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MELROSE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The City of Melrose is partnering with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to help provide affordable public transit for low-income young people, the MBTA announced Monday.
Melrose joined the MBTA's Youth Pass Program which gives youths and young adults access to reduced one-way fares or a $30 monthly pass for different types of MBTA transit including busses, subways, commuter rail lines, and ferries. Fares can be around 50 percent off using youth pass cards.
Paul Brodeur, the Mayor of Melrose, said in a statement he was delighted residents now have access to this program.
“Affordable transportation is absolutely vital to educational advancement and job training," Brodeur said in the statement. "The Youth Pass program will help lower this barrier for young people who are working hard to better themselves in a challenging economy.”
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Young people can sign up for the program by filling out an application if they meet certain requirements. To enroll, an individual would need to be between the ages of 12 and 17 and not eligible for a Student CharlieCard or between the ages of 18 and 25 and enrolled in one of the Youth Pass partner programs.
Youth Pass partner programs include alternative education programs like a GED program, job training or professional development, or a state or federal benefits program. Students enrolled in middle school or high school are instead eligible for a student CharlieCard which they can acquire from their school if it is enrolled in the Student Pass Program.
Melrose joins over 14 other communities enrolled in the program, including Boston, Cambridge, Everett, and Somerville.
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