Metro recently announced a new program for young people ages 13 to 25 can purchase Metro Transit fares at a discounted rate throughout the St. Louis region by way of the Gateway Go Card. This will provide young people in the bi-state area with an easy and affordable option to commute to summer jobs, summer camps and other personal and professional development opportunities. The program which runs through August 31, 2018, is a partnership between the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, St. Clair County, St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, the St. Clair County Transit District, Bi-State Development and Metro Transit.
Youth that provide proof of age using a driver’s license, birth certificate, state ID, school ID or passport, will be able to purchase transit tickets or passes at a 50 percent discount to ride MetroLink and MetroBus routes on the entire Metro Transit system. This program utilizes a modified version of the Metro Transit Gateway Card smart card. Young people will be able to load a variety of fairs directly onto the Gateway Go Card at half the normal price.
“This special transit pass is a great option for young people so they can get to a job, to a job interview, get to summer school or a recreation center, visit their friends, go shopping, all at half price,” St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said. “This is a wonderful way to give our region’s young people a little bit of a leg up, and at the same time, help us develop life-long transit riders.”
“Sometimes, opportunities to travel throughout the city are not an option for some area youth,” said Ken Sharkey, Managing Director of the St. Clair County Transit District. “The Gateway Go Card allows more young people to get around, grow and develop.”
The Gateway Go Card will be available at three locations:
- MetroStore – 801 Pine Street (near the 8th & Pine MetroLink Station)
Open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Metro Transit Access Center – 317 DeBaliviere Avenue (just north of Forest Park-DeBaliviere Transit Center)
Open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Gateway Info Bus – operating at local events, summer festivals and community centers
Visit MetroStLouis.org/GatewayGo for a list of scheduled events.
United Way of Greater St. Louis is already using the Gateway Go Card to help young people in the St. Louis region connect to job opportunities this summer via Metro Transit. Through a public-private partnership with Ready by 21, the St. Louis Regional Youth Employment Coalition, and a generous $25,000 donation from Wells Fargo Advisors, the United Way purchased Gateway Go Cards for 435 young people who otherwise would not have affordable or reliable transportation to get to their summer jobs.
For more information about the Gateway Go Card, visit MetroStLouis.org/GatewayGo.