Washington, DC

(Washington, DC)  In early January 2015, District students participating in the “DC Kids Ride Free on Bus” program must “tap” their registered DC One Card on the farebox card reader each time to board the bus for free, during the designated program hours.

The DC Kids Ride Free on Bus program allows students to ride Metrobus and the DC Circulator without charge, Mondays to Fridays, from 5:30 am to 9 am and 2 pm to 8 pm, during the regular school year. Students may also ride free when school dismisses them early for a half day during the weekday.  After 8 pm on weekdays, and on weekends, students may ride at a reduced fare by purchasing a monthly rail/bus pass or a 10-trip bus pass.

DC students can now prepare for this requirement by registering their DC One Card and confirming their eligibility in the Transit Subsidy Program on the DC One Card website (www.dconecard.dc.gov). The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will download the electronic DC Kids Ride Free on Bus pass onto the students’ DC One Card.

Students are strongly encouraged to complete this process by Friday, December 19, 2014, to avoid delay in obtaining their electronic bus passes by the first day of school in January 2015. Students should continue to flash their DC One Card until the last day of school in December 2014.

In January and for the rest of the 2015 school year, WMATA and DC Circulator will no longer allow students to flash their student DC One Cards to board the bus for free under the DC Kids Ride Free on Bus program because of the availability of the electronic bus passes. The change is intended to improve financial tracking of the program and to mitigate fare evasion by ineligible riders. 

For more information on DDOT’s School Transit Subsidy Program, please visit http://ddot.dc.gov/page/school-transit-subsidy-program. 

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