Highlights • Age restrictions on University student transit pass discounts and related commute is not documented. • Analysis of travel behaviors of students depending on access to a transit discount. • Students with access to discount purchase on average more monthly passes and use transit more. • Near the age restriction threshold, differences are not statistically significant. • Other land use, housing situation and distance factors better explain behavior than discount.

Abstract Until 2017, only University students below 26 years old benefited from discounted transit passes in Montreal, Quebec. Some student transit discounts have previously been shown to reduce car trips and increase public transit use. However, their effects on active transportation (cycling and walking) are rarely assessed, nor is the use of an age restriction on transit pass discounts. Relationships between University students’ frequent commuting modes to campus and access to an age-based discounted transit pass are assessed using four logistic regressions. Estimated probabilities serve to plot age-based regression discontinuities. Overall, younger students with access to discounted transit passes used transit at higher rates and drove or used active modes at lower rates. However, relationships were not significant near the age threshold for pass access. The student discounted transit passes did not generate ridership benefits, partly because of students’ characteristics. On average, the youngest students lived more frequently at their parents and farther from campus, but had similar situations to older ones near the age threshold. This program had a very modest to null effect on transit use, partly due to its flexibility. The dominant policy objective of discount programs and fit with potential users should be closely examined when developing programs.