Kids ride SLO buses for free this summer

Kids can now ride free on San Luis Obispo buses through the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments' (SLOCOG) Youth Ride Free Program. The initiative will serve children grades K-12 until Aug. 14.

SLOCOG is offering the program to make it easier for kids and families to explore San Luis Obispo County this summer.

Annie Bowsky, the communications coordinator at SLOCOG, says that the program is important for people of all ages in the San Luis Obispo community.

"What the idea is, is to give kids exposure to public transportation [and] make it easier for families to travel," Bowsky said. "And also, if kids are older, they can take free rides, say, to the beach or potentially museum and kind of explore their community a bit more, all in an accessible manner."

Kids can ride on any participating transit system, including SLO Regional Transit Authority (RTA), City of San Luis Obispo Transit, and City of Morro Bay Transit. The program also serves larger groups and other youth programs through its Summer Group Policy.

To participate in the program, students must show their student ID or mention the program to the driver.