School will be out in a few weeks and that means students who use Go To cards to take Metro Transit to class will be without transportation.
Unless they buy a summer pass to fill the gap.
Passes used during the school year are suspended during the summer, but the transit agency is offering a three-month pass to high school students for $25. Students from the 88 schools that participate in the pass program can buy a card that will allow unlimited rides on buses and light rail trains seven days a week between the hours of 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. from June 1 to Sept. 5.
"Nobody has tons of extra money sitting around, so this is a great benefit," said spokesman Howie Padilla.
To buy a pass, students need a valid student ID. Graduating seniors may also purchase a Summer Student Pass if they were enrolled in a participating school in 2017.
In addition to using the pass to get to jobs and activities, program director Yumi Nagaoka said another benefit is that students can get to places where free meals will be served. The agency has partnered with Second Harvest Heartland to promote the organization's free meals program.
"The main goal is to get kids who might not get a meal during the day to wherever free meals are being served so they don't miss out," she said.
This is the third year for the Summer Pass. Last year 5,445 cards were used, the agency said. Summer passes can also be used on suburban transit routes operated by Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, SouthWest Transit, Maple Grove Transit and Plymouth Metrolink.
