M7s will now be provided to both Somerville middle and high schoolers

Today the MBTA and Somerville Public Schools (SPS) announced the expansion of the City’s M7 program, which launched last school year at the high school level. This year, all SPS students in grades 7-12 will be provided with M7 cards, or M7s, which are MBTA Student CharlieCards that are pre-loaded with monthly passes for the school year and are paid for by SPS. Students with an M7 card can ride the subway, buses, and up to Zone 2 of the Commuter Rail at no cost from the date of distribution through June 30, 2023.

“We are excited to continue this great partnership with the MBTA and to be able to expand the M7 program to our middle grades students this year,” said Dr. Jeff Curley, Acting Superintendent of the Somerville Public Schools. “The M7 MBTA passes help to directly address the transportation barrier that many students face, increasing students’ access to opportunities, programs, and services that might otherwise have been out of reach. We appreciate the School Committee’s, City Council’s, and Mayor Ballantyne’s support of this critical resource for our students.”

“I am proud that we are expanding the M7 program to even more Somerville students this year,” said Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne. “Funding these passes is one way we are increasing our local investment in youth and families while also advancing our climate action goals. Public transportation is a public good that must be an accessible, reliable resource for all residents, and this is a vital step in that direction. I thank the MBTA, the City Council, and the School Committee for supporting this program and look forward to building on initiatives like these going forward.”

“The MBTA is excited to expand this program with Somerville Public Schools, and to now offer M7s to Somerville’s middle schoolers in addition to high schoolers beginning this school year,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “M7s continue to be an excellent benefit for Somerville students, providing completely unlimited travel during the school year on the subway, on all buses, and Zones 1A, 1, and 2 on the Commuter Rail, and allowing Somerville students the ability to travel to their classes, after-school activities, and more at no cost to the student or their family. We continue to appreciate Somerville’s partnership in offering this vital benefit to their students.”

The M7s will be provided to approximately 2,000 Somerville middle and high school students for the upcoming 2022-23 school year as part of a budget line approved by the City Council/School Committee in July 2022. The M7s are pre-loaded with monthly passes for unlimited travel on the subway, Local or Express buses, and Commuter Rail Zones 1A, 1, and 2 from September through June.

During July and August, M7s offer the same discounts as S-Cards – reduced (roughly 50% off) one-way fares, or $30 monthly or $10 7-day passes for unlimited travel on the subway and Local or Express buses – though students or their families must add value to the cards. Students may also use their M7 Card to get 50% off the standard one-way fare or monthly passes for Commuter Rail Zones 3-10 and ferry printed on a CharlieTicket.

Families can visit the SPS website for more details about the M7 program.

The MBTA collaborates with municipalities and middle and high schools in the region to offer students year-round discounted MBTA fares for the bus, subway, Commuter Rail, and ferry. Through the MBTA’s Student Pass Program, schools may sign up to provide cards and have families pay for them via the S-Card, or schools can cover the cost via the M7 card. Other cities, towns, and schools interested in providing discounted fares to their students can learn more by visiting mbta.com.

— Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority