Contact us below to receive more information about Improving Transportation or to attend our next meeting
LATEST NEWS
Our team attended the District 4 Candidate Forum in Hillcrest on July 14 and asked the candidates their vision for the role public transportation will play in San Diego's future, and where should the funds come from to pay for it?
Mid-City CAN's Networking Night (in person!) returned on May 25, 2023 and focused on transportation justice! View photos from the event by clicking here.
Our Current Campaign
From May 2022 to June 2024, San Diegans 18 years old and under can ride for free on the bus, trolley, and other public transit operated by San Diego MTS and the North County Transit District! 🚌
It took more than a decade of advocacy by Mid-City CAN's Improving Transportation in City Heights (ITCH) team for the Youth Opportunity Pass (YOP) to become a reality! YOP began on May 1, 2022 with an end date of June 2023. Our ITCH team, community members, youth, and community organizations have been advocating to extend and expand YOP. On February 2023, SANDAG announced the extension of the program to June 30, 2024! We thank SANDAG, MTS, and local leaders such as Supervisor Chairwoman Nora Vargas, Council President Sean Elo-Rivera, and Supervisor Nathan Fletcher for supporting YOP!
Help us make YOP permanent! What you can do now:
1. Help spread the word about this program. Ask your school officials if they are aware of the program.
2). Tell youth to register for YOP by visiting www.ridepronto.com. They can also download the PRONTO app. Scan the QR code below.
How we got here:
Our Improving Transportation in City Heights (ITCH) team for more than a decade demanded no-cost Youth Opportunity Passes for every youth in San Diego. These passes would allow every young person in San Diego to ride public transportation at no cost. After years of hard work, we believed this dream was achievable by Dec 2021. On October 22nd, 2021, SANDAG Board of Directors approved the Social Equity Pilot Program, which allocated $8 million for no-cost youth fares (18 and under) and increased bus frequency. On May 1st, 2022, all youth ages 18 and under started riding the bus, Trolley, SPRINTER, and COASTER for free!
Youth Opportunity Pass resources:
Things to know about the Youth Opportunity Passes.
Click here for info about Youth Opportunity Passes.
Click here to stay updated by pledging your support for Youth Opportunity Passes
Our Previous Campaign
In 2011, City Heights mothers and grandmothers united around the simple, but very important goal of seeing their children travel safely to and from school. Momentum built quickly as community members realized what a difference access to transportation would have on the lives of San Diego’s youth. In 2013, with major support from the San Diego Unified School District and contributions from the city and county of San Diego, ITCH won its campaign for a Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program.
The pilot program served 850 high school students who put the passes to great use, participating in extracurricular activities, securing internships, and finding employment that would have been impossible to find without the passes. It was clear by the time the pilot program ended: Youth Opportunity Passes are an incredible investment in our future.