ITHACA, NY (CortacaToday) — Change is coming to TCAT’s FreeRyde program.

Beginning this fall, older teens who don’t want to pay to ride TCAT buses will need the transit company’s new FreeRyde smart card. The current FreeRyde magnetic striped cards won’t work after next Friday as TCAT introduces a new fare collection system. A parent, guardian, teacher, or youth group official must fill out an application for the new smart card.

TCAT introduced the FreeRyde program in 2022.