LA Briefs: Metrolink Extends Student Adventure Pass Pilot and City Captures 5 Billion Additional Gallons of Stormwater

Metrolink Extends Student Adventure Pass Pilot Program Through June 2024

LOS ANGELES — Metrolink, March 6 extended its Student Adventure Pass pilot program through the end of the 2023-24 school year. The pass allows anyone with a valid student ID to ride Metrolink trains for free and launched in October initially with a planned six-month trial period.

The student adventure pass was designed to provide financial relief for students attending K-12, college and trade school institutions, while familiarizing them with the benefits of public transportation. Since the program’s inception, more than 20,000 Southern California students have taken at least one trip using the pass on the mobile app, and more than 268,000 passes have been activated on the app or procured from a Metrolink ticket machine in total. Students from 409 schools across Metrolink’s service area have used the pass, and student ridership last month climbed 59% compared to the same period in 2023. 

The Student Adventure Pass pilot program, which was originally set to expire at the end of March, is funded through a grant from the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program or LCTOP administered by the California Department of Transportation or Caltrans. To support the three-month extension, on Feb. 23, the Metrolink Board of Directors approved the transfer of available grant funding set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year from another LCTOP-supported program. Metrolink is exploring additional funding sources to continue the program as a regular fixture beyond June 30.

LA Captures 5 Billion Additional Gallons of Stormwater in February 2024 Compared to Previous Year

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced March 10 the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power or LADWP had captured more than 13.5 billion gallons of stormwater, compared to 8.4 billion gallons of stormwater captured in February 2023. This is enough water to serve nearly 165,000 households for a year or equivalent to filling more than 20,000 Olympic-sized pools. 

Mayor Bass has been able to deliver major investments as Los Angeles continues to lead on climate. In December 2023, the Mayor visited Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant where she highlighted the results of efforts taken since she was sworn in to enhance water conservation, further electrify our transportation system, decarbonize power generation, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from commercial and residential buildings.