CONCORD, CA – Four East Bay transit agencies—County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, WestCAT, and Wheels—are working to bring more young riders to public transit with their free youth promotions going on throughout the summer. From June 1 through July 31, youth aged 18 and under can ride for free on County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, and WestCAT, while Wheels offers its Summer Youth Ride Free for a second year with the promotion through August 31.
This collaborative initiative aims to increase transit use by making public transportation more accessible, especially for youth navigating summer social and work options.
“For Tri Delta Transit, this pilot lowers barriers and connects youth to summer jobs and programs—on our system and beyond,” said Rashidi Barnes, CEO of Tri Delta Transit. “There’s a whole world in California accessible by transit.”
In addition to increasing mobility, the pilot gives agencies a chance to better understand youth travel behavior. Ridership data is collected as youth board, and some agencies may have opt-in surveys, helping to provide a picture of the youth demographic and their travel habits, informing future planning and service decisions.
“It’s essential to build a new generation of riders,” said Rob Thompson, General Manager of WestCAT. “Youth can explore local systems and connect to others—like AC Transit, BART, and even ride our Lynx express to San Francisco, for free.”
“Wheels’ Summer Youth Ride Free program was a hit last year,” added Christy Wegener, Executive Director of LAVTA. “Now, with our neighboring agencies on board, we’re expanding that reach—helping youth connect in person and travel to jobs, getting them off their screens and out into their communities.”
This unified effort comes at a critical time—following a reallocation of funding and the recent discontinuation of the Summer Youth Pass. In its absence, these fare-free programs fill an essential gap, supporting not only youth mobility but also helping families who rely on public transportation during the summer months when school is out.
“The Youth Ride Free initiative helps us rethink how to serve young riders,” said County Connection General Manager Bill Churchill. “We’re excited about the data we collect–and even our new Youth Ride Free leaderboard–will inform future youth-focused programs.”
At the end of summer, Contra Costa and Tri-Valley youth can continue their transit journeys by utilizing a Youth Clipper pass which offers discounted fares across all Bay Area transit.
For more information about each agency’s program:
- County Connection: countyconnection.com/yrf
- LAVTA (Wheels): wheelsbus.com/summer-youth-ride-free/
- Tri Delta Transit: trideltatransit.com
- WestCAT: westcat.org/youthride
