Transportation and education officials marked the expansion of the Orange County Transportation Authority’s student bus pass program to Fullerton College, allowing enrolled students to travel free on any OC Bus.

Fullerton College President Greg Schultz. Photo by Sophia Ota.

OCTA is expanding on the success of the program, which began at Santa Ana College in 2017. The program has helped increase ridership, introduced new riders to public transit and allowed access to higher education for students, some who say they wouldn’t be able to attend college without it.

So far, more than 2.28 million boardings have been recorded and more than 11,500 students have ridden the bus.

“This program is not only helping students discover how affordable and convenient public transportation can be, it is also helping them access education and achieve their dreams,” said OCTA Chairman Tim Shaw, also a La Habra Councilman.

The student program allows full-time and part-time students enrolled at the college to download a free pass via the OC Bus app or to use their student identification cards to ride free on the regular OC Bus system, allowing them to get to school, to work, or wherever the bus travels across Orange County.

A survey of students at Santa Ana College showed that, overall, 86 percent were satisfied with the college pass. Nearly 70 percent of those who rode the bus to school chose to also ride OC Bus to other destinations, and 96 percent said using the pass helps them achieve their educational goals.

The typical cost to ride the OC Bus system is $2 per ride, $5 for a day pass, or $185 for a full-semester student bus pass, so students who ride the bus through OCTA’s student bus pass program see substantial savings over the course of the semester.

This effort is part of OCTA’s OC Bus 360° initiative, which is enhancing bus service in Orange County by maximizing existing resources and tailoring transit solutions to better meet the needs of the public.