-year extension in 2023 for $20 million before becoming permanent this April. The program’s reach has rapidly expanded in the past three years and now includes districts such as ABC Unified, Compton Unified and El Segundo Unified. Some districts previously cited the program’s cost and a lack of enrollees who ride public transportation as a barrier to signing up.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ motion to make GoPass permanent also directed Metro staff to explore opportunities to grant unlimited free rides to income-eligible riders through Metro’s Low Income Fare Is Easy, or LIFE, program.

LIFE currently provides unlimited free rides for the first 90 days, and 20 free regional rides per month thereafter to L.A. County residents who meet income limits. For a one-person household, that limit is $48,550 per year.

Students whose schools do not participate in the GoPass program can still apply for a LIFE or reduced fare TAP card.

“These young people are helping Metro grow its student ridership and realizing all the benefits that a safe, clean and efficient transit system can deliver for them and their communities,” Metro Chief Executive Stephanie Wiggins said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming even more students onto our system in the coming school year.’’

Pressure to increase ridership and reduce drug and criminal activity on Metro trains and buses has been growing as safety concerns appear to be deterring some former riders, according to a survey by USC Dornslife. On Monday, a man was charged with attempted murder in an attack at a Pasadena Metro station last week.

In June, the agency’s board voted unanimously to spend $193 million a year to create a Metro transit police force to patrol the system and crack down on crime.