Two new measures passed by the City Council will help NYC high school students save a few bucks when traveling around NYC and enjoying the city’s many cultural institutions.
The first bill, sponsored by Bronx Councilmember Amanda Farías, includes high school students in the NYC Ferry Discount Program, allowing them to ride the ferry for $1.35 rather than the full fare price, which climbed up to $4 for a single ride back in September of last year.
Additionally, a second bill by Brooklyn Councilmember Rita Joseph grants high school students a municipal ID at the start of each school year that warrants them free access to a number of NYC museums and cultural institutions.
The IDNYC card, which serves as an official form of identification, will be issued to students grades 9 through 12 and can also be used when opening a bank account, applying for jobs, and obtaining food stamps.
The two bills were first introduced by council on April 28, 2022 and May 19, 2022, respectively. They were both approved on Thursday, March 16.
You can enjoy some of these “high school student” perks even if you aren’t a student, however.
Just being a New York Public Library card holder can grant you free access into 79 different local museums and cultural institutions, such as the Bronx Music Heritage Center, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, MoMA PS1, and Staten Island Museum.
Additionally, though the ferry discount program only applies to high school students, low income riders, seniors, and people with disabilities, those who ride the ferry frequently can continue to pay the $2.75/ride (rather than $4) by purchasing a 10-trip pack for $27.50.