In October 2023, Metrolink introduced the Student Adventure Pass, a new grant-funded pilot program enabling students to ride for free. Well, let me tell you, the program is soaring to new heights.
Since its launch through January 2024, a total of 93,908 mobile tickets have been activated and 102,539 have been printed, which is truly impressive. Overall, student ridership has increased from 17% to 24%. The Ventura County Line has seen the biggest uptick with a 79.1% increase in ridership over the same period in 2022, and the San Bernardino Line has had the highest student ridership, welcoming nearly 70,000 Student Adventure Pass users through the end of the fall semester.
Chart: Student ridership increases from the launch of the Student Adventure Pass Program through December.
We continue to partner with more than 35 colleges, universities, schools and school districts to promote the Student Adventure Pass and boost its on-campus presence with the help of our street team. Over the course of the fall semester, our street team attended 36 events at campuses throughout the region. To date, students from 551 schools are participating in the program.
I enjoy hearing about the impact this program has had on students and am looking forward to identifying funding opportunities to continue to provide free travel to students on our system next year.