Students can catch a free transit ride this Aug. 26

There’s no break from homework once school’s back in session but students will get one reprieve courtesy of local transit agencies this month.

Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority are providing free rides from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 26, the day classes resume in city public schools.

The offer applies to kids and teens in kindergarten through Grade 12 and any accompanying adult across the metro region.

Free rides on the first day of school are a longtime CTA tradition — with Pace and Metra joining in 2022.

“We are pleased to be able to help families start the academic year on a positive note by offering free rides for students using Metra to get to class,” Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a statement.

The agencies said they would not check students’ identification on Aug. 26.

“Free rides for the start of school year is a small step toward supporting our students’ success in the year to come, helping foster independence and lifelong transit use in the process.” Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger said in a statement.

All three transit systems offer lower fares for students in elementary, middle and high schools.

For example, the CTA provides a 75-cent fare on buses and trains for children ages 7 to 11 during regular school hours compared to adult rates of $2.25 and $2.50, respectively.