Assessing the Impacts of Student Transportation on Public Transit

Abstract

This study examines the impacts of the Student Pass program in Minneapolis, MN that enables high school students to take unlimited rides on regular-route buses and light rail from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily during the school year (i.e., excluding summer break). The study finds that the Student Pass program has been successful in providing a number educational, economic, and societal benefits. These include: benefits for students at and away from school, financial savings for Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), time savings for families, reduced traffic congestion, reduced vehicle emissions, promoting positive attitudes towards transit and equity benefits for students from under-resourced families.