Kids and parents ride free on CTA for first day of school

To make the first day of school a little easier, the Chicago Transit Authority is offering free rides for kids and accompanying parents heading to back to the classroom.

On Tuesday, September 3 the CTA will be free for Chicago-area elementary and high school students (plus any parents riding with their kids). The First Day Free Rides program, which began in 2011, is sponsored this year by Under Armour.

The back-to-school tradition provided 130,000 rides to students last year. Its goal is to increase attendance and make transportation easier for families. Since the program started its allowed for more than 1 million free rides.

For the academic school year students can also take advantage of discounted fares: 75 cents from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays. Beyond school hours there’s a reduced rate for kids up to 11 and children under 7 ride free with a paying adult.