The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) has announced an important upcoming open house aimed at assisting local families in transitioning to a new system for its popular Youth Ride Free program. This initiative, which currently provides complimentary bus rides to eligible young residents, will soon require families to adopt a new card-based method to continue accessing these transportation benefits.

Under the newly implemented system, parents or legal guardians are now required to create or sign up for a Wave account. This crucial step must then be followed by linking the Wave account with an application specifically for the Youth Ride Free program, as outlined by OCTA officials. Upon successful completion of this integrated process, participating youths will be issued a dedicated Wave card, which they can then utilize to board OC Buses for free. Maintaining continuous eligibility will necessitate that these accounts are renewed every two years following the initial setup.

OCTA officials are underscoring the critical importance of completing this transition promptly. Families who fail to finalize the required application process by the firm deadline of September 30 will temporarily lose access to the Youth Ride Free benefit. However, the benefit can be reactivated once the necessary application for the updated program is successfully submitted and processed. The program itself remains accessible to youths between the ages of 6 and 18 years old.

Jamey M. Federico, who serves as the Chair of OCTA, spoke about the program's significant contribution to the Orange County community. Federico highlighted the program's success, stating it \"has helped thousands of young people throughout Orange County\" access safe and affordable transportation. He further explained that the strategic move to integrate the program with the Wave system is designed to streamline the management of the benefit, thereby helping to ensure that students can continue to ride OC Bus at no cost.

To ensure a smooth and informed transition for all affected families, the open house is scheduled for next Thursday, running from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The event will be held at the OCTA headquarters, conveniently located at 550 S. Main St. The primary objective of this gathering is to provide direct assistance to families in signing up for the new Wave account and to offer comprehensive explanations regarding the updated procedural requirements.

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