Free transit for Tempe youths

Tempe and Guadalupe kids, 6-18 years old, can explore the Valley with their own set of wheels with a free Youth Transit Pass.

Travel to school, work, parks and stores all for free using the light rail, Streetcar and all Valley Metro buses, a city release explained. The new Youth Transit Pass will be valid from June 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

If you have a current Youth Transit Pass, you’ll want to get a new one before June 1, 2024 to be compatible with Valley Metro’s new fare box technology, the release explained. The current pass, which was set to expire on June 30, will now no longer be useable after May 31, 2024.

Sign up for the passes at the Tempe Transit Store, 200 E. Fifth Street, weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Public parking is located at 117 E. Fifth St. A parent or guardian must accompany the youth and bring the youth’s birth certificate along with proof of Tempe residency when registering for the program.

In addition to the Tempe Transit Store, students who attend Tempe, Marcos de Niza and McClintock high schools, and live in Tempe or Guadalupe, can get a pass at school, according to the release.

Download the registration form and find out what documentation is required by visiting tempe.gov/YouthPass.

In 1996, Tempe residents passed a half-cent sales tax for transit operations and improvements. The transit tax funds the free Tempe Youth Transit Pass program.