The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) announced it is waiving fares for youth in the SacRT service area, effective immediately. The program aims to decrease truancy and eliminate obstacles for young people to get to school, afterschool activities, sports, clubs, and jobs.

A research brief released in November 2018 that recounts the findings of a travel survey administered to students in three Sacramento City Unified School District schools, found that about one in four students report missing at least one day of school in the six weeks prior to the survey because of transportation barriers.

“What we’re doing here is filling an important gap,” said Henry Li, SacRT GM/CEO. “We’re offering universal access all day, every day during regular service hours for all Sacramento area youth that live in or attend school in our service area.”

RydeFreeRT waives youth fares on bus, light rail, and SmaRT Ride microtransit service across SacRT’s service area, which includes the cities of Sacramento, Folsom, Citrus Heights, and Rancho Cordova and parts of Sacramento County. Approximately 220,000 students in grades TK through 12, home-schooled students, and foster and homeless youth are all eligible.

Students enrolled in schools in SacRT’s service area have already been issued their 2019-2020 student ID card, which displays a special sticker for free SacRT ridership. Youth not enrolled in school can receive a RydeFreeRT card at a Sacramento library or at SacRT’s Customer Service and Sales Center.