The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority’s (TARTA) Youth Summer Blast Pass
provided free transportation to 3,100 passholders last year, and is back again to put
area youth in touch with everything that makes summer great in northwest Ohio.
Now in its fourth year, the Youth Summer Blast Pass program has grown by more than
50 percent since 2023. Youth ages 6-19 can ride free of charge on all TARTA
services (fixed route, TARTA Move, TARTA Flex) from Monday, May 25 through
Monday, August 31.
Applications for digital passes are available April 27 at tarta.com/blast, and youth
can also pick up a physical pass from TARTA representatives at public events,
TARTA’s Transit Hub at 612 N. Huron Street, or at any Toledo Lucas County Public
Library location starting in mid-May.
“Many of our customers and many of our youth face financial barriers and
transportation barriers when trying to connect the community around them, and this
program is a great way to address both issues,” said Kwinlyn Tyler, TARTA’s
Community Affairs Manager. “I’ve personally witnessed what an amazing impact that
just a little help provides to youth and families in this area. We heard stories every
week of last summer from young people who were able to get to family events,
practices, jobs and other destinations when they may not have been able to
otherwise.
“The growth that this program has seen has been so encouraging, but we know there
are more people to reach and introduce to transit. Affordable transportation can raise
someone’s quality of life. Making this small gesture can introduce a young person to
the benefits of our mobility system, and hopefully make them a regular passenger.”
