Thrifty is the name of this summer's game for Patrick Cox, who will be enjoying free bus rides through August 21, thanks to the CTS Youth Free Ride program. Cox, 8, went by the Downtown Mall's spiffy new transit center to be photographed for his youth ID card, which will allow him to ride the bus free beginning June 8. He expects the card to be ready in a few days, and will be sure to keep track of it-- a replacement ID costs $10.
Cox says "I don't ride [the bus] alone. Usually I go with my dad, or sometimes my sister." He says he rides the bus "all over town," but is especially eager to ride to Washington Park pool this summer.
"This program helps kids get places so they stay out of trouble during the summer," says Cox's dad, Kevin.
Patrick says the trolley sometimes gets crowded on UVA football game days, but he finds the drivers friendly and generally enjoys riding the bus. Adds dad, "We see a lot of friends there, and you get to know the people who ride regularly. There's definitely a sense of community."
Patrick Henry Cox
PHOTO BY LUCIE STONE
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