Free Youth Pass

Starting in September, youth ride transit for free!

Starting Sept. 1, 2022, riders 18 and younger can take transit for free thanks to Move Ahead Washington, a statewide transportation funding package. We’re very excited to welcome more youth to the freedom of transit.

Your passport to the Puget Sound

Across the Puget Sound region, youth will be able to ride free on any of the following transit agencies. (Free youth transit starts on Sept. 1, 2022 unless otherwise noted.)

Community Transit
Starting July 1, 2022: Everett Transit
King County Metro
King County Water Taxi

Kitsap Ferries
Kitsap Transit
Pierce Transit
Sound Transit

Starting Oct. 1, 2022: Washington State Ferries (including cyclists, pedestrians and vehicle passengers, but not vehicles)

How it works

All youth will be able to ride transit for free. Riders age 13 and older are encouraged to show one of the following to the driver, if they have it:

Youth ORCA Card (Please tap on/off. The card will not expire if it’s registered and youth have until June 30, 2023 to register their card.)
Current High School or Middle School Student ID

For the next few months, youth who do not have one of these can still board for free.

In 2023 and beyond, youth will be directed to get a Free Youth Transit Pass that allows them to tap a card—or eventually their smartphone—to access transit across the region for free.

How this came to be

The Washington State Legislature passed the Move Ahead Washington transportation package. As part of this package, transit agencies are awarded new Transit Support Grants, provided they meet certain conditions, including adopting a policy that passengers 18 years of age and younger may ride free of charge on any mode operated by the transit agency.

On July 11, the Pierce Transit’s Board of Commissioners voted to approve the Free Youth Transit Pass, which allows passengers ages 18 and under to RIDE FREE on all Pierce Transit services starting September 1, 2022.

This means free rides to get to school, meet up with friends, get to work, go shopping… where will your Free Youth Transit Pass take you?

Visit this page again as the school year approaches to find out how to get your Free Youth Transit Pass.

Trip Planner Help

Trip Planner Tips - Entering Locations

To create a trip plan you need to enter both a starting location (origin) and an ending location (destination). For information about stops, schedules, or service at a specific location, you only need to enter one location.

The Trip Planner recognizes most street intersections and addresses as well as many landmarks in Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties. If what you entered is not immediately recognized, the Trip Planner will offer you a list of options. You can choose one of the options, but if your intended location is not there, select the "Revise Original Entries" link to return to the entry page and change the entries you have already made.

Addresses

You don't need to type in the city along with the address. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type 110 Jones instead of 110 Jones Boulevard.)
You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 1000 Main instead of 1000 S Main. But type 1000 West Viewmont for 1000 West Viewmont Way W.)
Some streets and addresses are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby location, such as an intersection or a landmark.
You should not enter the suite number or apartment number. Just the house number and street name (Example: type in 401 Broadway instead of 401 Broadway Avenue Suite 800).

Intersections

The "&" symbol is the only character used between two street names to show an intersection. (Examples: 1st & B, James & Madison)
You don't need to type in the city. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type Conifer & Jones instead of Conifer Circle & Jones Boulevard.)
You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 3rd & Main instead of 3rd S & S Main. But type 34th & West Viewmont for 34th W & West Viewmont Way W.)
Some streets are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby intersection or a landmark.

Landmarks

Government Sites: Pierce County Health Dept, Pierce Co Sheriffs Office, Tacoma City Hall

Major Commercial Sites: Tacoma Mall, Sheraton Hotel

Transportation Facilities: Sea-Tac Airport, Greyhound Bus Depot

Schools & Colleges: Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Community College

Sports & Leisure: Cheney Stadium, Pt Defiance Zoo

Medical Facilities: Group Health, Tacoma General Hospital