Sierra College to continue free transit program for students

Sierra College students will continue to receive free access to local public transit just by presenting their current student IDs. Any student will be able to access free rides on Placer County Transit, Roseville Transit, Auburn Transit, Nevada County Connects and Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit services.

“Sierra College is committed to serving our students in ways that go beyond instruction,” said Sierra College Superintendent and President Willy Duncan. “Often, student success hinges on meeting some of their most basic needs, whether that is food, housing, health or reliable transportation. If a student does not have access to reliable transportation, the free ride program helps remove a barrier that might prevent them from continuing their educational journey toward a high-value career.”

The program, first launched as a pilot in 2022, has given free rides to students to the tune of over 111,000 trips over the past three years. During the pilot, operating agencies received reimbursement by the college at a 50% discounted rate. Placer County Transit gave the bulk of the rides, providing more than 75,000 during the pilot programs three-year run. During the previous academic year, Sierra attendees were nearly 20% of Placer County Transit’s ridership.

“This program has been an excellent demonstration of the important partnerships maintained between the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency, Sierra College and the region’s transit operators, offering a beneficial transportation option for our region’s college students,” said Rockland City Councilmember and Placer County Transportation Planning Agency member Ken Broadway. “I am excited that this effort has transitioned into an on-going free ride program that will continue to benefit the region moving forward.”

Sierra College students voted earlier in 2025 for an ongoing funding source collected through a student assessment to provide transit agencies a 100% reimbursement of the average fare for their service.

Additionally, Sierra College has come to an agreement with rideshare provider Uber to offer discounted rates for rides during the evening hours. Through this partnership, Sierra College students can receive up to five $5 credits from the ride provider per day.