On Wednesday, MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack unveiled a year-long pilot initiative designed to distribute MBTA monthly passes to approximately 1,500 young people aged 12 to 21 across Boston, Somerville, Chelsea, and Malden.
The ECOYouth Club at the Chelsea Collaborative played a key role in initiating this program, which emerged following extensive discussions between young advocates and the MBTA.
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Governor Charlie Baker remarked, “While we continue to work with MassDOT and the MBTA to provide transportation choices that are world-class and reliable year-round, we also want to ensure those options are accessible for our youth. The Youth Pass Pilot is a step in the right direction to find new and innovative ways to provide access at a price that is affordable for young people to get to work, school and extracurricular activities.”
Secretary Pollack announced the program at Roxbury’s Dudley Station alongside representatives from youth advocacy organizations. The initiative, a collaboration between the MBTA and participating municipalities, expands access beyond the current Student Pass model offered through select schools to serve a broader youth population within the transit system’s service area.
According to Secretary Pollack, “The Youth Pass Pilot Program being launched today was developed by a working group of MassDOT, MBTA, youth advocates, and municipal partners who met for eight months to address the transportation access needs identified by the youth. The pilot will measure costs to the MBTA and the benefits to the youth, including their ability to access jobs, school, and civic opportunities.”
Municipal partners will administer the passes rather than schools. The Youth Pass functions as a LinkPass for local bus and subway service, priced at $26 monthly or $7 for a 7-day pass (availability varies by city). Eligibility includes youth aged 12-18 living in Boston, Chelsea, Somerville, or Malden who are not already receiving a Student Pass from their school. Those aged 19-21 must satisfy income-based requirements by showing enrollment in high school, a GED program, job training, or participation in state or federal benefit programs.
Data collection will assess program outcomes, youth benefits, costs, and the viability of municipal administration of reduced-fare products. Participants and their parents must complete consent forms permitting anonymous tracking of their MBTA usage to evaluate program effectiveness.
The MBTA received more than 2,700 applications for the pilot program. Each city received an allocated number of spots, with additional youth placed on waiting lists. Interested applicants can still apply through the MBTA website to be added to their city’s waitlist.
Additional details are available at www.mbta.com/youthpass.