Elected officials announced the Youth Opportunity Pass Pilot program to provide free public transportation to youth 18 years and under county-wide beginning May 1, an effort that began in 2011 with concerned mothers in City Heights.
The new program will run through June 30, 2023, and is the first of its kind in the San Diego Region. Free rides will be available to youth on the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), and North County Transit District (NCTD) under the Youth Opportunity Pass Program (YOPP).
Eligible youth will have to sign up for a Youth PRONTO app account or a Youth PRONTO card. Information on PRONTO can be found at https://bit.ly/3rv3ONd.
Officials say that the program is being funded by $6.13 million from the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), with the support of San Diego County. According to the county Board of Supervisors Vice Chair, Nora Vargas said the county contributed an additional $1.5 million to kick off the program.
“As a county, not only are we investing in our youth, but we are going to be part of this bigger opportunity. We don't want this to be a pilot program. We want this to become a permanent program for communities,” Vargas said.
Maria Cortez, a City Heights resident who has advocated for the YOPP for more than a decade, worked with the City Heights Development Corporation with community members to bring the YOPP to fruition.
“I worked at the Metro villas, where I saw the residents who came to me and say ‘we have to fight to either put food on the table, pay the bills, and that touched my heart,” Cortez said. “I am this community, we are all in this community. To see this happen is wonderful. Having gone to City Council before and been turned down, I tell people to not take no for an answer.”
SANDAG first approved the program in October 2021 to help improve both mass transit ridership and to help serve underserved areas. Other public transportation plans are in the works, including the possibility to make public transportation free for all riders by 2031 under SANDAG's 30-year, $163 billion Regional plan, a comprehensive framework to better connect the region efficiently, and more equitably.
“When a young person turns 18 they do not magically stop needing transportation. They don't magically have the resources they need to get to and from opportunity. This is a starting point, but a very exciting one,” said MTS and SANDAG Board Member and San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera. “This is about the opportunity for education, jobs, and so much more that we don't even know.”
Elo-Rivera shared the story of a mother who broke down in tears at an organizing event because she had to tell her son he could not play football because of transportation costs.
“You should never have to choose between opportunity and food opportunity and rent. With this program, that choice will no longer need to be made,” Elo-Rivera said.
Mid-City CAN Youth Council Member Jonn Segovia, a City Heights resident and senior at Patrick Henry High School said the YOPP will provide immediate relief to transit-dependent youth. For the past 10 years, Mid-City CAN has advocated for the YOPP, as it incentivizes youth to ride public transit and cultivates a transit culture that can contribute to lowering future greenhouse gas emissions.
“While people eliminate the transportation barrier and risk of fare evasion that youth from low-income backgrounds experience, YOP ensures youth from all backgrounds are connected to their schools, internships, medical care, and early career opportunities,” Segovia said.
The San Diego Unified School District distributed over 15,000 pronto cards and expects to have a “district download day” to ensure all students can access the program, according to the district's newly minted Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson.
“This is a great opportunity for our youth to learn about independence, and be independent responsibly and safely,” Jackson said. “This program will allow San Diego Unified School District students to connect with school, jobs, and that is important in making sure that we have a thriving community. To have unlimited access to buses, the trolley, and the coaster, is incredible. This is going to level the playing field for so many who haven't had access to the broader region."
