Can MCPS students use RideOns for free?

[Anonymous]

And what do they need to do?

My kid asked the school's front desk, and they didn't know.

[Anonymous]

We got a student MoCo Youth Cruiser SmarTrip card.

Instructions here.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-Transit/fares/youth-cruiser.html

[Anonymous]

Yes and all you need is a student ID from your school. For everyone else it’s a dollar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes and all you need is a student ID from your school. For everyone else it’s a dollar.

Any student who attends a school in MoCo, public or private, can do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes and all you need is a student ID from your school. For everyone else it’s a dollar.

Any student who attends a school in MoCo, public or private, can do this.

Sorry, I mean any K-12 student.

[Anonymous]

I got my kids’ pass at the library, but she never actually uses it— the kids just seem to get on and sit down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I got my kids’ pass at the library, but she never actually uses it— the kids just seem to get on and sit down.

Yes. They never ask for anything, according to my kids.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

Thank you!

Apparently it looks like students are supposed to use a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip card, and that at participating schools (including my kid's), they should be distributed there. His school did not appear to know or care, so since he can also (temporarily, apparently) use his student ID, this is what he'll do.

[Anonymous]

My reading of the website seems to indicate that the metro buses are also free with the youth cruiser cards—is that correct?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got my kids’ pass at the library, but she never actually uses it— the kids just seem to get on and sit down.

Yes. They never ask for anything, according to my kids.

+1 Especially when the kids are getting on at the stop in front of the school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My reading of the website seems to indicate that the metro buses are also free with the youth cruiser cards—is that correct?

Free if the student boards the bus in MoCo. At least that was DC's experience this summer. Outside MoCo, DC had to pay while getting on the bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My reading of the website seems to indicate that the metro buses are also free with the youth cruiser cards—is that correct?

Only where you get on in MD.

[Anonymous]

All youth, not just MCPS students can ride free. Mine did when they attended private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes and all you need is a student ID from your school. For everyone else it’s a dollar.

Any student who attends a school in MoCo, public or private, can do this.

It’s great for students during the school day who hop on the buses and visit with friends at other high schools. Lots of high school students drop in on other high schools and hangout during the school day. Principals deal with this every day, but McKnight ignores it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My reading of the website seems to indicate that the metro buses are also free with the youth cruiser cards—is that correct?

Only where you get on in MD.

I am pretty sure this is incorrect; this is a county program and applies only in Montgomery county - at least that was the case this summer. DC was asked to pay when he got on in PG county.

A word of caution - if you want to have the ability to add money online, create a separate smartrip account only for the student with the STUDENT'S date of birth and add the card to that account. We made the mistake of adding the card to the parent's smartrip account. After a couple of days of usage, DC found that the card was deactivated and we were told that the deactivation was because it looked like the card was being used by someone older than 18.