Tarrant County College (TCC) students will soon have a free option for getting around town. Thanks to an agreement between TCC and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, students will be able to ride any of the 38 bus routes in Tarrant County and TCC will pick up the tab. The transit agency, formerly known as The T, recently rebranded as Trinity Metro.

Starting May 15, TCC students will be able to use their student identification cards to access any of the bus routes in Trinity Metro’s system. The rides will then be paid by TCC.

As part of the EasyRide agreement, Trinity Metro will provide new bus service to TCC Northeast and TCC Southeast campuses beginning in August, prior to the start of the fall semester. Trinity Metro currently serves TCC’s other locations: Trinity River Campus, South Campus, Northwest Campus and the Erma C. Johnson Hadley Northwest Center of Excellence for Aviation, Transportation and Logistics.

“This agreement exemplifies a partnership designed for the future of Tarrant County,” said Paul Ballard, president/CEO of Trinity Metro. “Having an educated workforce strengthens the roots of a community and helps it grow and prosper in the future. Transportation is essential to the economic growth of our region. We are delighted to continue our partnership with Chancellor Giovannini and TCC as we help students achieve their goals by increasing their mobility in Tarrant County.”

Students enrolled in TCC’s 2018 summer term will be among the first students eligible for the EasyRide Program. Students issued TCC identification cards after May 15 will be automatically activated with EasyRide eligibility. Students with TCC identification cards issued prior to May 15 must have their cards activated for the EasyRide program. They will need to take their ID card to a TCC Copy Center for activation.

“Our students report that access to transportation is one of the greatest barriers they face when achieving their educational goals,” said Tarrant County College Chancellor Eugene Giovannini. “By partnering with Trinity Metro to cover the cost of a student’s transportation to campus, TCC is continuing to fulfill its mission of providing affordable and open access to quality teaching and learning.”