Abstract

This research evaluates LA Metro’s GoPass program—a fare-free transit initiative for K-12 and community college students—through a survey of Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) students. The research team investigated students’ travel preferences through a discrete choice experiment, assessed GoPass awareness and participation impacts on transit use, and analyzed spatial and seasonal ridership patterns from TAP card records. GoPass participation increased transit use by 26 percentage points for school trips and 19 percentage points for discretionary trips, with greater benefits for socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Even students aware of GoPass but not participating showed a 5.8 percentage point increase in school related transit use. However, 39% of eligible students were unaware of the program, and car access reduced transit use probability by 37 percentage points. The discrete choice experiment revealed students valued travel time savings at $27–$54 per hour and Wi-Fi availability at $6–$7 per trip. Modest travel time reductions generated larger welfare gains than free fares alone, suggesting service improvements may offer better returns than fare subsidies. Analysis of 1.1 million TAP card records showed substantial seasonal variation: summer ridership declined 37.5% for buses and 32.2% for rail. Single-vehicle households maintained more consistent usage (+11.9%), while three-vehicle households showed the largest declines (-40.9%). Areas with high transit stop density and high violent crime maintained more consistent usage, reflecting transit-dependent populations. These findings demonstrate that increasing student transit ridership requires addressing service quality, coverage, and program awareness beyond fare reductions alone.