Sacramento News & Review
Support Local Independent Journalism Sign up for our newsletter!
  • News
    • Crime Beat
    • COVID-19
    • police reform
  • Voices
    • Greenlight
    • Fifteen Minutes
    • Essay
    • Ask Joey
    • Ask 420
  • Arts+Culture
    • Dish
    • Music
    • Home & Garden
    • Rebooting the Arts
  • Calendar
  • Solving Sacramento
    • Rebooting the Arts
    • Housing
    • ABOUT SOLVING SACRAMENTO
  • Newsletter
  • Become a supporter
  • More…
    • Local Dining
    • SN&R Archive
    • Best of Sac
    • SAMMIES
    • Sponsored Content
    • Independent Journalism Fund
    • Letter to the Editor
    • Contact Us
Hot Topics
  • March 9, 2021 | In light of recent deaths, Sacramento City Hall faces reckoning on warming centers
  • March 24, 2023 | ‘Uprooted’ exhibit opens in Sacramento, commemorating the darkest moment – and the tale of survival – for Californians of Japanese descent
  • March 24, 2023 | California’s drought is not over
  • March 23, 2023 | Sacramento’s Miller Park becomes a safe ground for those experiencing homelessness
  • March 22, 2023 | Letters: Everything sucks everywhere all at once
  • March 21, 2023 | The Foilies 2023: Recognizing the worst in government transparency
Spotlight Youth

Kids Ride Free on SacRT

Photo courtesy of SacRT

By: Thea Rood October 22, 2020

The Sacramento Regional Transit District’s fare-free transit program, which waives fares for students and youth in transitional kindergarten through 12th grade across SacRT’s service area, has been extended for another year, through Sept. 30, 2021.

It had been set to expire this fall, but thanks to additional funding from program partner City of Sacramento, RydeFreeRT will continue to offer kids a free ride on buses, light rail and SmaRT Ride microtransit service in the cities of Sacramento, Folsom, Citrus Heights, Ranch Cordova and parts of Sacramento County.

“Fare free transit removes a financial barrier for young people going to school, working at a job or internship, or participating in an enriching extracurricular opportunity. By making our kids mobile, we are opening doors to their future,” says Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “It is part of our City’s commitment to investing in our communities, particularly those that have historically been underserved.”

Preliminary research findings supported by Sutter Health show a significant positive impact on SacRT’s youngest riders, with student ridership up 127% pre-COVID and remaining high even after the shelter-in-place. Riders report it was easier to get to school, as well as to after-school or non-school activities. And by reducing the use of cars to get to where they need to go, these students are contributing to a decrease in automobile traffic and pollution in their neighborhoods.

RydeFreeRT youth advocate Shanthoshi Thamilseran, for example, is happy to have some reliable transportation and a sense of freedom, especially important now during these challenging times.

“Transit is readily accessible to me when I don’t have any money on me or if I don’t have a ride,” says the high school senior. “I know that RydeFreeRT has helped youth in the past year and will continue to do so going forward.”

Data shows about 220,000 students are eligible for the fare-free program. This includes students, home-schooled students, and foster and homeless youth. (And kids experiencing homelessness or in foster programs are allowed to participate regardless of their current residence or school address.)

“We are excited to continue to offer access to transit all day, every day for all Sacramento area youth that live in or attend school in our service area,” says Henry Li, SacRT General Manager/CEO. “We recognized the essential need for fare-free transit within the first few months the program launched, and we will continue to grow our future transit riders with the youth in the region.”

Because of the restrictions in place due to the pandemic—such as libraries and school offices closed or offering reduced hours—students don’t need a RydeFreeRT sticker or card to ride, but can simply show a student ID (even if it’s not current).

Students and youth who do not have a student ID can get a free RydeFreeRT card by visiting SacRT’s Customer Service and Sales Center at 1225 R Street (adjacent to the 13th Street Station). For more information, see rydefreert.com.

TOPICS:Fare-free transitRydeFreeRTSacramento Regional Transit DistrictSacRTstudentsYouth

Our content is free, but not free to produce

If you value our local news, arts and entertainment coverage, become an SN&R supporter with a one-time or recurring donation. Help us keep our reporters at work, bringing you the stories that need to be told.

Become a supporter
Newsletter

Stay Updated

For the latest local news, arts and entertainment, sign up for our newsletter.
We'll tell you the story behind the story.

