Students can ride free with Metro’s GoPass. (photo courtesy of Metro)

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced that it reached its fiscal year 2023 ridership goal for the GoPass pilot program four months ahead of schedule, achieving 10 million additional rides on March 7.

Launched in August 2021, the GoPass pilot program helps L.A. County students and their families improve access to school, address high costs of living and better connect to jobs and essential services. The program provides unlimited free transit rides to K-12th grade and community college students.

In July 2022, Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins set a goal to more than double GoPass boardings by June 2023, from 4.8 million rides in fiscal year 2022 to 10 million rides by the end of fiscal year 2023.

“Kudos to CEO Stephanie Wiggins and her team for meeting the 2023 ridership goal for the GoPass pilot program ahead of schedule,” Metro Board chair Ara J. Najarian said, “The success of GoPass shows the need for public transit for K-12 and community college students, and that if we make transit affordable and accessible for them, they will use it.”

“GoPass is an important part of Metro’s strategy to provide critical support for students and their families while building back ridership post-pandemic,” Wiggins said. “By offering free rides to K-12 and community college students and teaching them how to access the transit system through their schools, we’re building up their familiarity and comfort with public transportation and creating lifetime transit users in the process. I’m pleased we were able to reach this goal ahead of schedule, and I am hopeful we can find the funding to expand the program further in the coming months and years.”

GoPasses are currently available to students at L.A. County community colleges and in 90 K-12 districts, charter networks and private schools. The Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest partner in the program.

“Since its inception, the Los Angeles Unified School District has been a strong champion for a universal student transit pass program,” LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. “For the past 16 months, the GoPass pilot has enabled over 100,000 of our students, mostly from low-income families, to utilize free public transportation with over seven million rides to go to school or access all Los Angeles has to offer including museums, internships and extra-curricular opportunities. We applaud Metro’s visionary leaders for establishing this program and for expanding opportunities for our youth that could result in life-long transit riders while helping achieve environmental and sustainability goals.”

For information, visit metro.net/gopass.