Anyone 18 years old or under can ride Muni for free starting Aug. 15, just in time for the start of the school year.
There will be no application process, and those who meet the age requirement are eligible regardless of financial status.
Mayor London Breed included the temporary program, which will last one year at a cost of $2 million, in her budget proposal for the current fiscal year. It’s seen by some transit advocates as a watered-down alternative to the larger pilot passed and funded by the Board of Supervisors in June that would have allowed all riders to travel fare-free this summer. Breed vetoed the program shortly after its approval at the board, citing potential impacts to service, reliability and overcrowding should the system be suddenly overwhelmed by riders traveling for free.
Supporters of Free Muni for Youth say it guarantees mobility to The City’s youngest residents, and they estimate it will allow more than 100,000 people to ride for free. According to SFMTA, studies show that exposure to transit while young leads to continued usage as an adult, as well as a lower likelihood of purchasing a car.
“It goes a little to show the system is listening to youth,” said Alexander Hirji, a 17-year-old member of SFMTA’s Youth Transportation Advisory Board. “It’s a more equitable way of aiding those who cannot pay for the fare and increasing familiarity with youth with the system.”
The program comes at a time when The City is wrestling with issues around frequency of transit service and whether existing fare discount programs make Muni accessible to those who rely on public transportation the most.
Enrollment barriers removed
The Youth Commission, a body of young San Franciscans that advises the Board of Supervisors and mayor, and groups like South of Market Community Action Network, a neighborhood non-profit that organizes on behalf of San Francisco’s working class and immigrant communities, have long advocated Free Muni for…