Fare-free transit programs boost youth ridership on public transportation statewide

Nearly 15 million kids rode for free after every transit agency in Washington eliminates fares for passengers under 18

OLYMPIA - In 2021, state lawmakers passed legislation that enabled every transit system across the state to allow passengers under 18 to ride for free. If the numbers are any indication three years later, youth in Washington are taking full advantage.

New data from the Washington State Department of Transportation suggests that youth transit ridership has thrived in the few years since the Legislature signed the Climate Commitment Act into law. Funding from the legislation provided every transit system in Washington with the opportunity to allow youth to ride buses, ferries and some Amtrak services for free.

In 2023, Washington transit agencies reported that more than 14.8 million passengers under 18 rode transit for free. When youth ridership on Washington State Ferries is added, that number grows to more than 16.5 million fare-free youth passenger trips. WSDOT will gather data on transit ridership for 2024 next year.

Nearly 11,000 youths also benefitted from fare-free trips on Amtrak Cascades between June (when the program was implemented) and August 2024. Implementation on Amtrak Cascades service was delayed while Amtrak updated its national ticketing system to align with the fare-free program.

Each year, WSDOT gathers ridership data from every public transportation system in Washington and compiles it into the annual Summary of Public Transportation. The report summarizes each agency's ridership numbers from the previous year. WSDOT published the 2023 Summary of Public Transportation in early December. The 2024 edition will come out next year.

The Climate Commitment Act supports Washington's climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest funding to work to reduce climate pollution, create jobs and improve public health. Funding from the Climate Commitment Act supports a number of projects and programs across the state aimed at helping the state meet its climate-improvement goals.