Anyone 18 years old or younger can now ride Caltrain for a $1 one-way fare.
The transit agency launched the permanent fare deal over the weekend.
A $2 all-day pass is also available for those 18 and under. That pass will be available on Caltrain Mobile, the agency’s current mobile app, and at Caltrain ticket vending machines.
When the agency launches its new “Clipper Next Generation” mobile app next year, a monthly pass will be available to anyone with a Youth Clipper Card.
“It’s now easier than ever for young riders to take advantage of Caltrain, embracing freedom and flexibility rather than traffic and gridlock,” Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard said in a statement. “Now young people can get up and down the Peninsula with ease for less than the cost of a boba tea.”
The Caltrain Board of Directors voted to permanently reduce fares for youth riders at their August board meeting after a successful promotion last fall. Previously, a one-way ticket for youth cost up to $6.75, and a day pass cost up to $13.50.
Last September, Caltrain launched four fare promotions, with the $1 youth fare being the most successful at driving up ridership.
During the promotion, the fare only applied to Clipper users, and Clipper youth ticket sales shot up 43% compared to the same time period one year earlier.
A Caltrain spokesperson said people who begin riding public transit in their youth are far more likely to continue to use it as adults.
Caltrain seeks to use the new youth fare to further bolster its ridership. Caltrain’s average weekday ridership increased by approximately 19% in June compared to June 2023 as riders continue to return to Caltrain for increased work and leisure travel.