Woodlands Express offers free Friday rides from Spring in September

Spring commuters can ride The Woodlands Express bus to Houston for free every Friday in September, starting Friday, Sept. 4.

The promotion, called Free Fare Fridays, runs each Friday in September: Friday, Sept. 4, Friday, Sept. 11, Sept. 18 and Sept. 25. No tickets are required, and seats are first-come, first-served, according to Woodlands Online.

The Sawdust Park & Ride at 701 Westridge Road in Spring is one of three pickup locations. The other two are the Research Forest Park & Ride at 3900 Marsico Place and the Sterling Ridge Park & Ride at 8001 McBeth Way.

Buses run four routes into Houston: downtown, the Texas Medical Center, Greenway Plaza and the Energy Corridor.

Why it's free

The Woodlands Township, which operates the Express service, partnered with the Commute Solutions Program run by the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) to cover fares during September, designated Commute Solutions Month. The regional effort also involves TxDOT, Harris County METRO, Fort Bend County, the city of Conroe and Gulf Coast Transit District, according to Hello Woodlands. The program expanded in 2026 to include Brazoria and Galveston counties through the Gulf Coast Transit District partnership.

Jamila Owens, assistant director of transportation at H-GAC, told Hello Woodlands the program gives residents "an opportunity to try transit, discover available services, and see how one small change can make a difference for our region."

The initiative also has an environmental angle. On a regular workday with high traffic, vehicular emissions account for 60 percent of ground-level ozone in the Houston-Galveston region, according to the 2023 National Emissions Inventory from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

What to know before you go

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. The Township said the promotion targets both regular commuters and first-time riders, FOX 26 Houston reported.

Exact departure times from the Sawdust Park & Ride are available at woodlandstransit.com/Express/Schedules. Riders can also call (832) 851-3362.