““Something as basic as coming up with the money to buy a bus pass to get to school can be a barrier which prevents a child from getting the education they deserve.” ”
Los Angeles Unified School District educates more than 530,000 students annually, of which more than 84% are living in poverty. Even before entering the classroom, students and their families face significant obstacles to learning. Housing, childcare, food, and transportation consume massive portions of families' budgets. These factors can have a profoundly damaging impact on a student's ability to learn, succeed academically, and thrive.
To address this critical issue, SLATE-Z worked with Move LA and LA Promise Fund to develop effective and equity-based transit models that LA Metro and LAUSD have adopted and scaled countywide.
“JUST TRANSIT” U-PASS PILOT PROGRAM
To increase youth access to education and transit ridership, Move LA secured the 11th Hour Project of The Schmidt Family Foundation in 2018.
SLATE-Z successfully worked with Move LA and LA Promise Fund to build the “Just Transit” Universal Pass Pilot Program (U-Pass), providing students at Manual Arts High School in South Los Angeles with an LA Metro TAP card for free and unlimited access to LA Metro’s countywide bus and rail services.
GO-PASS FARELESS SYSTEMS INITIATIVE
Building upon the success of the U-Pass Pilot, LA Metro launched the “GoPass” Fareless Systems Initiative in October 2021. The program provides TK-12 and community college students throughout LA County with free unlimited LA Metro rides to provide reliable transport to school, jobs, medical appointments, and more. The program has already demonstrated its impact and a study Metro participated in showed that students who received a free transit pass have up to 27% higher graduation rates, which leads to expanded academic and employment opportunities. The program also positively impacts public health with reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved air quality.
SLATE-Z is proud to have worked with Move LA and LA Promise Fund to develop an effective and equity-based transit model that LA Metro adopted and scaled countywide.
READ MORE:
Our Students Can’t Get Ahead If They Can’t Get Around (Investing in Place)
U-Pass Program offers Manual Arts High School juniors free Metro rides (ABC7)
Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner Urges Free Student Transit Passes for All Students (LAUSD)
Metro Extends Populate GoPass Program That Provides Free Fares for LA County K-14 Students (Metro.net)
