Ben Franklin Transit Kids Ride Free

Ben Franklin Transit–BFT– around Benton and Franklin counties, will offer free rides for all people eighteen and under starting June 1st.  This is a shift from a month ago when the BFT Board was considering cuts to the service. 

The change will allow BFT to qualify for up to 75 million dollars as part of  Move Ahead Washington, Governor Inslee’s push to reduce carbon emissions. 

One of the requirements to qualify was that all transit systems had to offer free ridership for kids.  

Lisa Larson, the Communications Manager for BFT explains how people 18 and under can start riding for free:

“They just need to have a free pass, it’s a little card they carry with them. We are going through school districts and libraries, and community programs. We are even going to be giving them out through some of the transit hubs, trying to get them into the hands of the kiddos that need to ride. “

 In April, the BFT Board was discussing limiting service by cutting taxpayer-approved funding.  But, that would disqualify the BFT from the Move Ahead Washington funding. 

Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.