SAN DIEGO—Prior to the start of school for the San Diego Unified School District on Aug. 29, district leaders and transit organizations Aug. 26 reminded families of a program making public transportation free for youth during the school year.
The school district, the Metropolitan Transit System, and the San Diego Association of Governments collaborated on the Youth Opportunity Pass, which launched a pilot program on May 1. According to data collected since that date, youth ridership has increased 34 percent.
“Free transit for youth already provides a great benefit for so many families, and we are excited for even more students to take advantage of this program,” said Nathan Fletcher, Metropolitan Transit System board chair and chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “
Right now, the system has more than 100,000 youth PRONTO accounts registered and continues to receive hundreds of registration requests every day. PRONTO is a contactless payment system for public transit services in San Diego County.
Even with schools no longer in session, youth ridership spiked 60 percent during weekends in the recent summer months when compared to the month before the pilot launched.
Since the project began, San Diego Unified has distributed thousands of PRONTO cards to youths, including 15,000 last year and more than 10,000 ready to be distributed once school starts.
“This helps level the playing field for so many young people,” said Sharon Whitehurst-Payne, the school district board president. “Youth Opportunity Passes provide San Diego Unified students a way to connect to school, jobs, entertainment, and so much more.
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Take your headphones off when walking near tracks or bus stops and always look both ways before crossing train tracks or intersections
- Keep small and valuable items securely hidden when possible
- Don’t talk to strangers
- Be courteous with fellow passengers by giving up your seat if you see a senior or rider with disabilities
