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East Bay lawmakers gathered in Oakland Tuesday to kick off a new program designed to take students in Alameda and Contra Costa counties to and from school for free or at a discounted price. 

The new AC Transit school bus pass program will provide free transportation to students who qualify for reduced-priced school lunches.  

Some 30,000 students will benefit from the free bus pass program, but even those who do not qualify for a free pass are getting a break. 

In addition to the free pass program, AC Transit has nearly halved its price for a daily youth pass, from $27 to $15. A yearly bus pass will also be available at $150. 

It is the revenue generated by these discount price passes that will pay for the free passes. The program is currently structured as a two-year pilot program, but officials say they hope that enough money is generated to make the bus passes a permanent fixture. 

The passes – a sticker that must be affixed to a school-issued ID card – can be used at all times, but are primarily designed so students can take the bus to and from school. 

Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia said that many low-income students in his district have trouble coming up with enough money for bus fare, especially at the end of the month when money is traditionally tighter. 

“Parents were making difficult choices toward the end of the month – whether to buy food or buy bus fare,” Gioia said. “That's not fair, that's not the right thing to do.” 

He noted that the West County Unified School District was losing $900,000 a year in average daily attendance money because students who couldn't afford bus fare at the end of the month were staying home.