Ride On, Metro Announce Free Rides for Kids 18 and Under Beginning July 1

Starting July 1, students under the age of 18 will have free access to Ride On and Metrobuses.

Currently, the kids ride free program allows students under the age of 18 to ride the Metrobus and Ride on for free, but it is only available Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m while some Metrobuses are limited. The program is very limited for these students who have no other mode of transportation and who come from a low-income household, restricting them from responsibilities and opportunities outside of school, such as jobs.

Tina Slater, the Montgomery County transportation chair for the Maryland Sierra Club, told Bethesda Magazine that expanding the program hours is important for these students because it would help “them accomplish the goal of becoming more independent without a car.”

Glass — who’s a frequent public transit user — voiced these students’ situations, concerns and missed opportunities.

“Every student should have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of which school they attend or their household wealth. There’s no reason a student should be walking in the cold or rain because they couldn’t afford bus fare. No student should ever miss out on a job or internship because they didn’t have a reliable way of getting home,” said Glass in his newsletter for constituents, The Glass Gazette.

Effective July 1st: Kids Ride Free (K-12 county residents) will be every day all day on Ride On. Show your school ID or Youth Cruiser SmarTrip Card to the bus operator. pic.twitter.com/t3S7OS2Rxh

— Ride On Bus (@RideOnMCT) May 30, 2019

About Frances Moyonero

Frances Moyonero is a Broadcast Journalism student at the University of Maryland. She was born and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, but she has expanded her horizons within and outside the U.S. She can be reached at fmoyonero@mymcmedia.org or via twitter @Franny_Moyonero.

View all posts by Frances Moyonero