Thanks to a continued partnership between HCPSS, Howard County Government, and Regional Transportation Agency (RTA), all HCPSS middle and high school students have access to free RTA bus passes through summer 2025. Students have full access to the RTA system and are not limited to transportation to and from schools or to school-related activities.  

If your child is interested, they can visit our front office to request a free pass. To obtain the free student bus pass, students must agree to: ​ 

Provide name/student ID, address, and grade to school staff​ 
Maintain possession of the pass ​ 
Not transfer or share the pass with others​
Abide by Howard County Public School System rules while on-board.

Note: If the pass is lost or misplaced, only one replacement pass will be provided to the student.

Howard County government and the Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland also have a digital bus pass program, enabling students to access free RTA bus passes directly from their phones or smart devices using a mobile app. Students who do not have access to a smart phone may still receive a free, printed bus pass from their school office.
Please review the Bus Pass presentation and take any necessary actions based on the information in the slides. After viewing, please complete the google doc located on the link below to register.
 

RTA Transportation Pass form for Parent Permission and Agreement 

The RTA system provides service along eight primary routes in Howard County that pulse in and out of the Downtown Columbia Transit Center at the Mall in Columbia (next to Barnes & Noble). Six middle schools (Elkridge Landing, Harper’s Choice, Lake Elkhorn, Oakland Mills, Patuxent Valley, Wilde Lake) and six high schools (Atholton, Hammond, Howard, Long Reach, Oakland Mills, Wilde Lake) are located along RTA routes.    
For more information on RTA and detailed schedule information, please call 1-800-270-9553 or visit Transit RTA.