With San Luis Obispo County bus routes stopping near multiple schools, riding the bus can be a convenient way for students to get around.

Students in elementary, middle and high school can buy tickets or passes at discounted rates.

In addition to buses transporting them to and from school, Cal Poly students have access to a shuttle bus routes that allow them to travel around the San Luis Obispo university’s campus easily.

See where students can travel using public transit — and how much it’ll will cost:

What areas does SLO Transit serve?

SLO Transit serves the city of San Luis Obispo, including service to San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, Cal Poly, Los Osos Valley Road and the corner of Monterey Street and Grand Avenue.

SLO Transit has 12 bus routes as well as a trolley route.

Buses travel in a loop in two directions, with four A routes running clockwise and four B routes and the trolley traveling counterclockwise.

SLO Transit bus routes include:

• Route 1A: Johnson Avenue, Tank Farm Road and SLO airport
• Route 1B: Broad Street, SLO airport and Johnson Avenue
• Route 2A: Higuera Street, Los Osos Valley Road and Madonna Road 
• Route 2B: Madonna Road, Los Osos Valley Road and Higuera Street
• Route 3A: Promenade, Los Osos Valley Road and Cal Poly
• Route 3B: Cal Poly, Los Osos Valley Road and Amtrak Station
• Route 4A: Foothill Boulevard, Cal Poly and Monterey
• Route 4B: Monterey Street, Cal Poly and Ramona Drive
• Laguna Tripper: Downtown San Luis Obispo, Foothill Boulevard and Laguna Middle School
• San Luis Tripper: Downtown SLO and San Luis Obispo High School
• Highland Tripper: Ramona Drive, Highland Drive and Cal Poly
• 6 Express: Downtown SLO and Cal Poly
• Old SLO Trolley: Downtown SLO

Buses travel in a loop in two directions, with four A routes and the 6 Express running clockwise and four B routes and the trolley traveling counterclockwise.

Tripper lines run in both directions.

The San Luis Tripper serves SLO High School and the Laguna Tripper stops at Laguna Middle School. Which times do buses pick up riders?

Route 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B typically stop at bus stations every hour, according to the SLO Transit website.

Route 3A runs every 20 minutes in the morning and every hour in the afternoon to night while 4A, 4B and 6 Express can be caught between every 15 to 45 minutes.

Here’s academic schedule for SLO buses operate from between these hours:

• Route 1A and 2A: 6:15 to 9:15 p.m. 
• Route 1B and 2B: 6:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. 
• Route 3A: 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. 
• Route 3B: 6:45 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. 
• Route 4A: 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m
• Route 4B: 6:15 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• 6 Express: 6 to 9 p.m.
• The Old SLO Trolley: 5 to 9:10 p.m.

The Laguna Tripper first stops at the Transit Center at 8:50 a.m. on Mondays and 7:35 a.m. Tuesday-Friday, with the afternoon bus running in the opposite direction at 3:10 p.m. on weekdays.

On Monday, the San Luis Tripper picks up riders from the Transit Center at 9:10 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and on Tuesday and Friday, 7:40 a.m. and 8:10 a.m. In the afternoon, the tripper stops at 3:30 p.m. and 4:05 p.m.

The Highland Tripper can be bordered at the Ramona at Palomar stop at 7:45 a.m., 8:15 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. How much does it cost to ride the bus?

Riders can purchase SLO Transit tickets via the Token Transit app, using Tap to Pay or on the bus with exact change. One-way tickets and bus passes are available.

Seniors 80 ad older can ride the bus for free when they show identification.

Seniors, people with disabilities and students from kindergarten through 12th grade pay 75 cents per ride. A regular fare costs $1.50.

Passes can be purchased online, at the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center and the city’s finance and mobility service counters.

Here’s how much they cost:

• 31-day pass: $40, $25 students, $20 seniors and people with disabilities
• 16-ride pass: $24,
• 15-ride pass: $11.25 students, seniors and people with disabilities
• Three-day pass: $7
• One-day pass: $3.25
• You can also pick a regional day pass for $5.50.

This can be used to ride SLO Transit as well as San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority, South County Transit, Morro Bay Transit, Paso Robles city routes and the North County Shuttle. Does SLO Transit offer student discounts?

Students in kindergarten through high school can purchase tickets or bus passes for discounted rates.

A one-way ticket costs 75 cents, 15 rides cost $11.25 and 31-day passes are $25 apiece.

Cal Poly students can ride SLO Transit for free by swiping a valid student ID.

Cal Poly students also get passes for the Regional Transit Authority can be claimed online, three times a year after logging one alternative trip. Create an account on Rideshare.org and join the Commuter Club using a calpoly.edu email address.

Cuesta College students can ride Regional Transit Authority buses for free, with stops at the community college’s San Luis Obispo campus near Stork Gymnasium and parking lot 10 at the North County campus in Paso Robles.

Riders need to show valid student IDs to take advantage of the deal.

Where does Cal Poly's Mustang Shuttle go?

Cal Poly offers a free campus shuttle service.

Two Mustang Shuttles drive in a loop in both directions every 20 to 30 minutes, with 10 stops each.

Both shuttles start at Kennedy Library, with the gold route A ending at the Performing Arts Center in San Luis Obispo and the green route B shuttle going in the opposite direction, with the last stop at the H1 parking lot on Mount Bishop Road.

During the afternoon, the Mustang Shuttle route starts at Kennedy Library and ends at the PAC.

Nightly routes start at the Cal Poly Sports Complex and end at O’Neill Green.

For the fall and spring semesters, Mustang Shuttles run from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., switching to the night route at 6 p.m.

Daytime shuttle service is offered five days a week, and the night service is available seven days a week.

Riders need to show their Cal Poly IDs when boarding. You can use the Mustang Shuttle app to track locations and arrival times of the service.

SLO Transit routes Highland Tripper, 6 Express, 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B also make stops near the Cal Poly campus.

Can I get student discounts for Paso Robles bus routes?

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade can ride RTA buses for half price, $1 per ride.

Route 12 visits stops in Los Osos, Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo, including Cuesta College.

Students can also ride Paso Robles routes A and B for half price.

However, South County Transit and Morro Bay Transit do not offer discounted tickets for students. Fares for schoolchildren cost the standard rate of $1.50.

Children 44 inches tall and shorter can ride the bus for free when accompanied by paying adults.

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