Students only account for 17% of Metrolink ridership. Metrolink launched a pilot program Oct. 9 that aims to change that.
The new Student Adventure Pass Program allows anyone with a valid student ID to use the Metrolink railway system for free, allowing students to explore Southern California beyond Los Angeles County, including Anaheim, Redlands and Ventura. Students as young as kindergarteners to adults in technical colleges and universities are eligible to participate in the program, which is funded by the California Department of Transportation’s Low Carbon Transit Operations Program and will run for six months or until grant funding runs out.
The student adventure pass enables USC students to travel between 66 Metrolink stations at no cost. Julieanna Gonzalez, a junior majoring in human biology, uses public transportation regularly to explore the city, travel home and get to work. She said she is well-versed in using public transportation and is excited about Metrolink’s new program.
“It’s really, really convenient for me to have this pass just because it’s my main form of transportation,” Gonzalez said. “It kind of helps with my living costs that I don’t have to worry about gas or taking Lyfts.”