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Fairfax County is considering extending free Metrobus access to students at five more secondary schools after the program generated roughly 450,000 rides at its existing locations.

Transportation staff identified Edison High School, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Fairfax Academy, Robinson Secondary School and Lake Braddock Secondary School as possible expansion sites during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors transportation committee meeting. Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik also asked staff to consider Oakton High School.

The student bus pass pilot began at Justice High School in 2018 and expanded in 2022. It now operates at Justice, Annandale, Falls Church and George C. Marshall high schools, as well as the Davis Center.

Participating students can ride many Metrobus routes in Northern Virginia for free throughout the day, except between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The benefit does not cover every regional Metrobus route.

Gregg Stevenson, director of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, said expanding the program would advance county efforts to reduce cost barriers to public transportation. Officials did not provide an estimated price for the proposal.

Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez supported reaching more students.

“It is helping the community. We need to continue to broaden [it],” Jimenez said.

Fairfax County already provides free Fairfax Connector trips to middle and high school students across the county. Students can also ride the City of Fairfax’s CUE buses without charge. Both services are available year-round from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Fairfax Connector student program has recorded 3.55 million free trips since 2015, including nearly 33,000 in January, according to program coordinator Saul Cieza.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said removing fares is only one part of making transit accessible. He asked planners to identify secondary schools that lack nearby transit, places where new service could be introduced and school-area stops that need shelters.

The county must “make it convenient for the students” to sustain the programs’ momentum, McKay said.

He added that the initiative has succeeded despite initial doubts about whether students would use it. Beyond its immediate transportation benefits, McKay said, the program is helping young people develop public-transit habits.