Students get free bus rides; let’s also simplify the paperwork
Photo by Beechwood Photography on Flickr.
Starting this fall, students in DC will get to ride Metrobus for free, thanks to a budget surplus. It’s good news for kids who take the bus to school. WMATA could take advantage of this opportunity and simplify its system for student fares as well.
Metro already offers a discounted fare for students, but it’s hard to take advantage of it. In order to make our family eligible for student fares, my husband had to obtain the proper forms from our children’s schools. One school had no idea what we were talking about.
Then, he had to take them in person to one of 4 Metro sales offices or WMATA headquarters, which are inconvenient to reach and only open on weekdays during business hours. Each form allowed us to purchase a bag of 10 tokens for $7.50. We have to transfer buses to get to school, so we would save 10¢ per trip, not accounting for the initial ride to the sales office.
Students can also get a monthly SmartStudent pass for $30, but only after they obtain a Student Travel Card from the District Department of Transportation. You can get it at the sales office or 8 DCPS schools, if a student goes there. But unless you use it roundtrip nearly every school day, it’s more expensive than tokens.
We don’t yet know how Metro or the DC Council will implement the fare change. I vote for simply allowing younger students to board the bus for free, while letting those who are older use their student ID. Of course, it probably won’t be that easy.
A good option won’t involve schlepping down to WMATA headquarters every month with new forms. The current system is not easy or convenient for parents who have 9-to-5 jobs or students who are in school all day. And if your school doesn’t have the proper forms, you are out of luck. These hoops likely exist to avoid fraud, but there’s got to be a better way.
Neighboring jurisdictions already provide student discounts in different ways. Students in Montgomery County can ride the bus for free on weekday afternoons with a student ID or buy a discounted Youth Cruiser Pass, though like DC, you can only buy them in a few places. In Arlington, students can use a student ID or tokens to ride for 75¢.
Giving students free bus fare is a great idea, but parents and students also need an easy and convenient way to take advantage.