SFUSD board backs student resolution urging Muni to extend youth fares to eligible 18‑year‑olds
Loading...
Summary
The San Francisco Unified School District board unanimously approved a student-delegate resolution urging the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to expand the youth fare to include low‑income 18‑year‑old high‑school students, citing affordability and estimates of roughly $1 million a year in projected cost.
The San Francisco Unified School District board on a roll‑call vote approved a student‑delegate resolution urging the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to expand Muni’s discounted youth fare to include eligible 18‑year‑old high‑school students.
Student delegates and youth speakers told the board that about three‑quarters of SFUSD seniors will turn 18 during their last year of high school and that losing access to the youth fare creates a financial barrier to school and after‑school programs. “When I turned 18 this January, my transportation changed,” said Ahmed Almabashi, a senior at Mission High School, describing how paying adult fares forced him to walk or wake earlier. Michelle Kung, a Galileo High School senior and youth commissioner, said many 18‑year‑old students still rely on family support and part‑time work and cannot shoulder the higher adult monthly cost.
Nicholas Persky, chair of the Youth Commission, told the board that SFMTA’s internal estimate of the program’s cost is just over $1,000,000 per year, though he cautioned that prior projections for youth fare pilots were substantially higher than actual costs. Student delegates said the district’s call would focus on making low‑income 18‑year‑olds eligible, with income eligibility tied to below‑median income standards used in the existing Free Muni for Youth program.
Board members asked staff and student delegates clarifying questions about cost estimates and whether eligibility would be income‑tested. Commissioners heard that the student proposal envisions targeting low‑income youth rather than all 18‑year‑olds and that a trial or evaluation year would help refine the fiscal impact. Commissioner Haney said he supported making the change permanent and identifying a funding source; Commissioner Marassee asked for clearer cost data.
The resolution was introduced after the board voted to suspend the rules and heard multiple public speakers in favor. The student‑delegate measure does not itself change SFMTA policy but asks SFUSD to urge SFMTA to extend the discount to eligible 18‑year‑old students and to study options for including older high‑school students in reduced fares.
The board’s approval sends a formal district request to the city and SFMTA and signals support from SFUSD leadership and its student leadership bodies. The student delegates said they expect next steps to include outreach with SFMTA and a one‑year evaluation of fiscal impact and participation rates.