    • Previous post
    • Next post

    About the Sponsor

    Sacramento Regional Transit District
    The Sacramento Regional Transit District, commonly referred to as SacRT, is the 2019 national TSA Gold Standard Security Award recipient for the highest standard of excellence and is the regional transit provider in the capital of California (the 5th largest economy in the world). It operates more than 80 bus routes, 43 miles of light rail serving 52 light rail stations and ADA paratransit services--all within a 400 square-mile service area throughout Sacramento County. This includes service in the cities of Sacramento, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom and Rancho Cordova. http://www.sacrt.com/

    Related Articles

    COVID-19, News, Voices

    Sacramento’s spending spree


    News

    Twin Rivers teacher claims retaliation for going public


    COVID-19, Voices

    Distance learning stinks


    News, Voices

    Editor’s note: Kids count, but can adults?


    Meet the sponsors

    • Berkeley Strategy Advisors
      Berkeley Strategy Advisors

      published 5 articles

    • BRIDGE Housing
      BRIDGE Housing

      published 3 articles

    • California Workforce Association
      California Workforce Association

      published 13 articles

    • City of Roseville
      City of Roseville

      published 4 articles

    • Del Paso Boulevard Partnership
      Del Paso Boulevard Partnership

      published 28 articles

    • Exotic Plants
      Exotic Plants

      published 6 articles

    • Joshua's House Hospice
      Joshua's House Hospice

      published 1 article

    • Midtown
      Midtown

      published 11 articles

    • N&R Publications
      N&R Publications

      published 5 articles

    • Northern California Research
      Northern California Research

      published 10 articles

    • Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services
      Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services

      published 5 articles

    • Sacramento County In-Home Supportive Services
      Sacramento County In-Home Supportive Services

      published 1 article

    • Sacramento Regional Transit District
      Sacramento Regional Transit District

      published 28 articles

    • SEIU
      SEIU

      published 30 articles

    • Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
      Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

      published 1 article

    • The California Endowment
      The California Endowment

      published 65 articles

    • Volunteers of America
      Volunteers of America

      published 8 articles

    • Workforce Development Board of Solano County
      Workforce Development Board of Solano County

      published 4 articles

    Our Sponsors

    Berkeley Strategy Advisors BRIDGE Housing California Workforce Association City of Roseville Del Paso Boulevard Partnership Exotic Plants Joshua's House Hospice Midtown N&R Publications Northern California Research Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services Sacramento County In-Home Supportive Services Sacramento Regional Transit District SEIU Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. The California Endowment Volunteers of America Workforce Development Board of Solano County

    Categories

    Youth

    Tags

    2020 affordable housing art astrology Black Lives Matter board of supervisors budget California cannabis City Council city hall climate change coronavirus COVID-19 COVID-19 in Sacramento Donald Trump election food gardening gavin newsom George Floyd homeless homelessness horoscopes jobs Joe Biden letters Mayor Darrell Steinberg music november election pandemic police reform president donald trump presidential election protests public health sacramento sacramento county Sacramento police Sacramento Regional Transit District SacRT SEIU Stephon Clark strong mayor taxes
    Newsletter

    Stay Updated

    For the latest local news, arts and entertainment, sign up for our newsletter.
    We'll tell you the story behind the story.

      Recent Posts
      • ‘Uprooted’ exhibit opens in Sacramento, commemorating the darkest moment – and the tale of survival – for Californians of Japanese descent
      • California’s drought is not over
      • Sacramento’s Miller Park becomes a safe ground for those experiencing homelessness
      • Letters: Everything sucks everywhere all at once
      • The Foilies 2023: Recognizing the worst in government transparency
      Links
      • Newsletter Signup
      • Follow us on Twitter
      • Find us on Facebook
      • SN&R Archives
      • Best of Sac
      • SAMMIES
      • RSS
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Service
      • Contact Us
      Become a supporter
      Categories
      • 2020 election (86)
      • Arts & Culture (43)
      • Arts+Culture (414)
      • Ask Joey (1,017)
      • Behind the Issues (1)
      • Cannabis (39)
      • COVID-19 (312)
      • Crime Beat (101)
      • Dish (74)
      • Food (12)
      • Greenlight (492)
      • Home & Garden (77)
      • Housing (47)
      • Music (66)
      • News (1,160)
      • Rebooting the Arts (33)
      • Solving Sacramento (47)
      • Stage (8)
      • The arts (4)
      • Voices (477)

      © 2019+ Sacramento News & Review