City of Worcester Joins MBTA Youth Pass Program

The MBTA and the City of Worcester are pleased to announce that Worcester has joined the T’s Youth Pass program, which helps provide affordable transit access for young people with low-income.

“We’re excited to have Worcester join our growing list of Youth Pass municipal partners,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “The Youth Pass provides eligible young adults with half-off one-way fares and monthly passes for just $30. We are pleased to see more and more communities join us in providing broader access to jobs and education.”

“This is an exciting opportunity for the City of Worcester, and particularly its young residents,” said Worcester City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. “As we work to encourage people to pursue alternative means of transportation such as commuter rail and buses, it is important to remove barriers that stand between these resources and our low-income communities. I thank the MBTA for the Youth Pass program, which will certainly help with these efforts.”

The Youth Pass is a card that can be used by eligible young adults with low incomes to purchase roughly 50% reduced one-way fares or $30 monthly LinkPasses for the bus, subway, and Fairmount Line Zone 1A stations at MBTA Fare Vending Machines, the CharlieCard Store, fare boxes on buses and trolleys at street-level stops, or at retail sales locations. Youth Pass cards can also be used to purchase half-price one-way fares for Commuter Rail, Express Bus, and ferry.

Young people residing in Worcester who are interested in applying to the reduced fare Youth Pass program should complete the MBTA’s Youth Pass online application. Approved applicants will receive their cards in the mail or can pick their card up at the City’s Division of Youth Opportunities located at 128 Providence Street, Worcester, MA 01604.

In order to qualify for the Youth Pass, a young person must live in a participating city or town and either:

Be between 12 and 17 years old and not enrolled in middle or high school (students enrolled in middle or high school may receive a Student CharlieCard through their school);
Be between 18 and 25 years old and enrolled in at least one of the following Youth Pass partner programs (college and university students may be eligible for Semester Passes):
- Alternative education program (e.g., high school equivalency degree programs);
- Job training or professional development program (e.g., Year Up, Roca);
- State or federal benefit program (e.g., MassHealth, SNAP, fuel assistance).

The MBTA is excited for the City of Worcester to join the growing list of municipalities and community partners participating in the Youth Pass program. Other participating communities include Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Melrose, the North Shore, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, Wakefield, and Watertown. Cities or towns interested in joining the program are encouraged to email youthpass@mbta.com for information on how to begin the process.