SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As many as 60,000 local military veterans will qualify for half-off discounts on transit rides for up to six months starting in January 2025, thanks to a trial program being offered by the Sacramento Regional Transit District.

Thousands of frequent transit riders also will qualify for fare price breaks once Sacramento Regional Transit integrates this new system, the agency said.

Veterans can begin signing up now at the California Integrated Travel Project to allow the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to verify their eligibility.

If veterans have a debit card or credit card, they will be able to register their card of choice and tap them at new devices being installed on buses and at light-rail stations to pay fares, SacRT officials said. If SacRT riders prefer to continue using existing fare payment methods such as Connect Card or ZipPass, they will be given the option to do so.

“The planned discount fares for military veterans are a first at SacRT and are a long time coming,” said SacRT CEO and General Manager Henry Li. “In this modern era, fare payments are going to get a lot easier because they are integrated into our customers’ everyday lives. You simply use the card you already have in your wallet or purse.”

As part of this initiative, SacRT is also planning to integrate all its fare payment methods into a single unified system over the next year. Once it does so, its system will be able to cap or discount fares for passengers depending on how many rides they have taken in a day or month. It’s a feature known as “fare capping,” and it benefits many low-wage passengers who can’t afford to buy a daily or monthly pass.

Cal-ITP is working toward a future where all transit systems will be able to use digital ID technology to manage relationships with customers, said Gillian Gillett, chief of Caltrans’ Data and Digital Services Division.

“Tap2Ride technology opens the door to a customer-friendly system that delivers benefits simply and easily — and by doing so makes transit more accessible and welcoming to those who have served our country,” Gillett said.

Senior citizens ages 65 and older also will be able to start connecting their debit or credit cards to the Tap2Ride technology starting next year, SacRT officials said, and Cal-ITP will verify their eligibility through the Social Security Administration to ensure they automatically get their discounts.

While seniors ages 62-64 remain eligible for discounted fares, they will not yet be able to link their debit or credit cards to the payment system, SacRT officials said.

The inception of Tap2Ride marks the start of a trial period in which SacRT will conduct a Title VI analysis to ensure the program benefits low-income and minority riders, SacRT officials said, and they will collect feedback from participating military veterans to assess the impact and determine whether it has long-term viability.

“California is committed to creating a statewide digital system that will securely connect residents with the government benefits they deserve,” said State Chief Information Officer Liana Bailey-Crimmins. “By integrating this easy-to-use digital solution into SacRT’s Tap2Ride program, we’re simplifying access to discounts for veterans.”

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