San Diego’s back-to-school period has been underway in the last few weeks. Some schools will begin operations on Monday, August 29 and though some schools are close to their neighborhoods, there are some students who need public transportation in order to get to class.

In order to reduce costs for San Diegans, San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) have reminded people about the Youth Opportunity Pass program where young people and students 18 years old or under will be able to get free trolley and bus rides.

Nathan Fletcher, MTS board chair and chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, stated:

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 … Right now, MTS has more than 100,000 youth PRONTO accounts registered, and continues to receive hundreds of registration requests every day.

In order to apply for this program, young students need to have a PRONTO card, either physically or digitally, in order to make their rides free during the entire school year on MTS public transportation vehicles. Click here if you wish to know more about this free ride program for students.

Besides giving information about this program, MTS shared some safety tips for students and parents using public transportation. They recommend the following:

• 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.

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