Three transit agencies – New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit), VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio and Calgary Transit - recently took actions to extend their discounted or free fares for students.
“The services NJ Transit provides have proven to be essential to a multitude of college students across the state, so I am pleased we are able to offer more students the Student Pass fare,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “Expanding the program to include discounts for eligible part-time students is emblematic of NJ Transit’s mission to enhance our services for all who wish to utilize public transportation.”
NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett added, “As NJ Transit ridership continues to grow, we are doing everything we can in our power to continue incentivizing transit use. Toward that end, we are pleased to expand our popular Student Pass program to include part-time students in addition to full-time students. College students using transit today will hopefully become tomorrow’s commuters.”
VIA Metropolitan Transit explains the program is designed to help address the challenges of the region’s student populations who face limited parking options on or near local campuses.
Calgary Transit in Alberta, Canada, implemented a change to its fare policy on Jan. 1, 2023, that allows children ages 12 and under to ride for free. The previous policy allowed children six and under to ride for free and required a fare for anyone older than six years old. Riders between the ages of 13 and 17 require youth fares, which are also extended to students between the ages of 18 to 21 with a school ID.