Arlington Transit (ART) Low and Reduced Fare Pilot Programs
About the Programs
In 2022, ART piloted two reduced fare programs – the iRide free student fare for K-12 students and the low-income fare subsidy. These pilot programs were initially supported by the American Rescue Plan Act funds as part of COVID-19 pandemic recovery.
By the start of 2023, both pilots were developed into permanent programs. Funding to support both programs comes from Arlington County’s general fund to maintain availability of reduced fare opportunities and provide resources for potential future expansion.
By providing discounted and free trips, our community experiences more freedom of mobility and more access to opportunities.
iRide Student Fare Free Pilot
In January 2022, Arlington Public Schools (APS) assisted Arlington Transit in identifying 2,400 students to qualify for the iRide fare free pilot. Selected students included those who lived at the furthest edges of the one mile walk zone or attended magnet or immersion school programs. These students were selected as they did not have access to APS’s yellow school bus service and thus had fewer transportation choices. All other students outside of the pilot continued to pay the discounted iRide fare of $1.00.
Students participating in the pilot program received a pre-registered iRide SmarTrip card, programmed to be automatically reloaded with $40 a month during the school year, through June 2023. (This subsidy did not include summer break and spring break.) These cards provided free access to ART for students to travel to and from school.
The first 800 cards were distributed in February 2022. After six months, the pilot was deemed a success after a demonstrated 18% increase in ART student ridership. Positive response from students and families supported the expansion of the subsidized pilot to all APS students.
iRide Student Fare Free Program
At the start of the 2022-2023 school year (September 2022) Arlington County expanded ART’s student iRide fare free pilot into a program. As of 2025, the iRide Student Fare Free Program allows all K-12 students who reside in Arlington to ride ART and Metrobus for free with a registered iRide SmarTrip card.
The 2022 expansion was made possible by an on-going partnership between Arlington Transit and Arlington Public Schools. During this time Student Transportation Coordinators were given resources to distribute cards throughout Arlington public schools.
Since the start of Student iRide Fare Free Program over 7,000 cards have been distributed by APS and Commuter Stores. Roughly 112,000 student trips were taken on ART between September 2022 and June 2023, compared to 64,000 student trips taken the previous year.
In January 2024, Arlington County finalized an agreement with the Washington Metroplitan Transit Authority (WMATA) to expand the Student iRide Fare Free Program to allow free rides on select Metrobus routes within Arlington. From January 2024 to December 2024, 147,347 students rode Metrobus with the Student iRide Fare Free program.
With 400,000 student trips on ART and 200,000 trips on Metrobus, Arlington Student iRide Fare Free trips has reached over half a million in its three years since the Student iRide Fare Free Pilot.
ART Low-Income Fare Assistance Pilot
In 2022, Arlington County’s Department of Human Services (DHS) identified 7,200 low-income Arlington residents enrolled in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) prior to March 11, 2022, to be eligible for a no-fare experimental program.
Eligible participants received an invitation to collect a SmarTrip card preloaded with $150 (the approximate value of 75 trips). This program aimed to provide direct assistance to residents who are in most need or have greatest interest in a fare assistance plan.
ART’s pilot program’s partnership with DHS ended in 2023 after providing 2,912 cards and reaching 1,460 households through the in-person pop-up events at community centers and Commuter Store distributions. Cards were not individually tracked for privacy, however over the period of 2022 to 2023, systemwide ridership increased in part due to the pilot. This pilot encouraged the development of the Low-Income Fare Assistance Program.
ART Low-Income Fare Assistance Program
Throughout 2024, ART researched ways to reach eligible groups and a means to efficiently distribute subsidized fare passes. As a result, in February 2025, ART entered a partnership with the Arlington Free Clinic (AFC) to distribute SmarTrip cards preloaded with $150 to AFC patients as part of ART’s Low-Income Fare Program. Since this partnership began, 120 SmarTrip cards have been distributed and registered for individuals who qualified.
ART is working to expand the low-income fare program with outreach to additional non-profits as distribution points for this program.
Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) also has a low-income fare assistance program available to those enrolled in SNAP called MetroLift. MetroLift provides a 50% discount on all Metrobus and Metrorail. ART is considering expanding this program to be accepted on ART.
About ART Bus
Arlington Transit (ART) operates within Arlington County to provide cross-County routes as well as neighborhood connections to Metrorail and Virginia Railway Express. Go to the ART website to find maps, schedules, and plan a trip.