STA Reduced Fare Open House: Partnerships Are How a Great Community Moves
Posted on May 4, 2026 at 6:00 am
Guest post by Carly Cortright, Spokane Transit
When you think of public transportation, the first thing that comes to mind might not be partnerships. It’s probably more often amenities, those creature comforts like whether your stop has a shelter, or maybe the basics of how to find out where your stop is in the first place and how long it will take for you to get to your destination. Or “how will I pay my fare?”
These are all important considerations. Customer experience—your experience—is a vital part of the work we do at Spokane Transit. But we couldn’t do any of these things without partnerships.
Spokane Transit is in the second year of our newest 10-year strategic plan, Connect 2035. We have three overarching goals in the plan:
- Elevate the customer experience
- Lead and collaborate with community partners
- Strengthen our organizational capacity
I want to focus on goal 2 because it’s so critical to the work we do.
Take Spokane County Library District, for example. Spokane Transit regularly hosts open houses as an opportunity to share our plans for the future of transit with the public. We want to meet people where they are, and libraries afford us the ability to do that.
SCLD also invites us to engage with library customers, giving our drivers the opportunity to participate in storytime and touch-a-bus events. And new this year, SCLD is providing us with the space to host pop-up Open House events where our outreach staff will talk to residents about Spokane Transit offerings, such as our Youth Ride Free program and the new Opportunity Reduced Fare.
Opportunity Reduced Fare
The Opportunity Reduced Fare pilot program is another great example of partnerships. As part of Connect 2035, Opportunity is a reduced fare option for low-income individuals. It’s a two-year pilot, and Spokane Transit has partnered with Spokane Housing Authority to distribute Opportunity Connect cards to their residents as qualified participants as part of a closed eligibility pool.
We also have an open enrollment portion of the pilot program for those living with an income under 200% of the federal poverty level. Enrollment in Basic Foods through the Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS) is used as the eligibility criteria, and DSHS has been an instrumental partner in helping launch this program in late 2025.
For more information about the Opportunity Reduced Fare Pilot Program, see spokanetransit.com/opportunity.
Youth Ride Free
Another crucial partnership for Spokane Transit is Spokane Public Schools (SPS). Since the fall of 2022, Spokane Transit has offered zero-fare rides for youth ages 18 and younger thanks to a grant from Washington state made possible through the Climate Commitment Act.
Our youth ridership continues to grow, over 3 and a half years later, in no small part due to our partnership with SPS. All SPS high-school student IDs also serve as a Connect bus pass, allowing these youth to tap and go with one card.
If you’re interested in obtaining a Rider’s License for your youth, Spokane Transit has partnered with local libraries, on or near bus routes, for distribution, so youth can get a free Rider’s License Connect card on your next visit to the library. The Rider’s License is available at these SCLD libraries:
Youth Ride free on STA! Find out more about Zero Fare for Youth here: spokanetransit.com/youth.
Summer of Soccer
International soccer is coming to Spokane, and Spokane Transit is thrilled to be partnering with Visit Spokane and Spokane Sports to celebrate. During the Summer of Soccer, fans can check out all the World Cup action on June 19 and July 19 at the SeattleFWC26 FIFA Fan Zone at Riverfront Park. And Spokane Transit can help the entire family arrive stress free.
Did you know that we have 14 park-and-ride lots, conveniently located throughout the region? Park for free and commute downtown to catch a transfer for Route 11 – Downtown/North Bank Shuttle and be dropped off right at the north entrance to Riverfront Park, or enjoy a leisurely stroll through the park. Whichever you prefer, the fare is $2 each way per adult, and kids ride free.
Spokane Transit will have fun soccer-themed swag to pick up at the Spokane Visitor Center. If you are really into the action, download the Sea&Win App and play to win prizes. Use Spokane Transit to visit all the locations in the app, and you just might find yourself the proud owner of a limited-edition Connect card.
Discover and participate in the action during this Summer of Soccer and find out more at spokanetransit.com/soccer.
Those are just a few examples of how Spokane Transit is partnering within the community to advance our vision of connecting everyone to opportunity. And as transit continually evolves to meet the needs of the community, so will our partnerships. Stay informed about all the work in the Connect 2035 plan at staconnect2035.com.
STA Open House Events
Come visit us with all your questions about STA, Reduced Fare programs, and Summer of Soccer at:
Spokane Transit Open House: Opportunity Reduced Fare
SPOKANE VALLEY LIBRARY
Monday, May 4, 11am–1pm
CHENEY LIBRARY
Wednesday, May 13, 4:30–6:30pm
More open houses are in the works! Check SCLD’s event calendar to find out when and where.
My colleague Alyssa sat down for a chat on the Library Out Loud podcast to discuss the Opportunity Reduced Fare and more STA insights. View it below.
Carly Cortright joined Spokane Transit in August 2022 after 19 years with the City of Spokane. While working at the city, she was responsible for designing and implementing the city’s centralized customer service program, 311, and other customer experience initiatives related to community engagement, including special events and volunteerism.
Carly earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Gonzaga University, a master’s in public administration from Eastern Washington University, and a PhD in criminology and criminal justice from Washington State University. Carly is a graduate of Leadership Spokane and served as Chair of the Leadership Spokane Board of Directors. She has also held leadership positions on the Northeast Youth Center and Spokane Arts boards.
Tags: bus fare, buses, community, open house, reduced fare, Spokane Transit, STA
