[Spanish] Regional summer travel just got a whole lot better for area youth in central Contra Costa County! County Connection is excited to announce our new Youth Ride Free summer pilot program—offering fare-free rides on all bus routes for young people up to 18 years of age from June 1 through July 31.
Young riders can hop on any County Connection bus without needing to fill out an application or get a special pass. It’s easy! Just get on and go!
Join our Youth Ride Free Leaderboard
We’re gamifying Youth Ride Free and asking participants (13-18) to log their trips on County Connection. When passengers participate, their trip count and miles traveled will post on the main leaderboard. Passengers may win badges and maybe even a weekly or monthly prize. We will offer 10 prizes each week as well as two larger, monthly prizes for those who have logged the most rides. See more about the prizes here.
Learn more about getting set up on the Leaderboard
1. Create a profile at youthridefree.com
Parents, we do ask for name, email and zip code, but none of that information will be made public or shared with any third-party vendors. Additionally, all names will be assigned random monikers for the leaderboard, so no sensitive information will be visible. For more information, please visit our Privacy Policy page. You may also contact marketing@cccta.org with questions. For youth 12 and under wishing to participate in the Youth Ride Free Leaderboard, it is recommended that they do so with parental consent.
2. Begin logging rides. Logged rides will begin posting on June 1.
3. Earn badges (and maybe prizes)! As rides are logged in, participants can earn badges for riding different routes, connecting to other transit agencies, or even riding on the weekend! There’s 50 badges in total and each week we’ll award 10 prizes to passengers on our leaderboard. Learn more about the prizes passengers can win.
Main | Leaderboard | Terms & Conditions | Privacy | Prizes | Badges | Creative Challenge | FAQs
Goals of the Youth Ride Free Program
Throughout June and July 2025, our Youth Ride Free initiative aims to:
- Enhance Mobility: Enable young people to move around freely and confidently.
- Access Vital Resources: Ensure area youth can visit libraries, parks, shopping centers, and explore summer job opportunities.
- Reduce Social Isolation: Foster connections among peers and encourage greater transit literacy.
- Understand Travel Patterns: Help County Connection gain insights into youth travel habits to better serve our community.
While previous programs like the Summer Youth Pass (now discontinued) and Pass2Class have provided incentives for youth to ride transit, our youth ridership trends have not shown much growth, suggesting a need for a change in strategy. The Youth Ride Free pilot program is designed to revitalize youth engagement with public transit.
Remove Barriers, Roll Out the Welcome Mat
The Youth Ride Free pilot encourages us at County Connection to think outside the box and examine the needs of our younger riders. By removing the need for applications and passes–what some may deem as obstacles–we are opening our doors and welcome any youth (18 and under) to give our bus service a try. Fees? Gone. Show an ID? Not necessary. Fill out an application? Nope! No catch. We hope to see you on board this summer!
Questions or feedback about Youth Ride Free? You may also reach out to marketing@cccta.org and let us know what’s on your mind!