More students can get free bus passes

Free student bus passes are now available at four more schools: Annandale, Falls Church, and Marshall high schools and the Davis Career Center.

A pilot program offering free specially designated SmarTrip cards started in 2018 at Justice High School.

The bus passes can be used on Fairfax Connector buses, CUE buses operated by the City of Fairfax, and certain Metrobus routes seven days a week 5 a.m.-10 p.m.

“The bus pass is a smart way to save money,” Justice senior Mercedes Argueta told the audience at a press briefing Sept. 22 at Marshall High School. She uses the pass to get to her job and visit friends.

During the pilot program, more than half of Justice High School students used the free bus passes, taking more than 100,000 trips.

“The lack of affordable transportation is a real barrier,” said Fairfax County Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid. “No student should be at a disadvantage if they don’t have a car.”

Several members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, School Board Chair Rachna Sizemore Heiser, Fairfax City Mayor David Meyer, and transit officials also spoke at the briefing.

In addition to helping students access extracurricular activities and jobs, the free bus pass program also could help reduce traffic congestion and encourage youths to continue using transit after they graduate.

To receive a free SmarTrip card, students must get a parent’s signature and submit an application to their school’s administration office.