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Special Metro Transit Card Will Connect Young People This Summer to Brighter Futures Through Jobs, Camps and Development Opportunities
This summer, young people ages 13 to 25 can save big on Metro Transit fares as part of a new pilot program launched on June 1 in the St. Louis region. The Gateway Go Card 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 new 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 who 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 pilot fare program uses a special version of the Metro Transit Gateway Card smart card, and young people will be able to load one-ride tickets, two-hour passes and monthly passes directly onto the Gateway Go Card at half the normal price.
“This program is much more than just moving someone from Point A to Point B. It’s about investing in the future of our region by supporting our young people, and making it easier for them to pursue new opportunities, no matter where they are or where they need to go in the bi-state area, ” said John Nations, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bi-State Development. “With the Gateway Go Card, we hope to help area youth unlock their full potential and pave the way for brighter futures, better paying jobs and successful careers.”
“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. Upcoming events include:- Wednesday, June 6 | 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. – Civic Center Transit Center
- Thursday, June 7 | 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. – North County Transit Center
- Friday, June 8 | 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Emerson Park Transit Center
Organizations may request the Gateway Info Bus at their location by phone at 314-982-1500 or 618-274-1500 or by email at [email protected].
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.
About Metro Transit
Metro Transit operates the St. Louis region’s public transportation system which includes 400 clean-burning diesel buses that serve 83 MetroBus routes in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois. Metro also operates MetroLink light rail vehicles on 46 miles of track serving 37 stations in the two-state area, and operates Metro Call-A-Ride, a paratransit fleet of 122 vans. Metro Transit is one of five enterprises operated by Bi-State Development
