Kids Ride FREE and Youth Cruiser SmarTrip Card

 

The Kids Ride Free program provides free rides on County Ride On buses and certain Metrobus routes within Montgomery County to kids ages 18 and under (older if still in high school) who are Montgomery County residents. The free rides are available weekdays between 2 and 8 p.m.

The program, which is for students, operates year-round. Students should show their Youth Cruiser SmarTrip Card when boarding buses.  School photo identification cards (IDs) have been used in the past and will continue to be accepted until a cutoff date is set.   All student riders are requested to have a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip Card for use as soon as possible.  Some schools, all Montgomery County libraries, the Silver Spring TRiPS Store, The Mobile Commuter Store and the Montgomery County Treasury Office sell the cards for $2.  Please see the list of schools at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-transit/kidsridefree/schools.html 

Facts about program: 

• The Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® Card is a rechargeable farecard sold only to Montgomery County residents 18 years and younger (older if still in high school). It’s plastic, like a credit card, and is embedded with a special computer chip that keeps track of the values on the card. Monthly and summer passes are loaded electronically on to the card.

• Using the Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® Card is FAST AND EASY. The Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® Card is good on any regional transit system that accepts SmarTrip, including Metrobus and Metrorail, but the card must have stored value.

• A parent or child must come in person with proof of residency and age to purchase a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® Card.  

**** Proof of age: birth certificate, state identification, learner's permit, passport

**** Proof of residency: child's state identification, learner's permit, school transcript or school correspondence which has name and address

• The Youth Cruiser SmarTrip Card is a SmarTrip card unique to Montgomery County.  As a SmarTrip card, added value can be purchased online (www.SmarTrip.com) or in person for use on Ride On, Metro, and other regional partner transit agencies.

• The Kids Ride Free program offers free rides on the Express Route 70 between 2 and 8 PM weekdays. A fare of $4.25 is required when taking Express Route 70 outside of Kids Ride Free hours.