Students only account for 17% of Metrolink ridership. Metrolink launched a pilot program Oct. 9 that aims to change that.

The new Student Adventure Pass Program allows anyone with a valid student ID to use the Metrolink railway system for free, allowing students to explore Southern California beyond Los Angeles County, including Anaheim, Redlands and Ventura. Students as young as kindergarteners to adults in technical colleges and universities are eligible to participate in the program, which is funded by the California Department of Transportation’s Low Carbon Transit Operations Program and will run for six months or until grant funding runs out. 

The student adventure pass enables USC students to travel between 66 Metrolink stations at no cost. Julieanna Gonzalez, a junior majoring in human biology, uses public transportation regularly to explore the city, travel home and get to work. She said she is well-versed in using public transportation and is excited about Metrolink’s new program.

“It’s really, really convenient for me to have this pass just because it’s my main form of transportation,” Gonzalez said. “It kind of helps with my living costs that I don’t have to worry about gas or taking Lyfts.”

Gonzalez already utilizes the USC Student U-Pass Program, which allows students to obtain a pass for unlimited Los Angeles Metro rail and bus rides at no additional cost. Part of the student transportation fee incorporated into USC tuition covers this program and students must reapply every semester. 

Students who did not apply for the U-Pass before the Fall 2023 deadline on Sept. 17 can now access these free transportation benefits for the remainder of the Student Adventure Pass Program’s duration.

Students can obtain a free Metrolink Student Adventure Pass at any Metrolink ticket machine or register their student ID in the Metrolink app to keep the pass in their mobile wallet. 

In a statement to the Daily Trojan, Metrolink Chief Customer Experience Officer Lisa Bahr wrote that there is plenty to explore across the greater L.A. area through public transportation regardless of personal interests. 

“The aptly named Student Adventure Pass will open up a world of new experiences and possibilities for USC students, including those who grew up in and around L.A. and those who are new to our community,” Bahr wrote. 

Chance Guyton, a freshman majoring in economics and data science, said he estimates he uses public transportation once or twice a week with his U-Pass. 

“I would definitely rack up a lot of Uber charges if I didn’t have it,” Guyton said. 

With the Student Adventure Pass, students at schools without programs like U-Pass will be able to cut down on transportation costs, too. 

Gonzalez said she thinks there is a stigma around public transportation use at USC, with students worrying it is unsafe to take the bus or railway. 

“Use your street smarts, be careful, be vigilant,” she said. “You really should broaden your horizons when it comes to taking public transportation. It’s fun.”