UTA offers free transit passes again for those in Salt Lake City School District

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Transit Authority is offering free transit passes for Salt Lake City School District faculty, students and their families again this year.

The passes provide unlimited access to UTA buses, TRAX, the S-Line and UTA On Demand so everyone can get to school for free. 

The program was launched in 2022. Originally, the passes were just for students and staff from the school district, but last school year, UTA also expanded the program to include Guardian Passes, for one member of the child’s household to escort them to school.

UTA’s Manager of Fare Strategy Jordan Eves says the program has been growing every year.

“Comparing 2022/2023 versus 2023/2024, we saw a 33% increase in the average monthly ridership, specifically for this pass,” Eves stated.

Eves says an average of 51,000 riders a month used the pass last school year. He believes the more people start using these passes, the more comfortable they get using them. He said UTA saw a big increase in riders using the pass between the September/October time frame toward the beginning of the school year, and the March/April/May at the end. 

In addition to helping families financially, Eves says they hope these passes help students get comfortable using public transit so they can become lifelong riders. 

“If we can get students and a younger ridership to get accustomed to riding transit, and just kind of learn and accept that is how they get around, that’s going to help them as they grow up,” Eves said. “[Then] they can continue to be transit users throughout their lives.

Those in the Salt Lake City School District who are interested in utilizing this program are encouraged to contact their school’s office. Eves says they plan to expand the program to include more local school districts in the future.