Hi all, In an urban context, one of the most effective ways to tackle car culture and reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to increase the use of public transit. The city of Kingston, Ontario, Canada did just that. Initially, high school students in Kingston, Ontario had to pay to use public transit. There were too many barriers to using it, including the fact that no one showed the students how to ride the bus. In 2012, that changed. High school students were given free bus passes coupled with education on how best to use public transit (i.e. meeting the driver, getting on and off the bus, etc). This gave students confidence, a sense of independence, and a feeling of freedom. They were even shown—in a stress-free environment—how to place their bike on a bike rack in front of the bus. With these new skills, the students could get to jobs and volunteering positions, as well as cultural places like museums and sporting events. When Grade 9 students were first given free bus passes coupled with education in 2012, ridership totaled 28,000. With each subsequent year, more high school students were added to the mix, and in 2016, grades 9 to 12 made 600,000 rides on Kingston transit. That’s an increase of over 2000%!
It’s been over a decade now that Kingston has offered free bus passes and training to high school students. The program’s success has made waves across the country, as numerous cities have expressed interest in running similar programs. From all of this, a national youth transit movement called Get On The Bus emerged in 2023, addressing issues of social equity, accessibility, community building, and climate emissions. This movement is demonstrating that youth transit programs are an important asset for cities looking to invest in their future. To read the full story and watch a TEDx video on the topic, click here. To read an excellent guidebook on how to set up a student bus pass program through a city-school partnership, click here.
It’s been over a decade now that Kingston has offered free bus passes and training to high school students. The program’s success has made waves across the country, as numerous cities have expressed interest in running similar programs. From all of this, a national youth transit movement called Get On The Bus emerged in 2023, addressing issues of social equity, accessibility, community building, and climate emissions. This movement is demonstrating that youth transit programs are an important asset for cities looking to invest in their future. To read the full story and watch a TEDx video on the topic, click here. To read an excellent guidebook on how to set up a student bus pass program through a city-school partnership, click here.
