Metro GoPass provides free rides for Valley College students

Valley College students can ride Metro buses and trains for free until September 2026 thanks to a partnership with LACCD.

By Gabriela Martinez, Staff Writer

(Daisy Tapia for the Valley Star)

Navigating Los Angeles is a notorious challenge for students, but a renewed partnership is making the commute to Valley College significantly easier. The common commuter struggle is being replaced by a sense of relief as students begin to use the free Metro GoPass program this year.

The agreement between the LACCD and the LA Metro serves to help students with transportation costs by providing students with unlimited, no charge rides on Metro buses and trains through Sept. 30. 

In order to pick up a pass, students need to take a valid photo ID to the campus’s Welcome Center or the Business Office. Students can receive a physical TAP card at the Business Office, or they can scan their TAP card to transfer it to a digital wallet for easier access. Either way, they need to activate the card online using a code and the physical card.

“Some students come from far places,” said Simon Zerihum, a 20-year-old International Relations major. “It is pretty convenient."

Occasionally, students face issues activating their TAP cards, like discovering their code doesn't work. The Welcome Center assists with activation issues.

Beyond standard Metro lines, the GoPass program offers transportation on the LADOT Dash, Santa Monica Big Blue Buses and Long Beach Transit.

The impact of this program is already being felt by the students around campus.

"Even if you have a car, it's good to get as a backup just in case," student worker Taylor Matz said.