Omnitrans to Offer Free Bus Rides for K-12 Students Starting this August
May 18, 2021
To welcome our students back to school and provide equitable transportation access to the youth in our communities, starting August 1, 2021, Omnitrans will offer free unlimited rides to students in grades K-12 as part of a six-month pilot program – Free Fares for School!
All students who attend schools within the Omnitrans service area will be able to ride any Omnitrans fixed-route bus for free any time, any day (including all Omnitrans local and freeway express routes and sbX rapid transit), enabling students to participate in after-school and weekend extracurricular activities.
“We know that there is a measurable link between access to transportation, student attendance and graduation,” said CEO/General Manager Erin Rogers. “Omnitrans wants to help build the next generation of success and ridership in our community by providing a safe, convenient transportation option for students.”
To take advantage of this benefit, students will simply show their school-issued student ID card – which will be fitted with a unique sticker – at boarding time. Students attending school in areas served by OmniRide microtransit will receive a 50% off discount on that premium service.
The Free Fares for School program will continue through February 2022, and if successful, Omnitrans will seek approval and funding sources for a permanent extension of the free fares.
Stay tuned for more news and details on how to get your special student ID sticker later this summer!
Good Morning
Is the free bus program still available for students K-12? School Id’s have been issued yet at our school will our student be able to use last years Id?
Thank you, I appreciate your help.
We’ve implemented a one-month grace period while ID’s are made and distributed to students.
What about kids attending by charter school? Will they also have access to this special sticker on their ID?
Correct. Please email us at onlinemktg@omnitrans.org to inquire. Thank you for the question!