Chicago students get free ride on first day of school

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The CTA is providing free rides for Chicago Public School students, and their parents, on the first day of school.

The partnership between CPS, the CTA and several businesses was announced on Saturday. On Tuesday, students and the adults accompanying them will be allowed to ride free during the normally reduced student fare hours of 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m, a release from CPS said.

Anyone who is used to riding on a student care will have the same access.

“Everyone should be a partner in the effort to get our kids in the classroom on the first day of school. Instruction begins on day one and providing students with a free ride can help a child come to school ready to learn,” CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard said in the release.

On a daily basis, the CTA provides roughly 150,000 rides for students using student reduced fare permits and two-thirds of those students attend Chicago Public Schools.