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Transportation & Mobility

More than 400,000 students are getting free rides on Metro and other transit systems

A huge multi-lane freeway full of cars is split down the middle by a Metro train and its tracks.
A Metro Rail train carries passengers toward Los Angeles along the 210 freeway.
(
David McNew/Getty Images
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Getty Images North America
)

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Topline:

More than 400,000 students have enrolled in the Metro GoPass program, which offers unlimited fare-free rides on local buses and train services to K-12 and community college students.

The backstory: The GoPass program started as a pilot in April 2021 and was extended in 2023, before becoming permanent this year. Students at 1,600 K-12 schools and community colleges across 125 school districts are eligible to participate. According to Metro’s count in June, the program has provided more than 40 million free trips.

Who uses the program: Sixty-seven percent of GoPass participants are K-12 students, and 24% attend community college. Vocational students enrolled in the L.A. Unified’s Division of Adult and Career Education make up the remaining 9%, according to Metro LA.

What transit agencies participate: Besides the Metro system, participating transit agencies include Antelope Valley Transit Authority, City of Commerce Transit, Culver CityBus, Foothill Transit, Glendale Beeline, and more.

How to participate: Students attending any of one of 125 participating school districts are eligible to receive a GoPass. Check in with your school to get your pass and activation code.

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