Ready to Ride: A student guide to using your free Youth Transit Pass

Free youth transit passes are coming soon to a school near you.

This pilot project will provide passes to all students aged 11-21 attending Grades 7-12 at public, independent, and home school programs in Winnipeg.

Passes will be distributed in schools. Students should talk to a teacher or administrator to receive their pass.

To help make the new school year a bit easier to navigate for both returning and new riders, we’ve gathered a handful of tips. Read on to learn how you can help the young rider in your life:  

• Plan a trip in advance
• Take the bus
• Know what to do if plans change
• Stay safe on board
• Find more information

Planning a trip in advance

The Winnipeg Transit app and winnipegtransit.com are excellent tools to use before a ride. They house:

• The Navigo trip planner
• Stop schedules
• Route information
• Service alerts

To plan a trip with Navigo, you will need to know:

• Where the trip will start
• Where the trip will go
• When the trip will happen

Navigo will produce five trip options. Each includes:

• Which bus to take
• Where to catch it
• When it's scheduled to arrive
• Where to get off
• Whether you need to transfer
• How much you will walk

Tip: The Winnipeg Transit app lets you pin a single trip plan, or you can sign in to save more trips. If you want to preserve battery power or data, take a screenshot.

The free youth pass will also work with Winnipeg Transit On-Request and Transit Plus – even for non-school trips.

• On-Request service lets you travel anywhere within its zone
• Transit Plus is a paratransit service for registered eligible users

Taking the bus

What does a rider need to hop on and go?

Before the ride

We recommend riders bring:

• Their Youth Transit Pass and Student ID
• A charged phone
• A watch or another way to track the time
• The destination address, school name, or nearby intersection

Check:

• The bus route
• The stop location
• Service alerts or detours
• The weather

If a phone with data isn’t available, we recommend riders plan the trip ahead of time and write it down. Printable stop schedules and route timetables are also available on winnipegtransit.com

At the bus stop

It’s important to:

• Arrive a few minutes early
• Stand back from the curb
• Check the route number
• Check the destination sign
• Have a pass and ID ready
• Let people exit before boarding

It also doesn’t hurt to ask the operator:

“Does this bus go to ______?”

Getting on board

It’s always easiest to have a pass and ID in-hand before the bus comes. Once the bus arrives, riders should:

•  Use the front door to board
• Show the operator their Youth Transit Pass and Student ID
• Move away from the front door

While the bus is in service, riders should:

• Hold on if standing
• Keep aisles and doors clear
• Give up their seat if able and vacate priority seating if someone with a disability needs it
• Keep belongings close
• Watch or listen for the right stop

Tip: Headphones are a must if listening to music or watching videos.

Exiting the bus

To get off, riders must pull the cord or press the stop button before their stop and use the rear door whenever possible. To open it:

• Wait for the green light above doors to turn on
• Depending on the bus model, use one of the following:
  • Sensor (wide, flat yellow strip): Touch the strip, which activates a motion sensor above the doors
  • Push-bar: Grip and hold the bar until the doors open
  • Touch strip (narrow, raised yellow strip): Press and hold the touch strip until the doors open

The doors will stay open for around 3-4 seconds.

Tip: It’s polite to hold doors for other passengers.

Knowing what to do if plans change

Life happens. Missing a bus is no reason to panic. During busy times, a bus may fill up or pass by if it’s full. Riders should stay calm and make a backup plan.

If a rider misses their bus

They should:

• Check the app, website, or printed stop schedule for the next bus
• Stay in a safe, well-lit visible place
• Contact someone if they will be late
• Go to a nearby public place if they feel unsafe

If a rider gets on the wrong bus

The rider should:

• Ask the operator where the bus is going
• Get off at a safe, busy stop if needed
• Use Navigo or the app to plan from your current location
• Contact a trusted adult for help

If a stop gets missed

The rider should:

• Pull the cord or press the ‘stop’ button for the next stop
• Get off somewhere safe
• Check the app or website
• Decide whether to walk back, take another bus, or ask for help
• Check with the operator for further directions

If a full bus passes by

Traveling during peak times can be a challenge – especially in September and October.

Every year at this time, we see some buses fill up to capacity before every waiting passenger can board.  If a rider is unable to board, they should follow the same steps as if they missed a bus:

• Check the app, website or printed stop schedule for the next bus
• Stay in a safe, well-lit, visible place
• Contact someone if they will be late
• Go to a public place if they feel unsafe

Check for service changes

Routes, schedules, and bus arrival times can change. Traffic, construction, weather, and high demand may impact travel.

It’s good practice to remind riders to check before they go if:

• Their bus is on time
• Their stop has changed
• Their route is under a detour

The Winnipeg Transit app or website shows when a route is under detour. An overview of city-wide detours is on our Service Alerts page.

Winter tip: Riders should give themselves extra time. Snow, ice, traffic, and cold weather can affect your trip.

Staying safe on board

Transit is a public service accessible by people from all walks of life. We are committed to the safety of everyone on board and have procedures in place to respond if something arises.

If something does not feel right, riders should know to:

• Move closer to other people
• Sit near the front of the bus
• Tell the operator what's happening, if it's safe to do so
• Get off at a busy, well-lit stop
• Go into a public place
• Call or text a trusted adult

If there's an emergency, they should always tell the operator and/or call 911.

Finding more information

Need more help helping a young rider learn how to use transit?

Travel training

Winnipeg Transit has travel training resources, including videos and online information sessions. Riders can learn how to:

• Plan a trip with Navigo
• Use On-Request Transit
• Transfer
• Get off at the right stop

Lost something? Have feedback?

Contact 311 if you or a young rider in your life:

• Lost something on the bus
• Have a question about transit
• Want to share a compliment, concern, or complaint

For lost items, try to include:

• What is lost
• The bus route
• Date and time
• Where the rider got on
• Where the rider got off