The Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® card is for County residents ages 5-18 (older if still in high school). It can be used for free rides on all County Ride On buses, including Ride On extRa, Ride On Flex and Flash. The card will waive fares on most Metro buses operating in the County. Value can be added to the card for service on Metrorail and Metrobuses operating outside of the County.
“MCDOT has been operating the Kids Ride Free Program since 2019,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “Students with the Youth Cruiser card can tap their card on the farebox, and they will not be charged the current $1 fare. Buses are a safe and environmentally friendly travel alternative for anyone that needs to get around Montgomery County. This year, we launched a new app, Ride On Trip Planner, which is a free and intuitive, regional trip planner that makes finding the fastest public transit route easy.”
The Ride On Trip Planner can be downloaded for regional trip planning including Ride On, Metrorail and Metrobus, Bikeshare and scooters. The app is free and provides live updates and shortest routes. Download from the Apple App store or Google Play.
Bicycles can be mounted on the front of all Ride On buses or taken abord the Flash bus currently operating on US 29/Columbia Pike.
If schools are interested in being a Youth Cruiser card provider, they can contact Coletta Mercado at MCDOT by email at coletta.mercado@montgomerycountymd.gov or by calling 240-777-5935 to get the cards free of cost.
