Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, young people have become a considerable share of public transit users. However, younger representatives of this age group still face many barriers to access transit infrastructure and benefit from its service. This study examines a Youth Cruz Free program launched by the Santa Cruz METRO in March 2023, allowing kids and teenagers of school age to use the service for free. The researchers were interested in understanding how the program has changed the travel behavior of teenagers, whether it encourages adolescents to use the service after they turn 18, and what factors influence their overall ridership of Santa Cruz METRO. To reach both current high school students and recent graduates, the researchers completed two rounds of surveys distributed among high schools in Santa Cruz County. The surveys asked about adolescents’ sociodemographics, the availability of different modes of transportation, school attendance, and other variables that might change patterns in their mobility and encourage/discourage transit adoption. After completing multiple statistical tests, the researchers identified the factors impacting teenagers’ travel behavior. Hispanic/Latinx students were found to ride the METRO more frequently than White students. Students with a driver’s license and students with higher numbers of household vehicles are less likely to use public transportation. Perceptions of safety also correlate significantly with youth ridership. Surprisingly, variables such as gender, job frequency, and the walking distance from the bus stop were not significantly related to bus use frequency. While additional research could aim to better target all riders, including communities of color and those in rural areas, the findings support the growing literature on youth ridership and fare free programs. The results suggest perceptions of safety are worth addressing at a systemic level, and that public transit becomes less desirable once individuals have access to personal vehicles and licenses.
